| Part ofa series on | ||||
| Network science | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Network types | ||||
| Graphs | ||||
| ||||
| Models | ||||
| ||||
| ||||
Atelecommunications network is a group ofnodes interconnected bytelecommunications links that are used to exchange messages between the nodes. The links may use a variety of technologies based on the methodologies ofcircuit switching,message switching, orpacket switching, to pass messages and signals.
Multiple nodes may cooperate to pass the message from an originating node to the destination node, via multiple network hops. For this routing function, each node in the network is assigned anetwork address for identification and locating it on the network. The collection of addresses in the network is called theaddress space of the network.
Examples of telecommunications networks includecomputer networks, theInternet, thepublic switched telephone network (PSTN), the globalTelex network, the aeronauticalACARS network,[1] and the wireless radio networks of cell phone telecommunication providers.
This is the structure of network general, every telecommunications network conceptually consists of three parts, or planes (so-called because they can be thought of as being and often are, separateoverlay networks):
| Computer network types by scale |
|---|
 |
Data networks are used extensively throughout the world for communication between individuals andorganizations. Data networks can be connected to allow users seamless access to resources that are hosted outside of the particular provider they are connected to. TheInternet is the best example of theinternetworking of many data networks from different organizations.
Terminals attached toIP networks like the Internet are addressed usingIP addresses. Protocols of theInternet protocol suite (TCP/IP) provide the control and routing of messages across the and IP data network. There are many different network structures that IP can be used across to efficiently route messages, for example:
There are three features that differentiate MANs from LANs or WANs:
Data center networks also rely highly on TCP/IP for communication across machines. They connect thousands of servers, are designed to be highly robust, provide low latency and high bandwidth. Data center network topology plays a significant role in determining the level of failure resiliency, ease of incremental expansion, communication bandwidth and latency.[3]
In analogy to the improvements in the speed and capacity of digital computers, provided by advances in semiconductor technology and expressed in the bi-yearly doubling of transistor density, which is described empirically byMoore's law, the capacity and speed of telecommunications networks have followed similar advances, for similar reasons. In telecommunication, this is expressed inEdholm's law, proposed by and named after Phil Edholm in 2004.[4] This empirical law holds that thebandwidth of telecommunication networks doubles every 18 months, which has proven to be true since the 1970s.[4][5] The trend is evident in theInternet,[4]cellular (mobile),wireless andwired local area networks (LANs), andpersonal area networks.[5] This development is the consequence of rapid advances in the development ofmetal-oxide-semiconductor technology.[6]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
