Comprehensive Report: Convergence in Computer Network Technology

This report comprehensively assesses the convergence of computer networks, exploring various technologies like texting, web surfing, VoIP, streaming media, video conferencing, online gaming, and e-commerce. It delves into the requirements for successful network convergence, emphasizing the need for sufficient broadband, appropriate hardware and software, and efficient network architecture. The report highlights the advantages of convergence, including cost savings, scalability, and simplicity, while also acknowledging the disadvantages, such as challenges in data storage and traffic management. It discusses the common themes of convergence, such as quality of service versus best effort, scalability, terminal coordination, and connectionless versus connection-oriented transport. The report also addresses the challenges associated with network convergence, particularly the increased bandwidth demand, and emphasizes the need for improved hardware, maintenance, and design to support the growing demands of users. Finally, the report offers insights into the future prospects of this technology and the challenges that it is facing.

Running head: CONVERGENCE IN COMPUTER NETWORK TECHNOLOGY
CONVERGENCE IN COMPUTER NETWORK TECHNOLOGY
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1CONVERGENCE IN COMPUTER NETWORK TECHNOLOGY
ABSTRACT
In this report, the convergence of computer networks have been assessed and discussed conclusively.
In the discussion part of the report, several types of the convergence networks have been discussed to
provide a short insight into the applications of the technology in the modern digital era. The report
discusses the advantages of the convergence of the networks over the existing technologies
conclusively. The report deliberately mentions the benefits that are provided by the mentioned
technology over the single network architectural systems and discusses the various themes of the
mentioned technology. Moreover, the report also discusses several advantages that the convergence
technology has provided to the existing technologies. The disadvantages to the technology has been
mentioned to focus on the challenges that the technology is facing in the modern era. The discussion
part also discusses about the main themes or underlying technologies of the converged networking
technology and how it is different from the previous technologies. The discussion part also discusses
the advantages of using the technology in the modern word to facilitate the integration of various
types of networks by various users and the advantages that the mentioned technology provides to IT
administrators in maintain the infrastructure effectively. The future prospects of the technology has a
lot of potential but the challenges that the technology is facing is significant as well. In the discussion
part, several challenges has been highlighted that needs to be addressed to make the technology a
viable alternative to the existing computer network technologies.

2CONVERGENCE IN COMPUTER NETWORK TECHNOLOGY
Table of Contents
Introduction...........................................................................................................................................4
Discussion.............................................................................................................................................4
Types of convergence technologies for computer networks..............................................................4
Requirements.....................................................................................................................................5
Advantages........................................................................................................................................5
Disadvantages....................................................................................................................................5
Common Themes of Convergence.....................................................................................................6
Challenges.........................................................................................................................................6
Conclusion.............................................................................................................................................7
References.............................................................................................................................................8

3CONVERGENCE IN COMPUTER NETWORK TECHNOLOGY
Introduction
Integration of two or more technologies or entities in a common network sis the very essence
of convergence. Two unrelated technologies such as taking of pictures and communication can be
converged in a mobile computer system. Similarly, there is a wide variety of computer networks that
can be incorporated in a single network system to enhance the benefits of widespread and cheaper
implementation of the mentioned technology (Allen, 2017).
The technology allows individuals to choose from multiple number of services from several
providers. The computer network convergence also allows multiple service vendors to enter new
markets, adopt innovative services and incorporate new business model.
In this report, the various number of convergence technologies with respect to computer
networks has been discussed and evaluated. The main themes of the convergence has been discussed
to understand the in-depth mechanism of the convergence technology. Moreover, the report also
discusses several advantages that the convergence technology has provided to the existing
technologies. The disadvantages to the technology has been mentioned to focus on the challenges that
the technology is facing in the present times. Lastly, the report also discusses several challenges that
the technology is facing to get a clear picture of the effect of the technology on the present
technological scenario.
Discussion
The coexistence of data communication, video and telephone in a single network efficiently is
known as convergence within the technology of computer networking. Unlike separate
infrastructures, flexibility and convenience are certain benefits why more than one communication
nodes are used in a single network. The convergence in computer network is also known as media
convergence (Miklaucic, Brewer and Stavridis, 2013).
For connecting to servers, different network infrastructures were used by services to connect
with the servers. Nowadays, different institutions such as government agencies. Educational
institutions, business and consumers use a collection of media types to carry out their daily activities.
Types of convergence technologies for computer networks
Different computer networking convergence technologies are used which are written as
follows:-
Texting- As directed by the wireless users, this technology involves sending alphanumeric
conversations (short) between hand held devices, pagers and cell phones.
Web surfing- This technology involves the exploring of various websites in a random way or
looking up a website to find a previous solution (Szegedy et al. 2016).
Voip or Voice over IP- This technology involves the sending of multimedia and voice content
through the IP (Internet protocol) networks.
Streaming of media- This technology involves the checking of audio and video content which
are sent over the internet instead of saving the entire content in the hard drive of a computer.
Video conference applications- This technology involves the live connection between a
number of people in real time who are living in different locations ( Yu et al. 2014). This computer
technology is increasingly used in meetings nowadays for communication purposes.

4CONVERGENCE IN COMPUTER NETWORK TECHNOLOGY
Online gaming- This technology involves the playing of games on a particular server where
gamers from different locations and different consoles can play together in real time (Frank and
Tseng, 2013).
E commerce- This technology involves the selling and buying of services and products over
the internet and the transmission of funds electronically.
Requirements
The convergence of the computer networks needs a lot of information to be transmitted
through the network. The broadband which is sued to handle the transmissions should be able to
handle huge amount of transactions in real time without any delay. For example, without a sufficient
broadband threshold, an important presentation may get halted during a meeting where many people
are using their mobile services on the same network.
The next requirement for maintain the converged computer networks is the availability of
proper hardware and software tools that can handle the demands of the converged networks. With
certain tools such as Quality of service systems or Qos, the maintenance and control of proper data
flow needs to be maintained. The tools help the IT staffs to properly fix and diagnose and issue with
minimal expense and time (Vasseur and Hui, 2014). The systems need to be built with HTML to
reduce the training time and enhance the usage of various network protocols.
The third requirements for maintain the computer network convergence system is to use
efficient architecture. The architecture needs to be designed in such a way that the convergence
technology works for a long time in the respective firm. This will allow the system to have proper
security measure and scalability functions.
Advantages
Both the users and the businesses have different wants from the convergence of these
technologies. The user particularly wants robustness, experience quality and proper service quality.
The IT administrators and businesses want minima malware, privacy of security, ease of upgrading
and modification, compatibility standards and moderate costs.
Computer network convergence favours the standardization of Wi-Fi, Ethernet and TCP/IP
technologies that offers a proper consumer experience allowing the integration of various vendors and
products. The convergence also assists the IT administrators to manage the network effectively.
Another advantage due to the convergence of the computer networks is the savings factor.
The converged computer networks allows for more cost savings in the mobile networks in
international as well as long distance communications (Francois et al. 2016). These savings increase
with the help of VoIP or Voice over Internet protocol which is an important aspect of the convergence
system.
The scalability and flexibility of the converged networks is another benefit to the proposed
system. The computers and mobile devices can be configured without involving the mobile
companies due to the convergence aspect of the computer networks (Yi, 2013).
Simplicity is another benefit that can be provided by the integration of converged networks.
The technology not only integrates the It systems and simplifies it but also makes it easier to handle
one single network instead of handling multiple number of networks (Alexander-Bloch et al. 2013).
Instead of modifying and replacing individual separate networks, the converged network
allows for easier modifications and growth prospects in the near future.

5CONVERGENCE IN COMPUTER NETWORK TECHNOLOGY
Disadvantages
The convergence of various computer networks has its own share of disadvantages.
Previously, the storage systems were present on different networks. The separated environments gave
the administrator increased levels of manageability as the storage location and the applications were
directly linked to the perspective of the server. The converged environment brings the added difficulty
of managing the data storage and traffic separately (Lau, 2014). This results in the wrong bandwidth
provision to the high priority traffic resulting in the decline of performance.
Common Themes of Convergence
Quality of service Vs Best effort
The greatest difference between various types of computer networks is the performance
metrics. New technologies try to implement improved performance with the technological
architecture. The best effort model do not take into consideration the needs of the applications so the
system is also known as resource cheap model where certain applications are given more system
performance during high demands at the expense of the performance of other applications ( White,
2015). The Qos model is exactly opposite ti the best effort model. The Qos model provides
appropriate resources to the model that is acceptable to the user but not more than that. Assuming that
resources are costly and expandable, the Qos model provides resource conserving mechanisms
(Donoso and Fabregat, 2016). It provides extra mechanisms to reduce the bitways to prevent the
system from bottlenecking considering the complexity and speed in today’s electronics. The Qos
theme thus provides the benefits of bit rate (the bits are generated symmetrically and asymmetrically
depending on the evolution of the rate), improved latency (the time required for the packets ton
accumulate at the source by buffering the processing and buffering delays of the computer networks)
and improved reliability (improves the corruption of the bit errors in the payload and packet loss).
Scalability
The desire to increase the number of users in a single network depends on the scalability of
the networks. The convergence in computer networks allows the utility to increase with the increase d
number of users (Jo et al. 2014).
Terminal coordination and network coordination
The various computer networks require a precise coordination between the terminals of the
network as well as the terminals of the applications. The coordination can occur from the signalling
phase, establishment protocols and setup phase. With the integration of various computer networks in
a single network, the debate arises whether the out of band or in band model will be employed or not.
This coordination of networks arise dynamically from the session phase of the application with the
help of a control or flow control mechanism (Kuila, Gupta and Jana, 2013). The convergence is
initiated through the model of network reactive signalling which involves the mechanism of making a
configuration request through the networking and signalling channel for performing the appropriate
internal configuration. If the convergence is not appropriately done, then it may result in the
declination of the network due to the absence of proper provisional resources (admission control and
telecommunication blocking)
Connectionless vs Connection oriented
Earlier, the single architectural frameworks that used the computer networks individually use
connection oriented transport mechanism to transfer the information from the source to the
destination. Through active Qos control, the resource were accordingly associated with the route
(Gubbi et al. 2016). The convergence of the computer networks will allow for connectionless
transport that dynamically allocates resources according to the availability and congestion.

6CONVERGENCE IN COMPUTER NETWORK TECHNOLOGY
Challenges
With the evolution of network convergence, the network developers confront some major
challenges. As all the networks work in a single network, the bandwidth demand is the most
significant challenge for effective convergence (Singh, Tripathi and Jara, 2014). The converged
computer networks can get increasingly overwhelmed with the rise in demands of users for more data
and rich content. Hence, for effectively maintain the network convergence, the need for better
hardware, maintenance and installation and design is necessary. To support all the services that are
present in the network and to provide the devices with enough bandwidth, the companies need to take
appropriate measures (Chávez-Santiago et al. 2015). Steps should be taken so that during the hour of
critical failure, the mission critical apps keep on running with the help of redundancy feature that is
built in the network.
Another challenge for the computer network convergence is hacking. Earlier, when an
attacker hacked into a particular infrastructure they could access only a selected network such as PCs,
Closed circuit television and telecommunication (Allen, 2013). With the rise in convergence in
computer networks, the attacker can hack in all the infrastructures at the same time as all the resources
are present under the same network.
The third challenge is that with the implementation of new technologies, it takes a massive investment
form the tax payers and concerned bodies (Kizza, 2017). If the concerned bodies are not willing to
support the technology, then it becomes quite difficult to appropriately maintain the technology.
Another challenge is with the introduction of evolving communication mode and various end user
platforms, the need for a seamless standard is necessary for seamlessly operating the technology. The
new technologies can bring other challenges to the existing networks such as unnecessary pressure on
the software, resources, operating systems and networking hardware (He et al. 2013). To prevent this
from happening, appropriate hardwares and devices needs to be installed as well as effective
configuring of the network needs to be handled by a professional.
Conclusion
It can be conclusively stated that the convergence of computer networks is the amalgamation
of internet services and telecommunication broadcasting. The technology has immense potential of
transmitting data and signals giving the user a choice of transmitting them through their own choice of
transmission paths.
Earlier, these benefits were not enjoyed by users as wirelines and broadcasting mechanisms
were situated with the same line. With the rise in digitization and fierce competition, the different
communication services has converged into a single entity allowing users to access different networks
on their own will to carry data along distinct networks. Moreover, the new technology allows the
users to enjoy more flexible and better service.
To conclude the report, it can be stated that the report has conclusively discussed the
convergence aspect of the computer networks in detail. The report has also discussed the advantages
that are provided by the convergence technology with respect to the previous technologies that were
used. The report deliberately mentions the benefits that are provided by the mentioned technology
over the single network architectural systems and discusses the various themes of the mentioned
technology. The disadvantages of adopting this technology has been mentioned conclusively in the
report. The report also mentions the various challenges that this technology needs to address before it
is adopted securely by the mainstream people over the single networking architecture.

7CONVERGENCE IN COMPUTER NETWORK TECHNOLOGY
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8CONVERGENCE IN COMPUTER NETWORK TECHNOLOGY
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