The library terminals that display book information would connect over a local area network. For example, if two libraries at the opposite ends of a city wanted to share their book catalog information, they would most likely make use of a wide area network technology, which could be a dedicated line leased from the local telephone company, intended solely to carry their data. In comparison to WANs, LANs are faster and more reliable, but improvements in technology continue to blur the line of demarcation. Fiber optic cables have allowed LAN technologies to connect devices tens of kilometers apart while at the same time greatly improving the speed and reliability of WANs. In networking, the term protocol refers to a set of rules that govern communications.
Protocols are to computers what language is to humans.
Since this article is in English, to understand it, you must be able to read English. Similarly, for two devices on a network to successfully communicate, they must both understand the same protocols. Ethernet has since become the most popular and most widely deployed network technology in the world. Many of the issues involved with Ethernet are common to many network technologies, and understanding how Ethernet addressed these issues can provide a foundation that will improve your understanding of networking in general. The Ethernet standard has grown to encompass new technologies as computer networking has matured, but the mechanics of operation for every Ethernet network today stem from Metcalfe s original design.