When two computers are linked together using a cable that allows to share data is known as?

Connecting two computers with a specific type of Universal Serial Bus (USB) cable allows you to transfer files or other data directly from one machine to another. Transfer speeds are limited to the speed of the USB ports in both machines and you will get faster throughput if your computers were manufactured after the first quarter of 2010. USB 3.0 is many times faster than the older specifications, but all versions of USB will work for creating a simple peer-to-peer network.

Inhaltsverzeichnis Show

Create a USB Mini-Network
Types of networking
Components of networking
What is it called when two computers are linked together?
What connects computers with cables to share information?

Create a USB Mini-Network

Before you connect the computers, make sure that they are compatible. You can use machines with different versions of Windows, but connecting different operating systems will not work properly. This is because different operating systems like Windows, OS X and Linux use different formats for storing files. Connecting incompatible computers will not cause damage to the machines, however. Even though the connection may work, you may not be able to use the files once they are transferred.
As Gabriel Torres explains in the tutorial, "Connecting Two PCs Using a USB to USB Cable," a USB bridged cable (also called a USB networking cable) is a special type of USB cable which has two of the characteristic flat, rectangular connector ends matching the connectors in your computers. To avoid power and data conflicts, a bridged cable contains electronics that organize the data flow. You could damage the ports and power supplies of the computers you are using if you do not use a bridged USB cable.
Plug one end of the bridged USB cable into a free USB slot on each computer. Bridged cables do not share a power source. Some USB ports are only designed for data, and do not provide any power. You can use powered or non-powered USB ports when connecting computers directly.
USB networking cables generally come with an installation disk. Insert the disk into the primary computer and follow the onscreen instructions. You will have a choice between link and network modes. Choose the network option. Setting up the computers as a link will allow you transfer files but will not allow you to share other resources such as printers and Internet access.

Networking, also known as computer networking, is the practice of transporting and exchanging data between nodes over a shared medium in an information system. Networking comprises not only the design, construction and use of a network, but also the management, maintenance and operation of the network infrastructure, software and policies.

Computer networking enables devices and endpoints to be connected to each other on a local area network (LAN) or to a larger network, such as the internet or a private wide area network (WAN). This is an essential function for service providers, businesses and consumers worldwide to share resources, use or offer services, and communicate. Networking facilitates everything from telephone calls to text messaging to streaming video to the internet of things (IoT).

The level of skill required to operate a network directly correlates to the complexity of a given network. For example, a large enterprise may have thousands of nodes and rigorous security requirements, such as end-to-end encryption, requiring specialized network administrators to oversee the network.

At the other end of the spectrum, a layperson may set up and perform basic troubleshooting for a home Wi-Fi network with a short instruction manual. Both examples constitute computer networking.

Types of networking

There are two primary types of computer networking: wired networking and wireless networking.

Wired networking requires the use of a physical medium for transport between nodes. Copper-based Ethernet cabling, popular due to its low cost and durability, is commonly used for digital communications in businesses and homes. Alternatively, optical fiber is used to transport data over greater distances and at faster speeds, but it has several tradeoffs, including higher costs and more fragile components.

Wireless networking uses radio waves to transport data over the air, enabling devices to be connected to a network without any cabling. Wireless LANs are the most well-known and widely deployed form of wireless networking. Alternatives include microwave, satellite, cellular and Bluetooth, among others.

As a general rule, wired networking offers greater speed, reliability and security compared to wireless networks; wireless networking tends to provide more flexibility, mobility and scalability.

It should be noted that these types of networking concern the physical layer of the network. Networking can also be classified according to how it's built and designed, encompassing approaches that include software-defined networking (SDN) or overlay networks. Networking can also be categorized by environment and scale, such as LAN, campus, WAN, data center networks or storage area networks.

Components of networking

Computer networking requires the use of physical network infrastructure -- including switches, routers and wireless access points -- and the underlying firmware that operates such equipment. Other components include the software necessary to monitor, manage and secure the network.

Additionally, networks rely on the use of standard protocols to uniformly perform discrete functions or communicate different types of data, regardless of the underlying hardware.

For example, voice over IP (VoIP) can transport IP telephony traffic to any endpoint that supports the protocol. HTTP provides a common way for browsers to display webpages. The internet protocol suite, also known as TCP/IP, is a family of protocols responsible for transporting data and services over an IP-based network.

This was last updated in June 2018

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What is it called when two computers are linked together?

When two or more computers are connected together so they can communicate with one another, they form a network.

A Local Area Network (LAN) connects two or more computers together via Ethernet cables. For office networking, this is one of the most common network types, because of its reliability, stability and performance.