Networks

Networks

1. advantages

   • Consistent User Experience
   • Your files are available on every computer you use
   • You can print, use the Internet, email and use the same software on any computer.
   • Share files, so the same files are available whichever computer you use

2. disadvantages

   • expensive
   • more room for error
   • Difficult – it requires a technical expertise
   • Malware
   • You can lose access to your information very quickly.

3. topology

   • bus
     • advantages
       • Cheap to install (only one wire needed)
     • disadvantages
       • High chance of catastrophic failure (a break in the central cable takes out the entire network)
       • High chance of collisions (multiple communications on the same cable that corrupt each other, slowing down the network)
       • More computers mean more collisions, so the network gets slower as it gets bigger
   • ring
     • advantages
       • Cheap to install (one cable per computer)
       • No collisions - only one computer is transmitting on each cable
     • disadvantages
       • High chance of catastrophic failure (if any cable breaks or any computer goes down, the entire network fails
       • Difficult to add new computers
   • star
     • advantages
       • Fast (low chance of collisions)
       • Easy to add new computers
       • Low chance of catastrophic failure (a broken cable only takes out one computer, the rest of the network is fine)
     • disadvantages
       • Expensive (needs a lot of cabling, and a central switch, which is expensive)
       • Failure of the switch will take down the network

4. IP Address

   • external
     • this is the IP Address given to the whole building
   • internal
   • It must be unique
   • used to identify it