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The term network refers to any interconnected group or system designed specifically for sharing information among them. The basic goal of network infrastructure was to provide connectivity and it acted as a bridge between a communications medium and the applications that are built upon this medium. Most of the IT industry is based on network infrastructure without which almost all communications in the world would come to an end. 
Location independence is a key benefit of an IP Network infrastructure. No matter where you are physically located, as long as they have access to the corporate WAN they can still function as if on-site, receiving and responding to your work as appropriate. With an IP-based customer interaction network, companies can better utilize employees located in branch offices, or allow them to work from their homes, functioning as remote knowledge workers. The network infrastructure allowed the rapid development of many computer technologies related to connectivity and created a marketplace for new concepts. It is based on the standard reference model of the industry such as the four-layer Internet Protocol Suite model. Network Infrastructure Design
A network infrastructure is designed considering various aspects like geographic scope, hardware technology to be used, functional relationships to be built, network topology required, and communications protocol used. Based on Geographic Scope | Personal Area Network (PAN) | It is used for communication among computer devices close to one person. The reach is normally a few meters. | Local Area Network (LAN) | It spans a relatively small space providing services to a small number of people and is based on either a peer-to-peer or client-server method of networking. In a peer-to-peer network, each user chares his resources with other workstationgs in the network. in a client-server network, every client is connected to the server and each other. | Campus Area Network (CAN) | it is made up of an interconnection of LANs within a limited geographical area and specific to an academic setting | Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) | It is a connection of large computer networks that span a city using wireless infrastructure of Optical fiber connections | Wide Area Network (WAN) | It has a wide variety of resources deployed across a large domestic area or intenrnationally. Internet is the beset example for WAN. It is based on deifferent technologies such as Popint-to-Point Protocol (PPP), High-Level Data Link Control (HDLC), Fram Relay, Asysnchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) and Synchronous Optical Network (Sonet). | Wireless Networks (WLAN, WWAN) | They are same as LAN or WAN without wires between hosts and servers and transfer data over sets of radio transceivers. | Based on Hardware Technology | Ethernet | It uses physical wiring to connect devices such hubs, witches, bridges, and routers. | Optical fiber | It uses glass or plastic fiber that permits transmission over longer distances and at higher data rates and is immune to electromagnetic interference. | Wireless | It uses radio frequency to connect. | Home Phoneline Networking Alliance (HOME PNA) | It used coax cable and phone lines for communication and provides compatibility between telecom, computer and network products. | Power Line Communication (PLC) | It uses electric power lines to carry information. | Based on Functional Relationships | | Active Networking | It allows packets to flow through a telecommunications network and permits rapid real-time changes to the underlying network operation | Client-Server | It separates clients from servers and allows devices to share files and resources. | Peer-to-Peer | It uses diverse connectivity between users and consumes cumulative bandwidth of network users. | Based on Network Topology | | Bus network | It nodes are connected to co common transmission medium that has two or more endpoints. Linear bus has two endpoints and distributed bus has more than two endpoints that are created by adding branches to the transmission medium. | Star network | Each of the nodes is connected to a central node with a point-to-point link. All transmission is through the central node. In an Extended star network, there are one or more repeaters between the central node and the peripheral nodes. | Ring network | Each of the nodes is connected to two other nodes in the network forming a ring | Mesh network | Each of the nodes is connected to each other in either a partially or fully connected network | Tree network | It has a central root node connected to one or more other nodes that are one level lower in the hierachy. | Hybrid network | It has one or more interconnections of two or more networks based on different topologies |
Components of the Network Infrastructure Component | Description | Network Interface Card | Provides physical access to a network medium | Repeater | Boosts a signal | Hub | Has multiple ports and copies packets to all ports | Bridge | Connets multiple network segments at the data link layer | Switch | Helps to distribute traffic on load or by application content | Router | Routers determine the best path and forward the packets | Bridge Router (Brouter) | Combines the functionakities of router and bridge | Digital Media Receiver | Connects between internal and external network addresses | Proxy | Allows users to make indirect network connections to other network services | Firewall | Prevents communications based on the network policy | Network Address Translator (NAT) | Converts between internal and external network addresses | Multiplexer | Combines server electrical signals into a single signal | Modem | Modulates and demodulated signals | ISDN Terminal Adapter (TA) | Specialized gateway for ISDN | Line Driver | Increases transmission distance by amplifying the signal in base-band networks |
Future Networks and IPv6 Infrastructure
Network infrastructure is changing. Future networks demand scalability, performance, reliability, security, and cost considerations in higher degrees. The telecom infrastructure used for decades is suddenly looking outdated and inefficient. IPv6 is the future inevitable protocol that offers increased address space, improved security, simplified configuration processes and inherent support features for mobile users. Some of the standard requirements of single IP infrastructure are  Multi service carrier core architecture- Replacement of PSTN
- QoS sessions
- Mobility enabled intelligence
- Controlling of sessions
- Billing Mediations among operators
- Efficient Management
- Security
- Home Gateways/Networks
With convergence and IPv6 as buzzwords of tomorrow, most companies today are focusing on the growth of collaboration technology to put the all important voice, video and data on a single IP infrastructure. Some of the benefits of single IP infrastructure are - Provides compatibility with radio access technology
- Supports open API's and different application platforms
- Offers corporate agility
- Tolerates a variety of protocols and provides complete flexibility
- Enhances productivity
- Supports re-usable component or capability
- Reduces costs for service providers
- Uses less bandwidth-expensive mechanisms
- Improves and enables quick and efficient services for varied consumers
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IP Network Infrastructure