What can a Network do For You?

1. Ms. Silvia Ocampo The American School of Tampico What can a Network do For You?

2. A Computer Network A network is a group of computers that are linked together. A computer network can be two computers connected:

3. A computer network can also consist of, and is usually made for, more than two computers:

4. There are two types of network: local area network (LAN)

5. The purpose of a networks: users can share disk storage, software applications, files, printers, scanners, modems, etc.

6. Characteristics of a Computer Network • The primary purpose of a computer network is to share resources: • You can create files and store them in one computer, then access those files from the other computer(s) connected to it

7. Sharing Devices • You can connect a printer (or a scanner, or a fax machine) to one computer and let other computers of the network print (or scan, or fax) to that printer (or scanner, or fax machine)

8. Sharing Music • You can play a CD music from one computer while sitting on another computer

9. Sharing Pictures • You can place a CD with pictures on one computer and let other computers access those pictures

10. Make Backups • You may have a computer with a CD writer or a backup system but the other computer doesn’t have it; • In this case, you can burn CDs or make backups on a computer that has one of these but using data from a computer that doesn’t have a CD writer or a backup system

11. Sharing DVDs • You may have a computer that doesn’t have a DVD player. In this case, you can place a movie DVD on the computer that has a DVD player, and then view the movie on a computer that lacks a DVD player

12. Client/Server Networking • A server controls the main hard drives and printers. • Some networks will have more than one server, enabling each server to focus on a specific job. • For example, a network with two servers will use a file server to control the hard disk and users' files and a print server to control the use of printers on the network. • The computers which access the server are referred as "clients".

13. Workstation • A workstation is a computer on which a person performs everyday regular assignments. • A workstation is primarily a personal computer (PC). • It can also be a laptop. • Almost any modern PC can be used as a workstation and participate on a network. Atsfileserver Computer Lab Station

14. The file server • The file server deals with the security of the files it controls by checking usernames/user-Ids and passwords • The server runs regular back-up sessions in order to allow the system and files to be recovered in the event of a disaster. • It is also the file server that distributes the programs and data to the users' computer.

15. Characteristics of a Computer Network • All computers on a network need a network card installed to be able to communicate with the server or servers. • Each networked computer has its own address so that the file server recognizes it. • Initially networks are expensive to set up because the file server must be a high specification computer possibly with several hard disks and CD-ROM drives.