Why Connect Computers Together?

Computers hold and process information. Users of the information naturally form groups and unless all the users of the group use the same computer there will be a need to connect their computers together. Different groups will want to connect different sets of computers together and so the need evolves into the requirement to form computers into networks such that any computer in the network can communicate with any other.

A network provides the following basic functions:-

File Transfer

i.e. the ability to move a file from one computer to another. Transferring text files between machines is straight forward although it may be necessary to select a translation option to ensure the end of line character is treated properly. However binary files are usually only transferred between machines of the same type because they are machine dependent. Binary files can be copied between different machine types, if the copying program is told to make a binary copy, but it only makes sense to do this if the file is to be subsequently copied back to a machine of the right type, or the receiving machine ``understands'' it.

File Access

i.e. the ability to read or write a file on another computer. For example this allows a group of workstations to be connected together but to attach all the disks to just one member which would then provide the file store for the rest of the group.

Mail

This is a natural extension to the service provided to a group of users on a single computer to a group of users on a network of computers.

Remote Login

i.e. connecting a user's terminal or workstation to a remote computer so that the user can use that computer as if it were his local one. Depending on the type of connection the user might have a line based access e.g. his local terminal or workstation might emulate a VT100, or full screen access e.g. X windows.