اﻟﺸﺒﻜﺔ ﻤﺠﻤﻭﻋﺔ ﻤﻥ ﺍﻟﺤﻭﺍﺴﻴﺏ ﺍﻟﻤﺘﺼﻠﺔ ﻓﻴﻤﺎ ﺒﻴﻨﻬﺎ ﻓﻴﺯﻴﺎﺌﻴﹰﺎ
ﺒﺤﻴﺙ ﻴﻤﻜﻥ ﻷﻱ ﻤﻨﻬﺎ ﺍﻟﻭﺼﻭل ﺇﻟـﻰ ﺍﻵﺨﺭ ﻭﺍﺴﺘﺨﺩﺍﻡ ﻤﻭﺍﺭﺩﻩ ﻤﻥ ﺘﻁﺒﻴﻘﺎﺕ ﻭﻗﻭﺍﻋﺩ ﻤﻌﻁﻴﺎﺕ ﻭﻏﻴﺭﻫﺎ
ﻤﻥ ﺍﻟﻤﺼﺎﺩﺭ.ﻓﻲ ﺃﺒﺴﻁ ﺃﺸﻜﺎﻟﻬﺎ ﺘﺘﻜﻭﻥ ﺍﻟﺸﺒﻜﺔ ﻤﻥ ﺠﻬﺎﺯﻴﻥ ﻜﻤﺒﻴﻭﺘﺭ
ﻤﺘﺼﻠﻴﻥ ﺒﺒﻌﻀﻬﻤﺎ ﺒﻭﺍﺴﻁﺔ ﺴﻠﻙ cableﻭ ﻴﻘﻭﻤﺎﻥ ﺒﺘﺒﺎﺩل ﺍﻟﺒﻴﺎﻨﺎﺕ
.ﹸﺘﻭﺼل ﺍﻟﺤﻭﺍﺴﻴﺏ ﺒﻭﺍﺴﻁﺔ ﺃﺴﻼﻙ ﺘﺨﺘﻠﻑ ﻤﻥ ﺸﺒﻜﺔ ﺇﻟﻰ ﺃﺨﺭﻯ
ﺘﺒﻌﹰﺎ ﻟﻠﺘﻘﻨﻴﺔ ﺍﻟﻤﻌﺘﻤﺩﺓ ﻭﺍﻟﺒﻨﻴﺔ ﺍﻟﻤـﺴﺘﺨﺩﻤﺔ .ﺃﻤﺎ ﻋﻥ ﻭﺼل ﺍﻟﺴﻠﻙ cableﺒﺎﻟﺤﺎﺴﻭﺏ
ﻓﻴﺘﻡ ﻋﻥ ﻁﺭﻴﻕ ﻤﺄﺨﺫ ﻓﻲ ﺒﻁﺎﻗﺔ ﺨﺎﺼﺔ ﺘﺯﺭﻉ ﻓـﻲ ﺍﻟﺤﺎﺴـﻭﺏ ﻭﻴﻭﺼل ﺒﻬﺎ ﺍﻟﺴﻠﻙ
ﻭﺘﺴﻤﻰ ﻫﺫﻩ ﺍﻟﺒﻁﺎﻗﺔ ﺒﻁﺎﻗﺔ ﺍﻟﻭﺍﺠﻬﺔ ﺍﻟﺸﺒﻜﻴﺔ .ﻋﻨﺩ ﻭﺼل ﻤﺠﻤﻭﻋﺔ ﻤﺘﻘﺎﺭﺒﺔ
ﻤﻥ ﺍﻟﺤﻭﺍﺴﻴﺏ ﻤﻊ ﺒﻌﻀﻬﺎ ﻓﺈﻨﻨﺎ ﻨـﺩﻋﻭﻫﺎ ﺸـﺒﻜﺔ ﻤﺤﻠﻴـﺔ
(Local Area Networkﺃﻭ ﺍﺨﺘﺼﺎﺭﹰﺍ LAN
وﺘﻜﻭﻥ ﻫﺫﻩ ﺍﻟﺸﺒﻜﺔ ﺼﻐﻴﺭﺓ ﻨﺴﺒﻴﹰﺎ ﻭﺘﺘﺒﺎﻋﺩ ﻋﻨﺎﺼﺭﻫﺎ ﻟﻤﺴﺎﻓﺎﺕ ﻗﺼﻴﺭﺓ