Analog computers had networks: people sent each other maths problems by post and tried to make them work.<p>Analog computers drove gunnery and ground assisted landing and approach, they had to use networks. simple networks you understand, but things didn't fit inside one box. cables had to run signals. Gun setting had to get from the computer to the gun or bomb to arm them. even one bit is a signal sometimes.<p>1950s computers absolutely had networks. Fax machines pre-date digital networks as we know them, and audio-to-digital conversion was a thing in the 50s: singing computers. computer research was being done in the telco (Bell Labs) in the 40s and 50s. from day one, they had networks because the teletype (ASR33 and precursors) pre-dated them<p>remote connect of punch card and punch tape was a thing. Baudot code predates 7 bit ASCI<p>Airline flight control and booking systems existed across the 50s/60s.