A computer network connects computers and devices together through communication devices and transmission media. It allows sharing of resources like printers, files, data and information. There are three main types of networks - local area networks (LANs) within a small geographical area, metropolitan area networks (MANs) within a city, and wide area networks (WANs) across large areas like countries. Network architecture refers to the overall design of a computer network and describes how it is configured and what strategies are used. The two main architectures are client/server, where a server provides services to clients, and peer-to-peer where all computers have equal capabilities without a central server.