Computer Networks

A computer network is a group of computers connected together. They can share files, messages, and other information. Networks can be small, like in a house, or huge, like the internet. Networks help people work together and communicate.

Types of Networks

A small network in a home or school is called a LAN. LAN stands for Local Area Network. Your Wi-Fi at home creates a LAN. The internet is the biggest network in the world. It connects billions of computers across the planet.

How Networks Connect

Computers connect to networks using cables or Wi-Fi. A router is a device that sends data to the right place. Think of it like a mail carrier for computer information. Data travels through the network in tiny pieces called packets. The packets are put back together when they arrive.

Fun Facts

• The internet uses undersea cables that stretch across the ocean floor.
• The first computer network was called ARPANET and started in 1969.
• Data can travel around the world through a network in less than one second.

Did You Know?

There are over 400 undersea cables carrying internet data under the oceans right now. Some of them are thousands of miles long!