Networks

Networks

1. Disavantages

   • Expensive – extra hardware and wiring needed More room for error – if something goes wrong it can affect every computer Difficult – it requires a technical expertise Malware – viruses and other malicious software can spread through the network

2. advanteges

   • Share files, so the same files are available whichever computer you use Share resources such as printers and Internet connection. Share Logins, so the same username and password can be used on every computer on the network.

3. LAN

   • local area network

4. WAN

   • wide area network

5. topologies

   • ring
     • disvantages
       • High chance of catastrophic failure (if any cable breaks or any computer goes down, the entire network fails Difficult to add new computers
     • advantages
       • Cheap to install (one cable per computer) No collisions - only one computer is transmitting on each cable
   • 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
   • bus
     • 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
     • advantages
       • Cheap to install (only one wire needed)

6. IP ADRESS

   • Computers on a network also need an address to identify them
   • When a computer is added to a network it is assigned an IP Address (Internet Protocol Address)
   • The IP Address is unique value assigned to each computer on a network
   • Each IP address on a network must be unique