What is a network and why does it matter?
A network is two or more devices connected so they can exchange data and share resources: files, printers, an internet connection, or a system such as an ERP running on one server that every employee uses.
Most networks follow the client–server model: your device is the “client” that asks, and the “server” answers: it sends you a web page, rows from a database, or a file.
We classify networks by the area they cover:
| PAN | Personal area network: devices around you, like Bluetooth earbuds with your phone. |
| LAN | Local area network: inside one building: a home, an office, a university lab. |
| MAN | Metropolitan area network: links buildings in one city, such as a university's campuses. |
| WAN | Wide area network: links cities and countries. The internet is the biggest WAN: “the network of networks”. |
Nakhla scenarioIn this track we follow Nakhla Distribution: a Riyadh head office with 40 staff and a server running the ERP system, a small branch in Jeddah, and sales reps who work outside the office. Your job as an MIS graduate: understand their network, connect the branch to head office, and protect it all.
Watch outWhy should an MIS student care? Every system you analyse or implement (ERP, a database, a web app) runs on top of a network. If the network is slow or breached, the best system in the world won't help.