Ch1 Explore the Network - John Flashcards
Peer-to-Peer (P2P) File Sharing
Peer-to-Peer file sharing allows people to share files with each other without having to store and download them from a central server. The user joins the P2P network by simply installing the P2P software.
Simple networks
consisting of two computers to networks
Home office networks and small office networks
often set up by individuals that work from a home or a remote office and need to connect to a corporate network or other centralized resources.
businesses and large organizations
networks can be used on an even broader scale to provide consolidation, storage, and access to information on network servers. Networks also allow for rapid communication such as email, instant messaging, and collaboration among employees. In addition to internal benefits, many organizations use their networks to provide products and services to customers through their connection to the Internet.
Small Home Networks
Small home networks connect a few computers to each other and the internet
Small office/ Home Office Networks
The small office/Home Office or SOHO network enables computers within a home office or a remote office to connect to a corporate network or access centralized, shared resources.
Medium to Large Networks
Medium to large networks such as those used by corporations and schools, can have many locations with hundreds or thousands of interconnected computers.
World Wide Networks
The internet is a network of networks that connects hundreds of millions of computers world-wide
hosts
All computers connected to a network that participate directly in network communication are classified as hosts. Hosts are also called end devices.
Servers
are computers with software that enable them to provide information, like email or web pages, to other end devices on the network. Each service requires separate server software.
Clients
are computers with software installed that enable them to request and display the information obtained from the server.
File Client and Server
The File Server stores corporate and user files in a central location. The client devices access these files with client software such as windows Explorer.
Web Client and Server
The web server runs web server software and clients use their browser software, such as windows internet explorer, to access web pages on the server.
Email Client and Server
The Email Server runs email server software and clients use their mail client software, such as Microsoft Outlook, to access email on the server.
Peer-to-Peer
Client and server software usually runs on separate computers, but it is also possible for one computer to carry out both roles at the same time. In small businesses and homes, many computers function as the servers and clients on the network. This type of network is called a peer-to-peer network.
The advantages of peer-to-peer networking:
- Easy to set up
- Less complexity
- Lower cost since network devices and dedicated servers may not be required
- Can be used for simple tasks such as transferring files and sharing printers.
The Disadvantages of peer-to-peer networking:
- No centralized administration
- Not as secure
- Not scalable
- All devices may act as both clients and servers which can slow their performance
The network infrastructure contains three categories of network components:
- Devices
- Media
- Services
Devices and media
are the physical elements, or hardware, of the network. Hardware is often the visible components of the network platform such as a laptop, PC, switch, router, wireless access point, or the cabling used to connect the devices.
Services
include many of the common network applications people use every day, like email hosting services and web hosting services.
End Devices
The network devices that people are most familiar with are called end devices. An end device is either the source or destination of a message transmitted over the network.
To distinguish one end device from another, each end device on a network is identified by an address. When an end device initiates communication, it uses the address of the destination end device to specify where the message should be sent.
Intermediary Network Devices
Intermediary devices connect the individual end devices to the network and can connect multiple individual networks to form an internetwork. These intermediary devices provide connectivity and ensure that data flows across the network.
Intermediary devices use the destination end device address, in conjunction with information about the network interconnections, to determine the path that messages should take through the network.
Intermediary network devices perform some or all of these functions:
- Regenerate and retransmit data signals
- Maintain information about what pathways exist through the network and internetwork
- Notify others devices of errors and communication failures
- Direct data along alternate pathways when there is a link failure
- Classify and direct messages according to priorities
- Permit or deny the flow of data, based on security settings
medium
Communication across a network is carried on a medium. The medium provides the channel over which the message travels from source to destination.