Home Networking One 0n 0ne Part 1

Not too many years ago, no one ever thought of having more than one computer in the home. Now that we are so dependent upon them, it is a common thing for home to have multiple computers. Before the blink of an eye, there are seven computers in the house yet there is only one printer and just one Internet connection. How is everyone going to be kept happy and productive?

The answer is to set up a network! This is none other than a group of computer components connected together with a router, hub and switch which gives its users the ability to share resources. These resources are some of the most integral parts of computer use. A network is much like a spider web. That is the basic reason why the Internet is often called the World Wide Web. Signals are constantly flowing along the network. Unlike a spider web, a computer network sends and receives those disturbances in the form of ‘packets’. Although there are other ways to perform the same function, almost all networks today operate as explained below.

On the network, the software and hardware cooperate to pass those packets.These packets are chunks of information that contain your data that is wrapped in control information. The control data allows the computers and the routers to know where and how to send your data. In most commercial and home networks, the method uses IP or Internet Protocol. Every device on the network is assigned an address such as 206.121.34.148. When you are talking about using a computer in the home these addresses are typically in the range of: 10.0.0.0 through 10.255.255.255, or 172.16.0.0 through 172.31.255.255, or 192.168.0.0 through 192.168.255.255

These are what are known as Private Addresses since they are not able to be sent unmodified over the public networks that make up the Internet. These are used by computer, routers and peripherals in your home network. These same address ranges are also used by private commercial networks. An NAT, or network address translation, and coupled with the use of a boundary router allows many companies and homes to use the same range without unintentionally passing information to and from one another over the Internet.

It may happen that your computer may have quite a different address such as 70.31.192.243. This is often true because a single computer that is connected to the Internet gets an address that is assigned by the ISP or Internet Service Provider. You then do not really have only a home network, but you are considered to be a paying customer of a commercial network. When every device, computer, router and printer, is assigned its own address, the software as well as the hardware can ascertain where the data is coming from and when it should go. This is called communication without confusion.

The router software along with the hardware, routes the data to and from the proper devices using those addresses. The method is almost exactly the same as the postal system when it routes letters from one home or business to another.

By: Joseph Nyamache

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Here is a list of the top affiliate marketing directory for affiliate marketers Joseph Nyamache will help you identify the best niche affiliate marketing program

 Mail this post

Popularity: 95% [?]

Technorati Tags: computer network, computer network at home, networking at home, setting up a computer network

Posted under Computer parts

Computer Networking: Types of Computer Networks

LAN, WAN and MAN…all sound like jargon…which is what they are. These are different types of computer networks and something each one of us should be aware of.

First of lets start by discussing what a computer network is. As defined by Wikipedia: " A computer network is two or more computers connected together using a telecommunication system for the purpose of communication and sharing resources". Ask any computer network expert to simplify this definition to you and you will start a debate on how it should not be just two computers but three. This argument is best left alone.

Simply put a network is a means of communication between computers. Within a given network, computers can send files, emails and other correspondence to each other. Even things like instant messaging, is set up within a computer’s network. These days we take these basic things for granted, but intense network designing has gone into it.

Types of Computer Network

There are two basic types of computer Networks:

• LAN: LAN or Local Area Network is the most common kind of network set up. There are two ways to connect a LAN network. The simplest and easiest way is the peer-to-peer connection network. This is when two or more computers are directly connected to each other. For example if there were four computers in the network, computer 1 would be connected to computer 2, computer 2 would be connected to computer 3 and computer 3 would be connected to computer 4. This means each computer is dependent on the other. And if there were a network problem with any one computer, all of them would be affected. The other type if the client server connection. This is the type of connection where all the computers in a given network are connected to one central computer. This is a more complicated network but one that is much more efficient that peer-to-peer.
• WAN: WAN or Wide Area Network is when several LANs or independent computers are connected to a single, wider network. The Internet is the perfect example of WAN. Emails, Chat Rooms and IMs all connect to the WAN of the Internet. WAN is much more complex and requires connecting devices or hubs from all over the world.

Computer Networking Design Tips

Networks and network servers need to be designed according to the requirement of the organization. Here are some tips for Computer networking design:

• Server Processor: the processor is to the network what the heart is to the body. It is what processes all the activities of the network. Pentium Processors are superior processors for use in network designing.
• Hard Disk: Hard disks are where all the data is stored permanently. While selecting a hard disk for a network, consider the Smart Monitoring and Reporting Technology, as this is what will be monitoring the hard drives. Provide the network with a hot swap disk drive that can replace the faulty hard disk.
• Clustering: This is an environment created on the network when two or more servers operate as a single server. This is so as to encourage performance, reliability and load balancing.
• Memory Performance: while you are selecting the memory for the network in progress consider Error Correcting Code technology, this fixes and repairs errors of single and multi bit varieties.
• Power Supply: there is a need for multi-power supply while designing a network. This is done so that in the case of failure of one source of power supply there is always another available.
• UPS: there is a need for UPS or Uninterrupted power supply for networks so as to balance any sudden jerks in electricity that can cause damage to the network and server.
• Cooling fans: every server set up in the network needs a cooling system and this is what the cooling fans do inside the server.
• Computer Monitoring Hardware: this is a designed adapter that monitors the performance of the various parts of the hardware of the computer.
• Computer Monitoring Software: there are thousands of computers monitoring software available in the market to monitor the performance of the server and the other computers in the network.
• Data Server Location: the network server needs to be placed in an environment that is dust-free, has a capacity for cooling and should be clean. And this location should be accessible to authorized personnel.

By Khushnuma Irani Published: 12/18/2007

 Mail this post

Popularity: 96% [?]

Technorati Tags: computer networking, types of computer networks

Posted under Computer parts