networks Flashcards
what is a network?
a network is more than one computer system connected together allowing for communication and sharing of resources.
what is a LAN?
local area network, which has a small geographical close area usually like a school. small site or even within the same building.
the network infrastructure of a LAN
the network infrastructure of a LAN is usually managed and owned by the network owner
what is a WAN?
a wide area network has computer systems situated geographically distant to each other.
what are the factors that affect the performance of a network?
bandwidth and number of devices connected.
As more devices are added to the network, the demand for bandwidth and other resources increases, which can cause slower data transfer speeds and more network congestion.
advantages of a client network server
advantages
controlled from the server to back up data and update software.
hardware software and resources can be shared across a network such as data files
improved scalability as more clients can easily be added to the server.
disadvantages of a client network server
large amounts of network congestion will cause the network to slow down
whole network fails if fault occurs in the server.
malware such as viruses can be spread quickly across the network.
what is a client network server?
client makes a request to the server and the server manages that request and responds.
what is a peer to peer network?
for peer to peer networks data is shared directly between systems without requiring a central server.
advantages of a peer to peer network
simple network to set up as no server is involved
clients are not dependent on a server
can quickly share files between systems
disadvantages of peer to peer networks
no central device to manage security and backups
performance will decrease as more devices are connected to a network
what are data packets?
files that are broken down into smaller parts called data packets so it allows data to be transferred quickly across a network.
what is a star topology?
each computer system is connected to a central hub or switch and transfers its data packets there.hub or switch looks at destination address and sends the data packets there.
advantages of star topology
improved security as data packets are sent directly to and from switch/hub
new systems can be added without the full system needing to be shut down
transfer speeds are fast as minimal network collisions
what is a mesh topology?
data packets transferred along the quickest path to the destination address if pathway is broken there are man alternative pathways.