Networking- Networking Adapter Card
Networking can group several computers together. But there are advantages and disadvantages to networking. Advantages of networking in general are:
· Expensive resources such as printers and storage devices can be shared
· A user can use load and edit files that they have created on any station, provided that the station has the software required to use the files or share files
· You can use a network to send electronic mail or to access huge databases such as the World Wide Web or a database of all the products a company sells by sharing internet access
· Share hardware devices among multiple computers
Also, there are disadvantages that networking offer, these are:
· The cabling, interface cards, file servers, etc. that are required to set a network are expensive
· If one computer, cable or interface breaks the whole network may stop operating and you may not be able to use any of the computers until the fault is repaired. In practice this rarely happens. The exact effect of a failure will depend on the topology of the network.
· Viruses stored on a computer on a network can spread to other computers over the network
· The files stored on computer networks can be accessed, stolen and edited more easily that files stored on a non-networked computer could be. Appropriate security measures must be implemented to prevent this.
The advantages and disadvantages stated apply for the user and organisation. For a user, sharing of files and viruses are what makes networking unattractive. Since for every user, somehow there are files that they do not want others to see. But if they are in a network it cannot be helped. For an organisation, the advantages are most certainly welcome, although there are a few drawbacks, the over-all view for the network is positive. The drawbacks can be addressed separately should it occur. And even if organisation files can be stolen, this can also be addressed by setting up firewalls and other security measures.
Network topology refers to the layout used to wire the computers together. Regardless of what type of network is used, any topology can be applied. In bus topology, computers are connected to a single cable that connects all computers, this type of topology is the cheapest of all as it requires the smallest amount of cabling, but if the cable breaks anywhere then none of the computers can access the network. In a mesh topology, any computer can be connected to any other computer, and this topology is very reliable because if one link fails the messages will be directed to another link, and example of this topology is the Internet. The star topology offers communication to all other computers via a central computer, and if one cable breaks only the computer connected to that computer will be affected, but if the central computer fails the whole network will break down. For the ring topology, each computer if connected to two computers that are adjacent to it, and the last computer is linked to the first so that it forms a ring, but if one cable breaks then none of the computers can gain access to the network.
The choice of network adapter depends on network architecture. But there a lots of types of adapters. For a network that has units close to 100, it is best to use the star topology for the network. Because in this type of topology, the organisation will only maintain the central computer that connects every computer together, and this way they can closely monitor the security of their network. Plus the adapter used for this type of topology or network architecture costs about to 0 per adapter only, as compared to other adapters whose price range reaches up to 00 per adapter.
In choosing the network adapter, the organisation has to consider the advantages and disadvantages of each type of topology as was discussed above.
If the organisation is only going to network four computers, it is advisable to do what they initially plan to do. But if they are going to add more computers to the network, it may cause trouble. This is because if more than one unit will print at the same time, it may take a much longer time than if there are fewer computers on a network to share a single printer. Another type of network that can be used is the mesh topology. As was said, this type of topology is reliable in such a way that it redirects an operation if the link is not available. But if this is to be used for a printer sharing, it may not also be advisable. If the organisation really needs to network computers to share a single printer, this should be done for computers that are close, that way the users will know if there are any printing jobs pending before they try to print. Or the organisation can provide two printers to a network. This way, if one of the printers is not available the other printer can be used. This suggestions may not be as economical as what was initially planned, but this type is much more efficient and easier to maintain.
Reference:
Netgear. (2003). “Easy guide to choosing a network card.” Santa Clara, California: Headquarters Netgear, Inc.
Meakin, P. (1999). “Networks: Advantages and Disadvantages.” Cheshire, Washington: Cedar Education.
Meakin, P. (1999). “ Networks: Topology.” Cheshire, Washington: Cedar Education.
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