What is Networking?
A network comprises of two or more interconnected computers. They are usually connected so that both computers can share resources, for example they may want to share an internet connection or just for the sake of sharing files. A network will usually be of two types, either a wired network, where there are wires connecting all computers and devices or a wireless network, where there will be no wires and every workstation will normally have a wireless network adapter of some sort, usually this is a USB wireless stick.
A network of 2 – 100 computers can be classified as a LAN (Local Area Network):
A network of 300 – 10,000+ can be classified as a WAN (Wide Area Network), these networks usually span very large geographical areas. For example one group of computers reside in Birmingham, another group resides in Paris and one group resides in New York, USA. The best way to describe a WAN is an interconnection of LANS.
How it Works
To connect to a network you will require an NIC (Network Interface Card) which usually is a port on the back of a computer where you connect the following wire:
A network of computers is usually connected up in a following way or in computer terminology a ‘topology’. There are several ways in which you can network computers. They are the following:
· Bus Topology
· Star Topology
· Ring Topology
These topologies are the most commonly used methods of interconnecting computers and creating networks.
Who are the Users of this Technology?
Almost everybody who has a connection to the internet is using the network technology, ranging from home users who are just viewing videos on YouTube up to corporate companies who need to share data between departments. To see the real power of networks and really see it in action you need to go to a large company where there are up to 100 computers in one room alone! You will see how everybody connects to the server to get access to data or if they want to simply do a bit research and use the internet.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Networking
The main advantages of networking are the fact when you have a large user and employee base, you can share expensive software such as the Microsoft Office product line. All you have to do is buy one copy of it and install that on the server for everybody else to share. Other advantages include real time communication over large geographical areas and the sharing of business critical information.
The disadvantage included is the reality of you having to employ a potentially expensive employee who is highly skilled and qualified in looking after networks. Not any person can take care of switches, routers, mainframes and servers. Another disadvantage is the fact that networks can cause huge losses to business when they are not carefully and properly installed. A complex network will be extremely hard to troubleshoot when a failure occurs, which will result in massive administrative overheads.
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