networking characteristics

• A stand alone computer is any computer that is not connected to another.
• A network is a set of connected computers and network devices like a server, printer etc to share resources.
• Resources in a network are information, software and hardware.
• A network topology is the arrangement of computers and network devices and how they are connected together.
• Each computer and network device in a network is called a node.
• Each node in a network is connected to other nodes by cable or Wi-Fi.
• If you choose to set up a network, you must decide which network topology would be best suited.
• The most common network topologies to choose from are peer to peer, star, bus, ring, mesh and client server.
• Computers that request information are called clients and computers that provide information are called servers.
• All computers and devices in a Peer to Peer network act as both the client and the server.
• Each computer or device in a Peer to Peer network is linked to one or more computers or devices directly rather than through a server.
• All computers and devices in the Peer to Peer network are equal and no computer or device has priority over another.
• The Peer to Peer network often makes use of a hub in order to connect the computers and devices.
• Since there is no central server, each computer or device must have the necessary software required for that computer or device installed directly on to it.
• An external hard drive can be shared and a user can access the contents of any other users computer on the Peer to Peer network.
• Users determine what data, disk space and peripherals they share on the network.
• Each user in a Peer to Peer network is a network administrator and has to control their own machine.
• The Peer to Peer network is most commonly found in the home or a small office, where the requirements are simple and there are ten or less users.
• The Peer to Peer network is also most commonly used for smartphone games so that they can be played on multiple devices by different players.
• There are several forms of Peer to Peer networks.
• The advantages of a Peer to Peer network are: it is simple to set up, no technical expertise is required to maintain the network, each user can set up their own permissions as to which files they are willing to share, each computer can share folders and peripherals such as printers, scanners and external hard drives, and if one computer fails it will not disrupt any other part of the network.
• Class B is used for medium sized networks and can support up to 64,000 nodes.
• Class A is used for very large networks and can support up to 6.7 million nodes.
• Domain names are easy for people to remember but computers or electronic devices access websites based on IP addresses.
• A Default Gateway is used by a networked computer or electronic device to communicate and send information to a computer or electronic device in another network or the Internet.
• Default means that the gateway is used by default, unless another is specified.
• IP addresses can be further subdivided into subnets, for example the school network has services set aside for teachers, for students and for office staff, each on a different subnet.
• The choice of Topology will depend upon the number of computers to be networked, the spread of the network, the cost of the topology, and the amount of money available.
• The advantages of a Client Server network include easier supervision of network performance, easier software upgrades, faster network performance due to less data collisions, easier backups as it is centrally controlled, all files are stored in a central location, network peripherals are controlled centrally, network security is controlled centrally, and users can access shared data which is centrally controlled.
• The Internet Protocol was designed to allow electronic devices to exchange data over a network.
• IP addresses are split into three classes, Class A, Class B and Class C.
• Class C is used for small networks and can support up to 256 nodes.
• Without a Default Gateway, the network is isolated from the outside.
• The disadvantages of a Client Server network include the need for a knowledgeable administrator, cost, only the administrator can set up access and enforce security rules, more infrastructure to set up with wiring cabinets, and if a server malfunctions, it will have more impact on work than if one peer is lost on a peer to peer network.
• When many computers and electronic devices are connected in a network and need to exchange data with each other and other networks across the Internet, each one needs a unique identify in the form of a number, this number is called an IP Address.
• Domain Name Servers (DNS) maintain a directory of domain names and translate them to Internet Protocol (IP) addresses.
• The disadvantages of a Peer to Peer network are: each individual computer needs the required software applications installed on it, your data will be held on a specific computer but by setting up a shared folder it will enable you to access it on other computers on the network, there is no network security in place as security is up to each individual user, each individual computer must have its own anti-virus software installed, and backup becomes complicated as each individual computer needs its own backup schedule, either backing up to networked external hard drive or to its own external s
• A Bus network is most commonly used for very small networks and is most commonly used for temporary networks.
• At both ends of the Bus network there is a ‘terminator’ which prevents signals bouncing back and forth and marks the end of the network.
• Ring networks often use a method known as token passing to prevent multiple data packets on the network colliding.