File Sharing The major advantage of a computer network is that is allows file sharing and remote file access. A person sitting at one workstation that is connected to a network can easily see files present on another workstation, provided he is authorized to do so. The following are the important uses and benefits of a computer network. File sharing: Networking of computers helps the network users to share data files. Hardware sharing: Users can share devices such as printers, scanners, CD-ROM drives, hard drives etc. Without computer networks, device sharing is not possible. Generated by other nodes on the network. 1.2.1 Distributed Processing Most networks use distributed processing, in which a task is divided among multiple computers. Instead of one single large machine being responsible for all aspects of a process, separate computers (usually a personal computer or workstation) handle a subset.
If you run a growing business, you probably understand that quality IT solutions can be crucial to company efficiency. And computer networks are one of the most important IT solutions you can implement in your company.
A 'computer network' is just a multitude of connected computers. This allows the computers in the network to share data and resources with each other. An IT technician can set up your computer network to work on a 'peer-to-peer' basis.
This is where computers connect directly to each other. They may also configure the network to go through a central file server. If you hire a quality IT provider, you can consult beforehand to help you decide which option is best for your needs.
Additionally, networking technology is continually evolving. In the past, computer networks were a bunch of similar desktop computers connected with a bundle of cables. Nowadays computer networking is a lot more flexible.
Networking now also includes wireless systems of connection. This means that different hardware in your business can be portable and still connected to your network. An obvious example is a tablet or laptop that you may need to move with you to different desks and meetings.
Computer networking can help your business grow
A good computer networking solution can be very beneficial for your business. It lets you store important business data in a centralized location. This allows the various computers in the network to retrieve important data from the main location. Additionally, computer networking lets you access the data from the other computers on the same network, and modify it according to your needs.
Advantages Of A Network
Computer networking enables employees to share ideas more easily and work more efficiently. It increases their productivity and generates more income for the company. More importantly, computer networking improves the way companies offer their services to the world. Let's now talk more specifically about how computer networking can help you, and your business.
Cost-effective resource sharing
A good networking setup will reduce the amount of money you spend on hardware. How? By creating a computer network and sharing the hardware you already have.
Let us say that your company has a number of unconnected computers. Let's choose printers as an example of 'hardware that you want employees to share'. The employees wouldn't be able to print documents unless you buy a separate printer for each computer. Buying additional printers for each of the unconnected computers costs you money that you can invest in other things.
When you network all of your computers and printers, you make life easier for your employees as well. They don't have to plug in a USB drive, copy the files, and then walk over to a computer with a printer, repeating the process. They would simply use the network to connect to the printer directly.
File Sharing is also a breeze Speaking of walking around copying files to USB drives – with a computer network this will be a thing of the past. Your employees will be able to simply copy files to and from any other network computer as if it were on their own computer.
Improving storage efficiency and volume
After you network all of your business computers, the nature of storing data will change for you. First of all, you get the combined storage volume of all the computers in the network. To illustrate this in simple terms, let's do some simplified math. Let's say that your business has 20 computers with 2 terabyte drives each. When you network these computers, you can say you now have 40 terabytes of combined storage.
This is important because in a lot of businesses data gets used by multiple employees. Let's say there you have some generic branding graphic files. Each of your 20 employees might use these files at different times. Without a network, you'd have to store a copy of these files on each of the 20 computers. With a network, you only need to store the file on one of those 20 computers, or a central server. Thereby reducing storage use by 2000%.
Obviously, some date will be unique to an employee, and some will be central data that others will and should access. A good IT provider will help you figure this out when setting up your network. They will also help you decide if you need a centralized server solution or a basic peer-to-peer network.
Freedom to choose the best computer networking method
Setting up a business network used to be a lot more rigid 'back in the day'. You had to limit your network to 'compatible computers' and hardware. Nowadays a good IT provider can make all of your hardware work well in a network. This means you can have different operating systems on different kinds of devices. You can have android tablets, windows and mac computers and ios tablets all networking together.
Access flexibility
The beauty of modern networking comes in its flexibility. You can take your tablet in a meeting, and start a document. Then, you may move onto your own office computer and continue working in the document, exactly where you left off. As your colleagues invite you for a break, you may show them your document from your smartphone. All of this is possible if the document resides on a central file server, and your network includes a wireless connection.
Cut costs on software
Many software vendors offer networked versions of their software. This means that you can purchase a single license for this product and have it running on the central server. The individual computers in that network can run instances of the software without having to install a separate license.
Utilize a Centralized Database
If you use a server-based centralized networking set-up, this offers many additional benefits. Aside from the aforementioned centralizing of file-storage, you may also utilize centralized data entry and retrieval. In less fancy terms this means that you may create a central database that is accessible to all of your employees on all of their devices.
Let's say that your storefront employee is discussing an issue with a customer. They can simply retrieve relevant data about the customer from that central database. They can also enter in new information about that customer, such as changing their service or purchasing a product. If that customer calls up your customer support just 15 minutes later, everything will just flow. Your customer support rep will be able to instantly see the updated information from that database.
Securing valuable information
Company data can never be fully secure without protected access to network resources and files. Inspired Techs employs IT technicians that are experts in securing IT. They can properly design security features on your network following the highest security standards. You can choose the employees who'll get access to sensitive data, equipment and other resources of your company.
Using a quality computer network, you can grant access to employees inside the company, but also those who can access it from a remote area. Hence, you can connect heterogeneous computing equipment located in another city, in a cohesive network. Moreover, you can spread the critical information you want to share with your employees, no matter where they are, almost instantaneously.
Let us help you create the perfect network
At Inspired Techs, we are confident that our IT support and business technology management solutions can increase the productivity and efficiency of your company. Small and medium-sized businesses are familiar with the advantages that set us apart from the competition, including unparalleled service to our clients, and outstanding IT technicians.
When it comes to security, we are profound in data backup and disaster recovery services. Moreover, we are a transparent team of professionals that offer company security policies, firewall, and anti-spam measures, unlike any other company dealing with IT and computer networking.
A computer network is a group of computers linked to each other that enables the computer to communicate with another computer and share their resources, data, and applications.
A computer network can be categorized by their size. A computer network is mainly of four types:
- LAN(Local Area Network)
- PAN(Personal Area Network)
- MAN(Metropolitan Area Network)
- WAN(Wide Area Network)
LAN(Local Area Network)
- Local Area Network is a group of computers connected to each other in a small area such as building, office.
- LAN is used for connecting two or more personal computers through a communication medium such as twisted pair, coaxial cable, etc.
- It is less costly as it is built with inexpensive hardware such as hubs, network adapters, and ethernet cables.
- The data is transferred at an extremely faster rate in Local Area Network.
- Local Area Network provides higher security.
PAN(Personal Area Network)
- Personal Area Network is a network arranged within an individual person, typically within a range of 10 meters.
- Personal Area Network is used for connecting the computer devices of personal use is known as Personal Area Network.
- Thomas Zimmerman was the first research scientist to bring the idea of the Personal Area Network.
- Personal Area Network covers an area of 30 feet.
- Personal computer devices that are used to develop the personal area network are the laptop, mobile phones, media player and play stations.
There are two types of Personal Area Network:
- Wired Personal Area Network
- Wireless Personal Area Network
Freedom to choose the best computer networking method
Setting up a business network used to be a lot more rigid 'back in the day'. You had to limit your network to 'compatible computers' and hardware. Nowadays a good IT provider can make all of your hardware work well in a network. This means you can have different operating systems on different kinds of devices. You can have android tablets, windows and mac computers and ios tablets all networking together.
Access flexibility
The beauty of modern networking comes in its flexibility. You can take your tablet in a meeting, and start a document. Then, you may move onto your own office computer and continue working in the document, exactly where you left off. As your colleagues invite you for a break, you may show them your document from your smartphone. All of this is possible if the document resides on a central file server, and your network includes a wireless connection.
Cut costs on software
Many software vendors offer networked versions of their software. This means that you can purchase a single license for this product and have it running on the central server. The individual computers in that network can run instances of the software without having to install a separate license.
Utilize a Centralized Database
If you use a server-based centralized networking set-up, this offers many additional benefits. Aside from the aforementioned centralizing of file-storage, you may also utilize centralized data entry and retrieval. In less fancy terms this means that you may create a central database that is accessible to all of your employees on all of their devices.
Let's say that your storefront employee is discussing an issue with a customer. They can simply retrieve relevant data about the customer from that central database. They can also enter in new information about that customer, such as changing their service or purchasing a product. If that customer calls up your customer support just 15 minutes later, everything will just flow. Your customer support rep will be able to instantly see the updated information from that database.
Securing valuable information
Company data can never be fully secure without protected access to network resources and files. Inspired Techs employs IT technicians that are experts in securing IT. They can properly design security features on your network following the highest security standards. You can choose the employees who'll get access to sensitive data, equipment and other resources of your company.
Using a quality computer network, you can grant access to employees inside the company, but also those who can access it from a remote area. Hence, you can connect heterogeneous computing equipment located in another city, in a cohesive network. Moreover, you can spread the critical information you want to share with your employees, no matter where they are, almost instantaneously.
Let us help you create the perfect network
At Inspired Techs, we are confident that our IT support and business technology management solutions can increase the productivity and efficiency of your company. Small and medium-sized businesses are familiar with the advantages that set us apart from the competition, including unparalleled service to our clients, and outstanding IT technicians.
When it comes to security, we are profound in data backup and disaster recovery services. Moreover, we are a transparent team of professionals that offer company security policies, firewall, and anti-spam measures, unlike any other company dealing with IT and computer networking.
A computer network is a group of computers linked to each other that enables the computer to communicate with another computer and share their resources, data, and applications.
A computer network can be categorized by their size. A computer network is mainly of four types:
- LAN(Local Area Network)
- PAN(Personal Area Network)
- MAN(Metropolitan Area Network)
- WAN(Wide Area Network)
LAN(Local Area Network)
- Local Area Network is a group of computers connected to each other in a small area such as building, office.
- LAN is used for connecting two or more personal computers through a communication medium such as twisted pair, coaxial cable, etc.
- It is less costly as it is built with inexpensive hardware such as hubs, network adapters, and ethernet cables.
- The data is transferred at an extremely faster rate in Local Area Network.
- Local Area Network provides higher security.
PAN(Personal Area Network)
- Personal Area Network is a network arranged within an individual person, typically within a range of 10 meters.
- Personal Area Network is used for connecting the computer devices of personal use is known as Personal Area Network.
- Thomas Zimmerman was the first research scientist to bring the idea of the Personal Area Network.
- Personal Area Network covers an area of 30 feet.
- Personal computer devices that are used to develop the personal area network are the laptop, mobile phones, media player and play stations.
There are two types of Personal Area Network:
- Wired Personal Area Network
- Wireless Personal Area Network
Wireless Personal Area Network: Wireless Personal Area Network is developed by simply using wireless technologies such as WiFi, Bluetooth. It is a low range network.
Wired Personal Area Network: Wired Personal Area Network is created by using the USB.
Examples Of Personal Area Network:
- Body Area Network: Body Area Network is a network that moves with a person. For example, a mobile network moves with a person. Suppose a person establishes a network connection and then creates a connection with another device to share the information.
- Offline Network: An offline network can be created inside the home, so it is also known as a home network. A home network is designed to integrate the devices such as printers, computer, television but they are not connected to the internet.
- Small Home Office: It is used to connect a variety of devices to the internet and to a corporate network using a VPN
MAN(Metropolitan Area Network)
- A metropolitan area network is a network that covers a larger geographic area by interconnecting a different LAN to form a larger network.
- Government agencies use MAN to connect to the citizens and private industries.
- In MAN, various LANs are connected to each other through a telephone exchange line.
- The most widely used protocols in MAN are RS-232, Frame Relay, ATM, ISDN, OC-3, ADSL, etc.
- It has a higher range than Local Area Network(LAN).
Uses Of Metropolitan Area Network:
- MAN is used in communication between the banks in a city.
- It can be used in an Airline Reservation.
- It can be used in a college within a city.
- It can also be used for communication in the military.
WAN(Wide Area Network)
- A Wide Area Network is a network that extends over a large geographical area such as states or countries.
- A Wide Area Network is quite bigger network than the LAN.
- A Wide Area Network is not limited to a single location, but it spans over a large geographical area through a telephone line, fibre optic cable or satellite links.
- The internet is one of the biggest WAN in the world.
- A Wide Area Network is widely used in the field of Business, government, and education.
Examples Of Wide Area Network:
- Mobile Broadband: A 4G network is widely used across a region or country.
- Last mile: A telecom company is used to provide the internet services to the customers in hundreds of cities by connecting their home with fiber.
- Private network: A bank provides a private network that connects the 44 offices. This network is made by using the telephone leased line provided by the telecom company.
Advantages Of Wide Area Network:
Following are the advantages of the Wide Area Network:
- Geographical area: A Wide Area Network provides a large geographical area. Suppose if the branch of our office is in a different city then we can connect with them through WAN. The internet provides a leased line through which we can connect with another branch.
- Centralized data: In case of WAN network, data is centralized. Therefore, we do not need to buy the emails, files or back up servers.
- Get updated files: Software companies work on the live server. Therefore, the programmers get the updated files within seconds.
- Exchange messages: In a WAN network, messages are transmitted fast. The web application like Facebook, Whatsapp, Skype allows you to communicate with friends.
- Sharing of software and resources: In WAN network, we can share the software and other resources like a hard drive, RAM.
- Global business: We can do the business over the internet globally.
- High bandwidth: If we use the leased lines for our company then this gives the high bandwidth. The high bandwidth increases the data transfer rate which in turn increases the productivity of our company.
Disadvantages of Wide Area Network:
The following are the disadvantages of the Wide Area Network:
- Security issue: A WAN network has more security issues as compared to LAN and MAN network as all the technologies are combined together that creates the security problem.
- Needs Firewall & antivirus software: The data is transferred on the internet which can be changed or hacked by the hackers, so the firewall needs to be used. Some people can inject the virus in our system so antivirus is needed to protect from such a virus.
- High Setup cost: An installation cost of the WAN network is high as it involves the purchasing of routers, switches.
- Troubleshooting problems: It covers a large area so fixing the problem is difficult.
Internetwork
- An internetwork is defined as two or more computer network LANs or WAN or computer network segments are connected using devices, and they are configured by a local addressing scheme. This process is known as internetworking.
- An interconnection between public, private, commercial, industrial, or government computer networks can also be defined as internetworking.
- An internetworking uses the internet protocol.
- The reference model used for internetworking is Open System Interconnection(OSI).
Types Of Internetwork:
1. Extranet: An extranet is a communication network based on the internet protocol such as Transmission Control protocol and internet protocol. It is used for information sharing. The access to the extranet is restricted to only those users who have login credentials. An extranet is the lowest level of internetworking. It can be categorized as MAN, WAN or other computer networks. An extranet cannot have a single LAN, atleast it must have one connection to the external network.
Advantages Of Computer Network Pdf Software
2. Intranet: An intranet is a private network based on the internet protocol such as Transmission Control protocol and internet protocol. An intranet belongs to an organization which is only accessible by the organization's employee or members. The main aim of the intranet is to share the information and resources among the organization employees. An intranet provides the facility to work in groups and for teleconferences.
Disadvantages Of Computer Networking
Intranet advantages:
Advantages Of Computer Network Pdf Free
- Communication: It provides a cheap and easy communication. An employee of the organization can communicate with another employee through email, chat.
- Time-saving: Information on the intranet is shared in real time, so it is time-saving.
- Collaboration: Collaboration is one of the most important advantage of the intranet. The information is distributed among the employees of the organization and can only be accessed by the authorized user.
- Platform independency: It is a neutral architecture as the computer can be connected to another device with different architecture.
- Cost effective: People can see the data and documents by using the browser and distributes the duplicate copies over the intranet. This leads to a reduction in the cost.
