Networking Essentials

Basic Components of Networks

Although the term "network" has many definitions, most people would agree that networks are collections of two or more connected computers. When their computers are joined in a network, people can share files and peripherals such as modems, printers, tape backup drives, or CD-ROM drives. When networks at multiple locations are connected using services available from phone companies, people can send e-mail, share links to the global Internet, or conduct videoconferences in real time with other remote users.

Networking Technologies Overview

Understanding networking technologies helps you build a network design ranging from basic LAN access to more robust, open network solutions that meet growing demands for bandwidth-intensive applications. We will guide you through which technology approach is best for your network today and which will work best for you as your business needs grow.

Small Business Networking Example

This LAN starts simply-shared Ethernet, with a pair of servers and analog modems connecting employees to the Internet. Employees can share documents, presentations, spreadsheets, and customer reports between computers; they can dial up the Internet for occasional research; they can communicate via e-mail; and the business can save money by sharing printers, modems, and hard-drive storage between users.

A Wide-Area Network for Multiple Small Sites

To improve communications between a pair of small remote offices and a central office, a business decides to install a WAN. The upgrade also will allow the business to economize on Internet connectivity by offering all offices a link through a central high-speed line.

Good Network Designing

The key to good network design is how you place clients in relation to servers. Ideally, client computers should be placed on the same "logical" network as the servers they access most often. (By contrast, a "physical" network connection would mean that a client and server were attached to the same hub. A logical connection can be defined in your network software so that users in one area of a building can be in the same logical network segment as a server located at the opposite end of that building.) This simple task minimizes the load on the network backbone, which carries traffic between segments.