ABSTRACT
The field of communications and computer networks deals with efficient and reliable transfer of information from one point to another. The need to exchange information is not new but the techniques employed to achieve information exchange have been steadily improving. During the past few decades, these techniques have experienced an unprecedented and innovative growth. Several factors have been and continue to be responsible for this growth. The Internet is the most visible product of this growth and it has impacted the life of each and every one of us. This chapter describes salient features and operational details of communications and computer networks.
