Network- is connecting two or more computers for the purpose of routing,

managing and storing rapidly changing data.

TYPES OF NETWORK
1. Local Area Network (LAN) – is a computer network that spans in small
area or distance and confined to a building or group of buildings which is
restricted to a distance of one mile.

Types of LAN
1.1 Dedicated Server Networks –connects other networks that can handle
very large databases, have a dedicated network server, and uses
sophisticated LAN software. Clients rely on servers for resources, such as
files, devices, and even processing power.
1.2 Peer to Peer – two computers are directly connected to each other and
share all files with appropriate security or sharing rights.
1.3 Zero-Slot LANs – operates like peer to peer LAN but offers limited, simple
abilities such as sharing files and printer one another, transfer files, and
transmit e-mail and it is inexpensive. It does not require a network
interface circuit card. Its adapter plug can be plugged into serial or parallel
port.

2. Wide Area Network (WAN) – a network that covers a broad geographical

area and covers a public communication links on government, educational
and industrial networks that allows resource sharing, data, and
communication or data exchange.

Types of WAN
2.1 Centralized – consists of a central computer that is connected to dumb
terminals and or other types of terminal devices.
2.2 Distributed - consists of two or more computers in different locations and
may also include connection to dumb terminals and other types of terminal
devices.
3. Campus Area Network – Interconnection of LAN within the limited
geographic area through central servers
4. Metropolitan Area Network – a network that spans a larger distance than
LAN but smaller than WAN designed for city or town interconnected thru
fiber optics cable.
5. Home Area Network – interconnection of a persons home gadgets such
as VCR, PC, security system, telephones, fax machine, and smart
appliances.
6. Internetwork – any worldwide interconnection of public, private,
commercial, industrial, or government networks e.g. Advanced Research
Projects Agency Network (ARPANET) developed by ARPA of the U.S.
Department of Defense the home of the World Wide Web.
7. Intranet – a network or internetwork that is limited in scope to a single
organization or entity that is limited in scope to a single organization or

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 entity which uses the TCP/IP protocol suite, HTTP, FTP, and other
networks protocol and software commonly used on the internet.
8. Extranet – have at least one connection with an outside network.

Advantages of Computer Networks

1. Share resources such as printer.
2. Share data on a central server, where all data is collected.
3. Communicate via e-mail.
4. Exchange information via an internal network.
5. Allow al staff access to the internet.
6. Allow staff access to business data from anywhere in the world.
7. Rapid method of sharing and transferring files.
8. Considerable savings on software when compared to buying individual y
licensed copies.
9. Pass word can be established for specific directories to restrict access to
unauthorized users.
10. Centralized software management.
11. Allows many users to work on a document or project concurrently.

Disadvantages of Network
1. Expensive to install. Cables, network cards, and software are expensive,
and the installation may require the services of a technician.
2. Requires administrative time for proper maintenance.
3. File server may fail.
4. Cables may break.
5. No interpersonal interaction.

Five Basic Components of LAN

1. Server – is a computer in a network that shared by multiple users. E.g. file
server, printer servers, and communication servers.
2. Client Computer – is the requesting machine from the supplying machine
server.
3. Network Interface Card (NIC) – is printed circuit board that plugs into a
network server or client computer. It enables the computer to be physically
connected to the network cable, which provides the physical layer
connection among the computers in the network. The NIC performs the
electronic functions of the access method, or data link protocol, such as
Ethernet, Token Ring and Local Talk.
4. Network Cables/Hubs – physically connects each computer to the other
computers in the network.
4.1Network Cable – uses a combination of unshielded twisted pair (UTP)
wires, shielded twisted pair (STP), coaxial cable, and fiber optic cable. The
advantage of the shielded and unshielded twisted pairs wires in the low cost.
Coaxial cable is also commonly used and physically larger and heavier than
twisted pair. The fiber optic cable is thin and light. Its high capacity makes it a
perfect backbone networks.

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 4.2 Network Hubs – also called concentrator, multistation access unit,
transceiver, or repeater. It serves two purpose (1) provide an easy way to
connect to the network cables; and (2) hubs as repeaters or amplifiers.
4.3 Wireless LANs – is an alternative method of cabling a local area network.
They use the same protocols as other LANs, but they deliver data and
information through the air rather than physical cable. It offers an alternative
for an old building where wiring is difficult and expensive and provides new
capability for mobile computing for laptop computers. Is disadvantage are the
noise and insecurity.
5. Network Operating Software (NOS) – is the control program that resides in
a server or workstation within a LAN. The NOS handles the request of data
for the users on the networks, responsible for data link layers and network
layers, and must interact with the application programs ad the computer’s
own operating system. E.g. Netware, DOS, OS/2 and Macintosh operating
system.

CONFIGURING
1. Computer Description – a short explanation of the computer.
2. Computer Name – identifies your computer on the network; must have a
unique name; limited to 15 characters, ad must not contain the following
characters:.: ‘ “ <>+-*/\|?
3. Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) – Transmission Control Protocol/Internet
Protocol describes 2 software mechanisms used to allow multiple
computers to talk to each other in an error free fashion. The Internet
Protocol (IP) is a data-oriented protocol used for communicating data
across a packet-switched internetwork.
4. IP Address- a unique number consisting of 4 parts separated by dots and
must be unique.
5. Proxy Server – a server that sits between a client application, such as
Web browser, and a real sever. It intercepts all requests to the real server
to see if it can fulfill the requests itself if not it forwards the requests to the
real server.
Two Purposes
5.1 Improve performance.
5.2 Filter request.
6. Work group – is a collection of individual working together on a task.
7. Domain – Top Level Domain (TLD). Hierarchical scheme for indicating
logical and sometimes geographical venue of a web page from the
network. Ex. .edu (education), .gov (government), . net(network) , .com
(commercial), .org (organization), .ph (Phillippines), .uk

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