Only the smallest companies can be managed without a computer. When you even have a few computers, you’ll probably want to network them. A local area network or LAN converts individual computers into a common work environment, much like a joint project transforms an individual employee into a group. A LAN can include thousands of computers or just a few, but all LANs are made up of the same basic handful of components.
LAN components
For users, the network means only the software they are
actually dealing with, whether it is a word processor, accounting software or
some state-of-the-art custom program. Underneath that work will work, you’ll
find a network-aware operating system, drivers that help computers talk to
network hardware, and all the specialized code that manages communication
between devices. These are the software components of the network.
Network workstations
The essence of a LAN is that users collaborate together or
at least share network resources, so all of these users must have a way to
access the network. This is done through individual computers or workstations
that are connected together and form a LAN. These computers can be almost
anything. A given office can contain everything from low-cost laptops or
Chromebooks to powerful engineering workstations, and in between there are many
standard machines for performing routine tasks of accounting, word processing,
points of sale, etc. In a wireless network, even a tablet or mobile phone can
be considered a workstation.
Often, the most important part of LAN design is the way the
workstations of all these users are grouped together. Sometimes it’s as simple
as connecting everyone in the same physical space, but what if their needs are
different? For example, the basic Wi-Fi signal is suitable for guests and
casual users, but engineers or video editors will need the fastest connection
you can provide. Organizing users into different subnets where they can share
separate resources is often the best option. In this scenario, a group of
powerful users scattered across offices on two or three separate floors could
share a network that communicates at a rate of several gigabits per second,
while everyone around them uses a slower network.
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