Communication Over Networks

Communication Over Networks
Being able to reliably communicate to anyone, anywhere, is becoming increasingly important to our personal and business lives. In order to support the immediate delivery of the millions of messages being exchanged between people all over the world, we rely on a web of interconnected networks. These data or information networks vary in size and capabilities, but all networks have four basic elements in common:
Rules or agreements to govern how the messages are sent, directed, received and interpreted.
The messages or units of information that travel from one device to another
A means of interconnecting these devices - a medium that can transport the messages from one device to another
Devices on the network that exchange messages with each other

The standardization of the various elements of the network enables equipment and devices created by different companies to work together. Experts in various technologies can contribute their best ideas on how to develop an efficient network, without regard to the brand or manufacturer of the equipment.