Apple Power Macintosh 4400 - Manual (Page 71)

In general, any group of computers set up to communicate with each other
constitutes a network. Some networks feature computers connected by a
particular type of cable. This is called a local area network (LAN), which can
be as simple as a computer connected to a printer or as complex as a
business’s in-house computer network. Sometimes groups of networks
connect to form a larger network, such as the Internet. This is called a wide
area network (WAN). This chapter discusses several types of LAN to which
you can connect your computer.
Connecting to a network expands the features of your computer by giving you
access to the services and resources provided on the network. For example,
your computer alone lets you store, retrieve, and modify information on
floppy disks, hard disks, and CD-ROM discs. On a network, however, you can
also store and retrieve information on the hard disks and CD-ROM discs of
other computers, access information that other people have stored for you,
use electronic mail, and share computing resources such as printers and
modems or other network services.
You can get much of the specific information about the network you want to
connect to from the specialist—referred to as the network administrator—who
oversees its operation. Before you begin, contact your network administrator.
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5
Connecting Your Computer to a Network
Read this chapter for information
about connecting to other computers
in a local area network.