This study utilized a neuronal compartment model and NEURON software to study the effects of external light stimulation on retinal photoreceptors and spike patterns of neurons in a retinal network. Following light stimulation of different shapes and sizes, changes in the spike features of ganglion cells indicated that different shapes of light stimulation elicited different retinal responses. By manipulating the shape of light stimulation, we investigated the effects of the large number of electrical synapses existing between retinal neurons. Model simulation and analysis suggested that interplexiform cells play an important role in visual signal information processing in the retina, and the findings indicated that our constructed retinal network model was reliable and feasible. In addition, the simulation results demonstrated that ganglion cells exhibited a variety of spike patterns under different light stimulation sizes and different stimulation shapes, which reflect the functions of the retina in signal transmission and processing.