Networking

Networking

1. Advantages

   • A computer not connected to a network is 'stand-alone'
   • By joining computers together, they can share hardware, so more money can be invested in one, better quality hardware device, instead of seperate ones
   • You can also share files with other users. This way, a single document can be altered or viewed by many people, so it eliminates the need for individual copies.
   • One can also log on to any workstation and still have access to their documents. In this case, files are saved on a file server. When one logs on to a server, their files and documents are located and retrieved, so you can access them.
   • All files can be backed up centerally from the file server, so no data is lost, and eliminates the need for resonsiblity to do an individual backup
   • Software can also be installed centrally, and copied onto all devices connected to the network
   • Anti-virus software can also check every device at once
   • Data is also divided up into seperate locations for each user, so documents are kept safe

2. Disadvantages

   • Viruses can infect the whole network very quickly
   • If the network fails, no-one can access the data on the server, so no work can be done, which would be costly and disruptive.
   • The more activity on the network, the more slow it will become, hindering each individual's access to the network. This can occur as the network has limited bandwidth, and more data handling processes have to be carried out on the flowing data
   • A network is expensive to set-up. Every device involved has to be: conected by wires or wireless technology and have a network interface access card, so it can connect.Additional hardware sych as hubs, switches and routers are often needed
   • Networks need monitoring to ensure everything works. This requires specialist skills from people. these people are expensive, but without them, the network would easily fail

3. Local area networks LAN

   • Close devices can be connected by wired or wireless means
     • They can share files and software, hard disks and peripherals (e.g.printers). Users can e-mail through the network and it tranfers data very quickley
       • Users have to log in, so the server can provide the user with their associated data, and stops people accessing oter people's accounts.

4. Wide area networks WAN

   • LANs can be linked together by a modem to create WANs, the internet is an example, and allows computers to not be limited to a local area. useful for international companies.