1. ARPANET was the first experimental computer network and precursor to the internet, developed in the 1960s by the US Defense Department's Advanced Research Projects Agency to enable resource sharing between computers.
2. The goals of computer networks include resource sharing between organizations with many computers located apart, high reliability through file replication across multiple machines, enabling interprocess communication between network users located geographically apart, and flexible access allowing files to be accessed and projects worked on from any computer in the network.
3. Computer networks have applications in business, communication, e-commerce, home use, electronic commerce, and for mobile users. They require hardware equipment, software, and cables/connectors.
