The Ethereum network
The Ethereum network is a peer-to-peer network where nodes participate in order to maintain the blockchain and contribute to the consensus mechanism. Networks can be divided into three types, based on requirements and usage.
MainNet
MainNet is the current live network of ethereum. The current version of MainNet is homestead.
TestNet
TestNet is also called Ropsten and is the test network for the Ethereum blockchain. This blockchain is used to test smart contracts and DApps before being deployed to the production live blockchain. Moreover, being a test network, it allows experimentation and research.
Private net(s)
As the name suggests, this is the private network that can be created by generating a new genesis block. This is usually the case in distributed ledger networks, where a private group of entities start their own blockchain and use it as a permissioned blockchain.
More discussion on how to connect to test net and how to set up private nets will be discussed in the next...