The process of interconnecting two or more individual networks to facilitate communications among their respective nodes Note: The interconnected networks may be different types Each network is distinct, with its own addresses, internal protocols, access methods, and administration
The art and science of connecting individual local-area networks (LANs) to create wide-area networks (WANs) , and connecting WANs to form even larger WANs Internetworking can be extremely complex because it generally involves connecting networks that use different protocols Internetworking is accomplished with routers, bridges, and gateways
The term "network" has many different meanings depending on the person or company, and the context in which the network is being used One well accepted definition is "a configuration of data processing devices and software connected for information storage and interchange" Then an "internetwork" might be defined as "communication between data processing devices on one network and other possibly dissimilar devices on another network" CiscoFusion: An Architecture for Switched Internetworks IP (Internet Protocol): A scheme that enables information to be routed from one network to another
- The interconnection of networks to form a network of a higher order Also: the communication between two or more networks - encompasses every aspect of connecting computers together Large internetworks can consist of the following three distinct components