Network standards are formal, agreed-upon rules and specifications that ensure compatibility and interoperability among diverse networking devices, vendors, and applications by defining their physical, electrical, and functional characteristics. Key organizations that develop these standards include the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) for wired (e.g., Ethernet, IEEE 802.3) and wireless (e.g., Wi-Fi, IEEE 802.11) communication, and the IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force) for internet protocols like TCP/IP.


What Network Standards Do?

Network Standards does the following job:


  1. Ensure Compatibility: Standards allow different devices, like computers, printers, and smartphones, to connect and communicate with each other regardless of their manufacturer. 
  2. Define Communication Rules: They specify the physical, electrical, and functional characteristics of network components, covering aspects such as cable types, connectors, data transmission signals, and frequencies. 
  3. Promote Interoperability: By adhering to common standards, networks can achieve reliable and efficient data flow, allowing diverse technologies to work together seamlessly. 
  4. Support Open Markets: Standards facilitate competition by allowing different vendors to create products that can be integrated into existing market products.


Examples:

Examples of key Network Standards and Organisations include: -


  1. IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) –
  2. IEEE 802.3: The standard for Ethernet, defining wired local area network (LAN) communication.
  3. IEEE 802.11: The standard for wireless communication, commonly known as Wi-Fi.


  1. IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force) –
  2. TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol): The foundational suite for the internet, responsible for reliable data transmission and routing.
  3. HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol): A standard protocol for transmitting web pages on the World Wide Web.
  4. SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol): A standard for sending email messages.


  1. W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) –
  2. Develops standards for web technologies like HTML (HyperText Markup Language) and CSS (Cascading Style Sheets). 


Goals of a Computer Network

The following are some important goals of a computer network: -


1. Resource Sharing – Many organization has a substantial number of computers in operations, which are located apart. Ex. A group of office workers can share a common printer, fax, modem, scanner, etc. 

 

2. High Reliability – If there are alternate sources of supply, all files could be replicated on two or more machines. If one of them is not available, due to hardware failure, the other copies could be used. 

 

3. Inter-process Communication – Network users, located geographically apart, may converse in an interactive session through the network. In order to permit this, the network must provide almost error-free communications.

 

4. Flexible access – Files can be accessed from any computer in the network. The project can be begun on one computer and finished on another. 


Other goals include Distribution of processing functions, Centralized management, and allocation of network resources, Compatibility of dissimilar equipment and software, Good network performance, Scalability, Saving money, Access to remote information, Person to person communication, etc.