What Is a Network?

By definition, a network is a group of connected computers. The group can be as small and simple as two computers and a printer set up in a house or as large and complex as a multisite network that supports thousands of computers and hundreds of printers and other devices. Regardless of the size and complexity of a network, its fundamental function is to allow you to communicate and share data and resources.

Although the basic purpose of a network has not changed since the first network was created, the way in which we build and use networks has evolved in an amazing way. In a not-too-distant past, networks were a luxury that only the largest companies and governments could afford, but they now have become a vital business tool that hundreds of millions of people rely on every day.