Computer networks and systems: queueing theory and performance evaluation
Computer networks and systems: queueing theory and performance evaluation
Computer networks (3rd ed.)
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A computer network consists of a set of communication channels interconnecting a set of computing devices or nodes that can communicate with each other. The nodes may be computers, terminals, workstations (q.v.), or communication units of various kinds distributed over different locations. They communicate over communication channels that can be leased from common carriers (e.g. telephone companies) or are provided by the owners of the network. These channels may use a variety of transmission media, including optical fibers, coaxial cable, twisted copper pairs, satellite links, digital microwave radio, or one of the new emerging wireless technologies. The nodes may be distributed over a wide area (distances of hundreds or thousands of miles) or over a local area (distances of a hundred feet to several miles), in which case the networks are called wide area (WAN) or local area (LAN) networks, respectively. A metropolitan area network (MAN) is a network that spans distances between those of a LAN and a WAN.