Types of networks

1. Introduction

The modern world now is now virtually dependent on the use of computer networks whether
local or as part of the internet and other wide area networks.

Think of the things that need networks starting from the time you get up:

 Having a quick check on your smartphone - it needs the telephone network to work
 Switching on the television to catch the news, for satellite TV it needs the satellite
network, for streaming it needs the internet
 Making an appointment say with the local surgery - it needs the network in the
surgery
 Buying coffee in the local shop - it needs the point-of-sale network to take payment
 Ordering a taxi or buying a train ticket - it needs the internet or transport network
 In school, you will be using the school network

And so on. Therefore it is important that you understand computer networks.

2. What is a network

A computer network is two or more computing devices (such as a computer) connected

together in order to share resources and exchange information.

A device is said to be 'network enabled' when it is capable of joining a network.

Network enabled devices include

 Network servers

 Personal computers

 Tablets

 Smart phones

 E-readers

 Smart televisions

 Printers

There are two types of networks that you need to understand, Local Area Networks (LANs)
and Wide Area Networks (WANs).
3. LAN - in a business

A Local Area Network is one that has two or more network-enabled devices connected
within a fairly close geographical area.

For example the LAN may be located within a single building such as a home or business
office or it may cover a few nearby buildings as well, such as an University campus, hospital,
library or school.

The diagram below shows a typical business LAN with a network server connected to a
number of computers. A wireless access point is also connected to the network so that Wi-Fi
devices such as laptops can connect to the network.

This network has a central server connected to a switch. A number of workstations and wi-fi
enabled devices are connected.

Computers and devices can be connected by physical Ethernet cables, which are usually
owned by the organisation. They can also be connected wirelessly by using Wi-Fi
connections.

To log onto a LAN, you usually need a user name and password, just like you do at school.
The user name identifies you to the file server so that it can 'serve' you the correct files. The
password ensures that the user name really does belong to you.

4. LAN - in the home

Many homes now have LANs where many devices other than workstations can connect
together in order to share data. Here is an example of what a LAN within a home might look
like:

The key device at the centre of a home LAN is the 'home hub', this connects the house to an
ISP providing internet services. The home hub always contains a router to allow connection
to the internet, it may also contain a hub or switch allowing up to 4 wired connections. It also
contains a WAP (wireless access point) to allow Wi-Fi connections. By default, a secure
password is needed to connect to it.

This means that while sitting on your sofa using your laptop you could select your playlist
from an internet streaming service and at the same time send a document that you have
been working on to the printer.

A wired connection is faster and provides high bandwidth (e.g. Gigabit 1000 Mb/s) use but it
could be awkward to wire up the connection, whereas the Wi-Fi link is much slower (54Mb/s)
but it does offer convenience.

5. Advantages of using a LAN network

A LAN usually offers the following benefits :

 A user can log on from any workstation and still access all of their files.

 Peripherals such as printers and photocopiers can be shared between many users,
thus reducing costs

 Resources and files can be shared by users, this means that they can collaborate on
a project.

 Backups of files and documents can be done centrally rather than needing to do it
from each machine
  When software needs to be installed it can be done centrally rather than having to go
to each individual workstation.

 An anti-virus and malware check can be carried out from the server to all
workstations.

 Data can be transmitted very quickly between networked computers

 A LAN at home allows many devices to connect to one another, such as a smart TV
or a media server

6. Downsides of a LAN network

There are no doubt plenty of advantages for a business in having a network. However, they
also need to take into consideration some of the disadvantages:
 Network failure. If there is a problem with the file server then no one will be able to
access their files. If the internet server has an issue no one will be able to get onto
the internet.
 Slow service. If there are a lot of users logged into the network requesting files and
jobs then the network can start to slow down. There is only a limited amount of
bandwidth in any network and the more data that is being used the slower things
will become.
 Viruses and malware. Although these are dealt with centrally, if someone does
install a virus on the local workstation it could easily spread around the network
 Cost - large business networks can be expensive to set up and keep running. The
cost of the physical components can be very high.
 Expert support required. Many business networks will require specialist staff such
as network managers or technicians who can deal with problems as they arise and
keep the network running smoothly.
 Security. Although users have their own user names, giving them access to just their
files, users can be careless and not log out when they leave their workstation. This
could give an unauthorised person access to their files or to sensitive documents
stored centrally on the network.

7. Measures to improve security on a LAN

Although there are various security issues that can arise through the use of a LAN, there are

measures that can be put in place to counteract these:

 Passwords. Strong passwords should be required and users encouraged to change
their passwords frequently - at least once per month.
 Access rights. Each user is assigned to a group e.g. students, teachers, admin etc.
This is done via the user name. Each group is given different permissions to view
folders and files. For example, when students log in they cannot see all of the admin
and finance documents whereas office staff cannot view students' work. Access
rights can also govern what you can do on a network, for example, install software,
delete files etc.
 Audit log. This means the computer will record every important event in an 'audit
file. It records who saved what and when. Who deleted records or changed them.
 Backups. Central backups should be made regularly, at a minimum once a day. This
way a rollback or restore of files can be made if an issue occurs.
 Encryption. Data travelling around the network should be encrypted, especially if
hubs and Wi-Fi are being used. This is because data is broadcast to all devices on
the network.
 Installing software. Users should not be able to install software or run .exe files
because of the risk of introducing malware and viruses into the network.

8. WAN - Wide Area Network

A wide area network (WAN) connects two or more local area networks (LAN) that are in
different geographical locations.
For example, a company might have offices in London and also New York, but they want to
share a common work area so they can collaborate. In this case the LAN in London is
connected to the LAN in New York by a Wide Area Network.

A WAN can also connect offices that are a bit closer together, such as estate agent offices in
different towns. In this case a 'leased line' from a telecom company can be used.

A company normally hires the WAN from a major telecom company because it is so
expensive and complicated to set up and maintain.

The WAN involves long distance communications and this can be achieved using

 Fibre optic lines, including laying undersea cables

 Satellite communication links
 Leased telephone lines
 Microwave links

The largest WAN of all is of course the internet. No single organisation owns the internet
itself.

9. WAN Pros and Cons

Advantages

 Allows LANs to connect to one another.

 Allows workers to collaborate over a wide area, even across continents..

  Allows files and data to be shared between LANs. A WAN also allows direct person-
to-person contact by methods such video conference virtually anywhere across the
planet.

Disadvantages

 Can be expensive to hire a WAN service from the telecom operator.

 With a LAN, a company often has its own experts to maintain the network so any
problems which arise can be addressed quickly. However with a WAN, it is owned
by a number of external suppliers and so a failure of the WAN is usually beyond the
control of the company to fix. For example, when an external DNS server fails, this
immediately affects web access in the company.