Network programming: everything you need to know

You have browsed the web and our site appeared to you, and you even got to this article thanks to the network programming process, which allows the web browser you are using from your computer to connect to the site's server and then bring the required information to you and display it. So what are the details of this process

What is network programming 

Network programming is the process in which developers write code to enable devices to communicate with each other, by connecting them within a single network that brings these devices together. This communication allows everything to be shared, such as the files, folders and work data that it includes, as well as various messages. All devices connected via the network can also connect to the internet

The devices included in the network vary accordingly; they include computers of all kinds, printers, cameras and network devices such as routers and switches, and not limited to them only; as modern networks include a set of interconnected systems that include applications, virtual machines, cloud versions and others

The importance of network programming

Network programming is an important process for all fields, especially business, as today it is not possible to create a company of any size without a network, and the importance of the network lies in providing many benefits such as

 Participation

Participation is the most important benefit of the network, as it helps to make the most of the company's capabilities, and includes sharing several things such as

Network devices includes physical equipment, such as printer,scanner, copier and many other equipment. The company's employees share these devices, especially if they include several floors, or the company's many departments are distributed in different buildings

Programs the necessary programs for completing various work tasks, used in the company by network programming, are available to all employees, which helps to speed up the execution of tasks, thereby increasing their productivity

Files the network facilitates the process of exchanging files and documents and shortens its time; it is not done using traditional mobile storage means such as hard disk and memory cards; but through network programs directly

Work information the network enables the exchange of information necessary for the workflow; through e-mail and video conferencing, to get work done between employees quickly and smoothly, which improves work efficiency

One internet connection different devices within the same network are programmed to share one internet connection, which helps to protect network systems from misuse of the internet, and also protects them securely, as the security policies followed by this company are applied to this connection only; instead of applying them to multiple connections

 Ease of management

There is no doubt that management is one of the basic and extremely difficult work tasks, especially as it requires following up the smallest details of the work stages and at several levels; such as tracking user and employee records data, in addition to monitoring operations, and detecting and solving problems

These tasks are made easier thanks to network programming; it is less difficult when managing two devices instead of ten, and it also allows the possibility of implementing centralized management to ensure full control of all network devices. In addition to managing network security and maintaining the privacy of employees and customer data

 Overcoming barriers

Most companies have branches that are distributed in different geographical places, which creates many barriers for employees in the form of difficulty accessing certain information or a file, or poor communication between members of the same company, and this in turn causes many problems. Its solution lies in network programming, as it allows remote data access and centralized storage, as well as the creation of backup copies of important data

 Promote effective communication

When you do network programming, you greatly enhance communication between your company's employees, as everyone can communicate together remotely and at any time to achieve the best effectiveness in performing various work tasks, which positively reflects on the quality of services provided, and therefore customer satisfaction

Cost reduction

All the previously mentioned benefits add an extremely important additional benefit to the network programming process, namely, reducing material costs. The sharing of resources makes it possible to rely on one equipment of each type, which reduces the costs of purchasing many devices, in addition to the regular maintenance costs required for them

Sharing programs also reduces the cost of purchasing a copy of these programs for each computer, since most work programs are paid. And file sharing completely eliminates the need to pay for mobile storage gadgets

What are the types of software networks

The types of software networks vary according to their classification, as they can be classified according to their size and the number of users, or according to the method of connecting them, or according to the components used in linking and the relationship between them

Types of networks by size and geographical extension

Lan one of the most famous types of networks, connecting a group of computers located within one specific local area through a common medium, the area may be a house, office or building. The number of devices connected to it ranges from two to hundreds of devices, depending on which the size of the network varies to be small or large

Regional network or Man City Network this network serves an area larger than the local network and smaller than the wide network, and may connect several local networks together

Wan it is a set of local area networks connected to each other, but on a very large scale that may extend to several countries, one of the most famous examples of which is the internet that connects computers worldwide

Storage area network SAN a network dedicated to handling operations for transferring large data at high speed; it allows storage devices to access servers by connecting the volume directly to the operating system; which in turn facilitates data storage, retrieval and management operations

VPN virtual private network: used when needed to exchange sensitive information within a high level of protection and security against hackers and intruders; it provides an encrypted internet connection between the user's device and the network, and also hides the user's identity to increase privacy

There are also other types such as Pan personal network, HAN home network, can campus area, San system area, EPN Enterprise Private Network, as well as Polan Passive Optical LAN

Types of networks by connection method

Linear network Bus the simplest network structure, in which devices are connected to one common longitudinal cable and information within the network is transmitted through it. The linear network is characterized by Ease of setup and low material cost, but it suffers from a big problem, which is the shutdown of the entire network in the event of a device failure, in addition to the problem of slow data transfer

Star Network all devices of this network are connected to a central device that mediates them to form a star shape, this device is either a Hub complex or a Switch adapter. The data in it is transmitted from one of the devices to the central device to distribute it to the rest of the devices, the failure of a device in it does not affect the work of the rest of the devices except the central device; whose failure will cause the entire network to stop, and it is also of high cost

Ring Ring network this network tries to overcome the problem of the Star network; therefore, it connects devices in a ring without a central device, and each device connects to two devices, one to its right and the other to its left, which makes the data travel in this network in one direction and within a closed loop and very quickly. This, in turn, makes it low-cost but a malfunction of any device will disrupt the entire network.

Hybrid network hybrid includes a combination between any two of the previously mentioned types as needed within the required network

Types of network components

A peer-to-peer network connects a limited number of devices up to about 10 devices, all of which are close to specifications and are called a Workgroup, so there is no need to control the network, so the method of connecting devices is Server-free

Server-client network: differs from the previous method by the presence of a server that connects devices with each other, which is a large number, reaching 1024 devices. The server is a computer with high specifications, to be able to control the network, provide the necessary resources and secure their participation, while clients ' computers have lower specifications

In addition, networks can be classified by carrier medium into wired networks and wireless networks, an example of wireless networks is the wireless LAN, and being wireless, it does not rely on wires for communication, but uses radio frequency; which gives it high flexibility and ease in the process of data transmission over the air, and increases the number of devices that can access the network

What are the methods of network programming

The method used in network programming varies depending on the protocol used, and there are two protocols, TCP/IP and WDP. Both are usable with any network programming language, and in their work they are based on sending and receiving data, after dividing them into modules known as packets packets. The following is the difference between the two methods

Connect to the network through the TCP/IP protocol

TCP stands for the transmission control protocol Transmission Control Protocol that connects devices to each other, and secures data transfer between them by using a set of network programming protocols. It controls transmission and focuses on security and ensuring that data arrives correctly and error-free by numbering packets to reach the receiver in the same order in which they were sent, making it the most widely used protocol in the network programming process

Connecting to the network through the UDP protocol

The work of the UDP protocol is the opposite of the previous protocol; it focuses on the delivery speed factor at the expense of reliability and security, making it faster than the TCP/IP protocol. But there is no guarantee that the entire packet will reach the receiver; it does not number the network packets when they are sent, but determines the receiver address in each packet and sends it randomly. The UDP protocol is based on a main protocol such as TCP/IP, but without any additional protocols

Professional network programmer skills

A professional network programmer must possess many skills that qualify him to accomplish reliable and high-precision projects, the main of which are

Technical skills

Technical skills consist in knowledge of the basics of network programming such as: types of networks, how to set up and connect them, the details of each device in the network. In addition to full knowledge of the programming languages for network programming, to write fast error-free code, and perform experiments on simulation programs before executing them on the actual network

Conducting tests

A network programmer should be experienced in conducting tests, as network programming requires multiple tests to ensure the correctness of the implementation of each stage and free of errors before moving to the next stage, and periodic tests should be conducted even after completion; in order to overcome gaps, especially since the gaps of any network are the first target for hackers

Problem solving

The fact that the field of network programming involves connecting a lot of different elements with each other and there are many modifications; many problems may appear, which require immediate solution according to a systematic method that has certain steps. This requires a network programmer to identify the most common problems in the field and ways to solve them, in order to have the skill to solve any new problem

Effective communication

A network programmer works with a large number of people, with different fields and positions such as: managers, employees, IT workers, technicians. He receives feedback and amendments from most of them, which requires him to have effective communication skills, work in a team spirit, and present his ideas in a smooth and simplified way

It sounds complicated, and you might think that you won't find a network programmer who has all these skills together. But fortunately, you can hire a professional network programmer to create professional networks of various types for your business and program them in a professional, error-free way, to then get all the advantages offered by the network programming process

The process of network programming helps you to connect your devices with each other of all kinds, and facilitate the process of communication between them to achieve the greatest benefit from this; through data transfer, sharing resources and many other things. This offers many advantages, the results of which ultimately reflect positively on the productivity of your company