Networking Essentials

A network comprises a number of computers that connected together using cables in a style that allows information sharing as well as sharing of services. Networking plays an important role in the field of information technology. Apart from playing an important part in offering online services and running them smoothly, networking also offers an individual with an insight to diagnose issues in the network. In today’s world of business, every kind of business requires a network of computer for running operations smoothly, access of data, communication that is instant as well as flexibly. Networking has made communication very easy in hospitals, university campuses, education institutions as well as multinational organizations.

Networking
Networking Essentials
SUMMARY
DECEMBER 20, 2018

A network comprises a number of computers that connected together using cables in a style that
allows information sharing as well as sharing of services. Networking plays an important role in
the field of information technology. Apart from playing an important part in offering online
services and running them smoothly, networking also offers an individual with an insight to
diagnose issues in the network. In today’s world of business, every kind of business requires a
network of computer for running operations smoothly, access of data, communication that is
instant as well as flexibly. Networking has made communication very easy in hospitals,
university campuses, education institutions as well as multinational organizations.

Table of Contents
Introduction...............................................................................................................................................3
Networking devices....................................................................................................................................3
Networking software.................................................................................................................................4
Server selection..........................................................................................................................................5
Workstation...............................................................................................................................................5
Effectiveness of networking systems........................................................................................................5
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................................6
References..................................................................................................................................................7

Introduction
A network of computers comprises of components and devices of connectivity. An
understanding that is basic regarding networking is essential for any individual or a company that
is managing a server. This is because it is important in running smoothly services as well as it
makes it easy to diagnose problems.
There are various kinds of networks of computers like the Wide Area Network, Local Area
Network, Metropolitan Area Network and the wireless network. There are a number of devices
that are key in making the computer network infrastructure which include the switch, hub,
modem, router, Local Area Network card, network cables and the Access point.
There are also various devices and standards in the network of a computer. The main standard
that is commonly used for the LAN happens to be the Ethernet.
This report provides an overview of a number of the concepts of networking.
Networking devices
As mentioned earlier, a number of devices are used in networking to interconnect the computers
and other devices like the printers among others. They include the following:
Servers – they offer access to a number of resources located in the network.
Hubs – they are used in connecting a number of computers in one workgroup of network of a
LAN. The ports use RJ-45 connectors, BNC and AUI.
Routers - A router links networks physically and logically. It is used to base all the
communication in the internet.
Switches - The switches are used in connecting computers located in the LAN. Devices that are
connected to the switches use twisted pair cable. The common switches are the 2 layer but we
also have the multilayer switch (Shenker et al., 2011).
Multilayer switch functions like layer 2 switch and also offers extra roles on the OSI layers that
are higher.
Firewall allows only authorized access to the network. Any intrusion is prevented by the firewall
HIDS is used in detecting intrusion by analyzing and monitoring computer systems’ internals
together with the packets of the network on its interfaces of the network.
Repeaters are used to increase the max of the medium, which is the effective distance.
Bridges – they are used in dividing a large network into smaller segments in order to enhance
the performance of the network. They also connect various types of media and network
architecture (Miller, Brandwine and Doane, 2011).
Wireless devices are the devices that allow connection to a wired network through the use of
WiFi.

Access point is device that allows some wireless devices like the router to connect to a network.
Content filter is used to control the content that is being received by the user. It’s limited on the
server side.
Load balancer controls the traffic in the network to prevent slowing down of the network
Modem converts the digital signals generated by the computer into analog signals to enable them
to travel through the lines of the phone.
Packet shaper offers visibility that is deep into the traffic of the network including applications
that are web-based.
VPN connector enables creation of a connection that is secure to a different network over the
internet.
Networking software
Networking software assists administrators in deploying, managing and monitoring a network. It
is classified into: (Tsirogiannis, Harizopoulos and Shah, 2010).
Client software – an appropriate client software enables users in logging in to a server and
accessing the network resources. It enables users that are legitimate to authenticate themselves
through provision of a valid password and username.
Server software – it is operated on the computing software. It offers and enhances the
harnessing of underlying computing power of the server to be used with an array of computing
functions and services of the high-end.
The server software can be divided into the following types;
 Web server – it offers services or content to the client or end user via the internet. It
comprises of the server operating system, physical server and a software that is used in
facilitating HTTP communication (Menasce, 2013).
 File server – it handles data files management and central storage of the data in order for
other devices in the network can access it.
 Database server – at time it may be used as the back-end of the application of the
database, hardware computer which hosts an instance or it may also be a combination of
the software as well as the hardware.
 Virtualization – it enables sharing of software and hardware resources with the rest of the
operating systems.
 Terminal services server – it enables a user to connect a number of client systems to
connect to the network of LAN without the use of a network interface or a modem (Kim
and Feamster, 2013).
Client operating system – this is the system that operates within a number of portable devices
and computer desktops. They only support a single user, e.g. Smartphones.

Server operating system – it enables network administrators to manage the resources located in
the network like the communication devices, storage areas for the data and printers.
Firewall – it prevents unauthorized access from or to a network that is private. It can either be
implemented in a software or hardware or both may be applied.
Server selection
When setting up a network, a number of factors need to be considered while selecting a server.
They include the following;
 Cost – when setting up a network and cost happens to be a major concern, LINUX server
is most appropriate. This is because it is generally free. Although it is free, it has a
weakness which is that, its maintenance and support are not free. Still, it is the best
option.
 Purpose – a server should also be selected according to the purpose. Some have more
power of processing storage and memory according to the work the server is going to
handle.
 Operating system requirement – some operating systems support customization while
others do not. Free open source OS such as the Debian do not support customization,
while others like window server support customization (Hawking and Thistlewaite,
2009).
Workstation
When setting up a network, a computer mainly is considered to be the workstation. To make a
connection, network cables are used. They may be the twisted pair cable which comprises of
copper wires that are either shielded or unshielded. The twisted cables use RJ 45 connectors.
Coaxial cables can also be used as well as fiber optic cables (Scherer and Sholtis, 2015).
Network cards allow network devices to receive and transmit data through the transmission
media.
User access levels are set in the network where by a user must use login credentials to access the
network. The network administrator sets levels that user can access the network.
System bus is also present the workstation whereby it offers a path consisting of connectors and
cables for carrying data between the main memory and the microprocessor of the computer
(Schnell, 2011).
When setting up the network, the local system architecture is considered according to the
purpose of the network. It comprises of the memory, input and output devices and the processor.
The memory size and the processor are determined by the complexity of the processes that will
be carried out in the network. The I/O devices comprises of the network devices which include
the printers, hubs, computers among others (Bechtolsheim, 2012).

Effectiveness of networking systems
An effective networking systems offers a number of advantages to a business. They include;
 Time saving – this is made possible when all the business activities are controlled from a
central computer
 Cost effective – the cost of hiring individual is reduced as only one system administrator
is required at the central point.
 Increase in production – the system detects and resolves the issues even before they are
realized. This reduces any obstacles that arise during production hence ensuring minimal
loss.
 Security risks are minimized – networking systems are highly protected from attacks
from viruses, internal and external attacks as well as hacking (Lindsay, Bruich and
Smallwood, 2014)
Conclusion
Networking has become a major aspect in all kinds of businesses as well as other fields which
include education institutions, hospitals among others. It makes communication easier and is cost
effective since it also allows sharing of resources over the network.
There are a number of options available while selecting networking devices hence, when
selecting them, it’s advisable to have adequate information regarding all the devices to be used
so that an individual can be sure that the best options are chosen. For example, when choosing
the server to be used among others, the cost and purpose as well as flexibility of the server
should be considered. Some servers may not be compatible with other operating systems of the
users.

References
Bechtolsheim, A., 2012. The SUN workstation architecture.
Hawking, D. and Thistlewaite, P., 2009. Methods for information server selection. ACM
Transactions on Information Systems (TOIS), 17(1), pp.40-76.
Kim, H. and Feamster, N., 2013. Improving network management with software defined
networking. IEEE Communications Magazine, 51(2), pp.114-119.
Lindsay, R.T., Bruich, S.M. and Smallwood, B.H., Facebook Inc, 2014. Determining advertising
effectiveness outside of a social networking system. U.S. Patent 8,874,639.
Miller, K.C., Brandwine, E.J. and Doane, A.J., Amazon Technologies Inc, 2011. Using virtual
networking devices to manage external connections. U.S. Patent 7,937,438.
Menasce, D.A., 2013. Web server software architectures. IEEE internet computing, 7(6), pp.78-
81.
Schnell, A.T., Compaq Computer Corp, 2011. Management communication bus for networking
devices. U.S. Patent 6,199,133.
Scherer, C.B. and Sholtis, J.K., Mertek Industries LLC, 2015. Networking cable tracer system.
U.S. Patent 9,196,975.
Shenker, S., Casado, M., Koponen, T. and McKeown, N., 2011. The future of networking, and
the past of protocols. Open Networking Summit, 20, pp.1-30.
Tsirogiannis, D., Harizopoulos, S. and Shah, M.A., 2010, June. Analyzing the energy efficiency
of a database server. In Proceedings of the 2010 ACM SIGMOD International Conference on
Management of data (pp. 231-242). ACM.