Editing Computing (section)

=== Computer network ===
{{Main|Computer network}}

A computer network, often simply referred to as a network, is a collection of hardware components and computers [[Computer network|interconnected]] by communication channels that allow the sharing of resources and information.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.atis.org/glossary/definition.aspx?id=6555 |title=Computer network definition |access-date=12 November 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120121061919/http://www.atis.org/glossary/definition.aspx?id=6555 |archive-date=21 January 2012 }}</ref> When at least one process in one device is able to send or receive data to or from at least one process residing in a remote device, the two devices are said to be in a network. Networks may be classified according to a wide variety of characteristics such as the medium used to transport the data, [[communications protocol]] used, scale, [[Network topology|topology]], and organizational scope.

[[Communications protocol]]s define the rules and data formats for exchanging information in a computer network, and provide the basis for [[computer network programming|network programming]]. One well-known communications protocol is [[Ethernet]], a hardware and [[link layer]] standard that is ubiquitous in [[local area network]]s. Another common protocol is the [[Internet Protocol Suite]], which defines a set of protocols for internetworking, i.e. for [[data communication]] between multiple networks, host-to-host data transfer, and application-specific data transmission formats.<ref>{{Cite web |title=TCP/IP: What is TCP/IP and How Does it Work? |url=https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/TCP-IP |access-date=2024-03-14 |website=Networking |language=en}}</ref>

Computer networking is sometimes considered a sub-discipline of [[electrical engineering]], telecommunications, [[computer science]], information technology, or [[computer engineering]], since it relies upon the theoretical and practical application of these disciplines.<ref>Dhavaleswarapu, Ratna. (2019). [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/338211242_The_Pallid_Image_of_Globalization_in_Kiran_Desai's_The_Inheritance_of_Loss The Pallid Image of Globalization in Kiran Desai's The Inheritance of Loss]. Retrieved 19 April 2024.</ref>

==== Internet ====
{{main|Internet}}
The Internet is a global system of interconnected [[computer network]]s that use the standard [[Internet Protocol Suite]] (TCP/IP) to serve billions of users. This includes millions of private, public, academic, business, and government networks, ranging in scope from local to global. These networks are linked by a broad array of electronic, wireless, and optical networking technologies. The Internet carries an extensive range of information resources and services, such as the inter-linked [[hypertext]] documents of the [[World Wide Web]] and the [[information infrastructure|infrastructure]] to support email.<ref name="Britannica Internet">{{cite web |title=Internet {{!}} Description, History, Uses & Facts |url=https://www.britannica.com/technology/Internet |website=Encyclopedia Britannica |date=3 June 2024 |access-date=7 June 2024}}</ref>