Mr C Johnston ICT Teacher G055 - Lecture 01 Introduction and Benefits of Computer Networks

Session Objectives Understand what a computer network is, Know common devices used in a network, Be able to describe the benefits of using a computer network, Be able to describe the limitations of using a computer network.

What Is A Network A network is a collection of computers and peripherals connected together, They tend to be linked together for some sort of data processing purpose, The devices communicate with one another using a set of rules known a protocol, Devices are connected together using a communication medium: Copper cables, fibre optic cables, microwave links, satellite

Network Devices Servers, Clients, NAS. Printers, Hubs, Switches, Repeaters, Bridges, Gateways. All hardware will be looked at in much more detail later in the unit

Advantages of Networks (1) Ability to share resources, Allows the sharing of information held on disk drives accessible by all users, Easier to have applications on one computer and then allow each user access to a copy, Users home directories and profiles accessible from any machine, It allows electronic mail to be sent to users, It is easier to set up new users and equipment, Different types of computer and device can be connected together and able to communicate.

Advantages of Networks (2) Have full control over users, Much more secure than stand alone machines, Install software to all machines remotely Remote control and monitoring, Data is stored in one central place so its easy to perform a nightly backup.

Disadvantages of Networks(1) Initial costs of setting up a network are high, Users become dependant on them, If they develop a fault then users may not be able to perform the tasks they normally do such as running applications, If the network stops operating then it may not be possible to access the various hardware and software resources, The efficiency of the network depends on the competence of the network manager,

Disadvantages of Networks(2) Network managers with vast experience are expensive to employ, There are security worries about hacking etc, Viruses can spread like wildfire over a network unless precautions are taken, As traffic increases then performance will degrade unless the network is properly designed.

Topic Exercise Download and complete The Introduction and Benefits of Computer Networking Exercise.pdf G055 Chapter p3-7 AVCE Unit 08 Chapter p11-15

Common Answers