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what is a LAN
a network that covers a small geographical area located on a single site
what is a WAN
a network that covers over a large geographical area in different locations
why would you use a LAN or WAN
sharing files is easier
can share the same hardware
internet connections can be shared between every device connected
can install and update software on all computers at once
can communicate with users cheaply and easily
user accounts can be stored centrally so users can log in from any device on the network
What is a Network Interface Controller (NIC)
an internal piece of hardware that allows a device to connect to a network
what is a router
a piece of hardware responsible for transmitting data between networks
what is a switch
a piece of hardware that connects devices together on a LAN and directs packets to and from the correct devices
what are the most common ethernet cables
CAT 5e and CAT 6
what are ethernet cables
twisted pair cables containing four pairs of copper wires which are twisted together to reduce internal interference
what are coaxial cables
cables made of a single copper wire surrounded by a plastic layer for insulation and a metallic mesh which provides shielding from outside interference
what are fibre optic cables
cables that transmit data as light
what are the benefits of fibre optic cables
they dont suffer from interference and can transmit over very large distances without loss of signal quality
what are the benefits of wireless networks
freedom of movement
also cheaper as you need fewer wires
easier to add new devices
what are the disadvantages of wireless networks
they are usually slower and less secure
what do you need to set up a wi-fi network
wireless access point
what is a WAP
basically a switch that allows devices to connect wirelessly
what are the benefits of wired networks
they are usually more secure faster and more reliable
what is a disadvantage of wired networks
restricted movement
what is bandwidth
the amount of data that can be transferred on a network in a given time
what affects wireless performance
depends on signal quality so is affected by the range, amount of interference from other wireless networks and physical obstructions
what is a client server network
a networked managed by a server and the devices connected are the clients
what is client server relationship
clients send requests to the server
the server then processes the request and responds
what are some things that the server responds
user profiles, passwords and access information
what are the benefits of client server
easier to keep track of files as they are stored centrally
easier to perform back-ups
easier to install and update software
easier to manage network security
servers are very reliable and always on
what are the disadvantages of client server
expensive to set up
requires IT specialists to maintain the network and server
if the server fails, so does the rest of the network
server may overload if too many clients are accessing it at once
what is a peer to peer network
a network in which all devices are equal and connect directly to each other
what are the advantages of peer to peer
easier to maintain
no dependence on server
why are peer to peer easier to maintain
dont need any expertise or expensive hardware
what are the disadvantages of peer to peer
back ups are more complicated
devices need their updates and security installed individually
less reliable
what is a star topology
all devices are connected to a central switch or server that controls the network
what are the benefits of star topology
if a device or cable fails the rest of the network is unaffected
simple to add more devices to the network
better performance
why does star topology have better performance
data goes straight to the central device so all devices can transmit data at once and there are few data collisions
what are the disadvantages of star topologies
can be expensive as a lot of hardware is required
if the central node fails, so does the rest of the network
what is a mesh topology
where every device is directly or indirectly connected to every other without a central switch or server
what is an advantage of mesh topology
there is no single point of failiure
what is a disadvantage of mesh topology
expensive as large amounts of hardware is required
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