What Homepage is
The first page or front page of a Web site. It serves as the starting point for navigation (not be confused with a buffer page, doorway page, or splash page). Why is it sometimes seen as one word and other times as two words? When referring to the Web site of an individual or a company, or to a Web site you want someone to visit, the one-word version is used. For example, "Have you seen my homepage?" or "We've got to get a homepage up, even if it just says 'under construction'." The two-word version is more applicable when talking about the front page of a larger Web site (consisting of many pages) or when referring to the front page from a site map or page of navigational directions. For example, "Welcome, this is our Home Page" or "From the Help Page, go back to the Home Page." You may also see it simply written as "Home." One thing you should be sure to take advantage of is the server space your ISP offers to you account holders, where you can put up your own homepage! You will need an HTML editor, a graphics program, and an FTP program to get started.
The meaning of Network
The term actually has many different meanings depending on the person, company, or context in which it is being used. Basically, it is a collection of two or more computers and associated devices that are linked together with communications equipment. Once connected, each part of the network can share the software, hardware, and information contained in the other parts.
The most common types of network are LANs (Local Area Networks, in which the computers share the same office space, room, or building) and WANs (Wide Area Networks, in which LANs are connected at different geographic locations by telephone lines or radio waves, as in wireless communications). Network connections are established by twisted-pair cable, coaxial cable, fiber-optic cable, connectors, or NICs (network interface cards). Network computing depends on protocols that work with a variety of operating systems and network hardware (see: IEEE and ISO). When you hear someone talking about "sharing network resources," they are referring either to client/server networks or peer-to-peer networks.
Also, you may hear Internet companies refer to their "network of Web sites," a group of associated sites that's analogous to a television network or cable TV network. If you have a small business that uses a network for Internet access and file sharing, be sure to have a firewall installed, to protect yourself from unauthorized access.
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