Computer networks can have different designs, with the two basic forms being client/server and peer-to-peer networks. Client/server networks have centralized servers for storage, which are accessed by client computers and devices.

Peer-to-peer networks are often used for file sharing and communication between computers. The main advantage of using a P2P network is its ability to provide high availability and fault tolerance. If one computer in the network goes down, others can continue working as if nothing happened.

They are more common in homes, while client/server networks are more likely to be used by small to medium size businesses.

There are also different types of network connections used to connect devices to each other. Topologies are the arrangements of these network connections and elements (links, nodes, etc.) The collapsed ring topology is the most common topology due to the Ethernet supporting the internet, local area networks, and wide area networks. The most common topologies are described below.

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