Computer networks allow computing devices to communicate and share resources. Connections between devices are usually made with physical cables but can also be wireless. The speed at which data is transferred across a network, known as the data transfer rate, is an important consideration. Computer networks have enabled the client/server model where some devices act as servers that store and manage files for other devices acting as clients. Common types of networks include local-area networks (LANs), wide-area networks (WANs), and metropolitan-area networks (MANs). The Internet is essentially a global WAN that connects many smaller networks together.