Networks

Networks

1. Disadvantages

   • Cost: Networks are expensive to set up Increased risk: problems such as viruses can affect every computer on the network Difficulty: Expertise is needed to set up and maintain a network. People can stop relying on their memory because of computer networks.

2. Advantages

   • 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. Computer networks make it easier to collaborate on projects.

3. LAN

   • Local Area Network

4. WAN

   • Wide Area Network

5. Types of Networks

6. Topologies

   • Star
     • Disadvantages
       • Expensive (needs a lot of cabling, and a central switch, which is expensive) Failure of the switch will take down the network
     • 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)
   • 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 .

7. IP Addresses

   • An Address is a unique identifier given to something