What Is a Network?
Networks provide a link between people, information, and devices. They allow users to share resources such as data, applications, and peripherals—easily and efficiently.

 

Networks make it easy for your employees to:

 

These features enable networks to provide three key benefits for your business:

Help Improve Productivity
Networks help ensure that critical files and applications can be shared by your users at all times, helping to increase accuracy and efficiency. And because networks can offer a high-speed connection to the Internet, users won't waste time waiting for pages to download or print. In addition, networks enable email communication, which helps ensure that employees, whether they're in the next office or on another continent, can communicate with each other quickly and easily.

Reduce Costs
Networks can greatly reduce the cost of peripherals such as modems and printers by centralizing usage and sharing them among users. Printers, for example, can be very expensive if every desktop is equipped with one. In addition, you can reduce the cost of maintaining multiple modems, dial-out lines, and Internet accounts by allowing all of your users to connect to the Internet over a single high-speed connection, such as an ISDN line or cable/DSL.

Protect Your Data
Data is one of your most important company assets. Networks can centralize the data backup for your organization, making the regular protection of data a systematic routine task. Storing data on a single server can allow for increased accessibility as well as data protection.

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Types of Networks
Networks for small and growing businesses generally come in three types:

Peer-to-Peer Networks
With peer-to-peer networks, there is no central server. This configuration generally has a single string of computers connected together via cabling. Each computer is an equal, or "peer," of the others, and it can share the files and peripherals of other computers connected to the network. This very simple type of network is generally best suited for less than five users who need to casually share files and peripherals.

While a peer-to-peer network is a low-cost, easy-to-install solution, it has some drawbacks. If one user turns off their workstation, their information or peripherals will no longer be available for others to share. In addition, accessing data and applications from another person's workstation can cause performance problems for that user.

Client/Server Networks
Client/server networks provide more flexibility than peer-to-peer networks. A network switch acts as the central communications device connecting your desktops and notebooks to your server. A dedicated server in the network then enables users to access information and share peripherals without being dependent upon other colleagues' systems. In addition, a tape backup can be installed into a dedicated server, allowing you to back up data on both the server and all workstations. Client/server networks are typically used when there is a constant need to access large files and applications or when multiple users want to share peripherals.

Thin-Client Computing
Thin-client (server-based) computing offers a networking solution that enables centralized application deployment and management on a server. This technology allows for system updates and maintenance to occur on an enterprise-wide level instead of on a physical desktop-to-desktop basis. This can dramatically increase productivity and efficiency for both end users and system administrators, and ultimately lower your total cost of ownership.

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Network Components
Setting up a client/server network is easier than you might think. There are nine basic components, some of which are optional:

Server
Purchase a server with the right processing power, as well as expandability and availability features to meet your business needs and number of users.


Desktop Computers
Identify the desktops or workstations you would like to network.

Network Switches
A switch is a hardware device that connects the client computers and servers together. Most of the switches available today are designed for Ethernet networks.

They are available in different port configurations, with the number of the ports indicating how many devices can be connected.

Switches are rapidly replacing hubs in network infrastructure. While designed to perform the same basic connectivity task, switches are "intelligent," and make better use of network bandwidth.

Today most switches have ports that are designed to handle Ethernet traffic traveling at both the common 10Mbps and 100Mpbs speeds. More advanced switches have ports that support Gigabit1 Ethernet, or 1GB/s.

The Dell™ PowerConnect™ line of switches offer both managed and unmanaged switches. Unmanaged switches are ideal for simple networks where plug-and-play simplicity is desired. Managed switches give network administrators more flexiblity and control over network traffic.

Routers

Cables
Connect workstations together and to the server with cables. The cable serves as the conduit along which data is sent between devices. Cables can range from a twisted pair cable (RJ-45), which is similar to standard telephone wire, to a fibre-optic cable, which is faster but often expensive.

Network Interface Card
A "NIC", or network interface card, is a broad-level product that fits into a PC, workstation, or server that allows the computer to talk to the rest of the network. Whereas a desktop NIC is installed in a desktop PC or workstation and only supports a single user, a server NIC is used in a server to connect many users and supports business-critical applications. A server NIC provides increased reliability, reduced CPU overhead, and better overall performance.

Software
Some type of networking software is required to facilitate communication among the workstations and the server. The Network Operating System runs on the server and allows users to share information and peripherals that are attached to the network. In addition, each workstation must run client software in order to communicate with the server.

Firewalls
Network firewalls work to protect networks from unauthorized access. Firewalls may either be hardware devices, software applications, or a combination of the two. All firewalls work to protect networks from malicious outside access; some can be programmed to control the access local users have to the outside.

Tape Backup Units and Uninterruptible Power Supplies
Dell highly recommends utilizing tape back-up units and universal power supplies with your network. Tape back-up units assist users in storing and protecting valuable information that your company may not be able to function without. Uninterruptible power supplies help protect your files against power surges and outages.




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Networking Software
Some of the software applications that networks typically run are as follows:

Electronic Mail
E-mail allows users to communicate quickly and easily with internal employees, customers, and suppliers via electronic messages.

Databases
Databases allow easy access to a range of information that can be sorted and organized into reports. When all users have access to a centralized database, this helps ensure data integrity, resulting in excellent accuracy and efficiency.

Modem Sharing
Modem-sharing software allows multiple users to share modems for dial-out or connection to the Internet. It also facilitates fax-sharing services, which allow users to compose and send faxes over the network.

Web Sharing and Publishing
With the popularity of the Internet, many businesses are either establishing an online presence or setting up shop in cyberspace. Web servers allow you to do both, bringing your business to millions of customers worldwide.

Client Software
"Clients" are the users whose computers are networked to a server. Client software runs on individual desktops and workstations and facilitates communication with the server. All Dell desktop and notebook computers can be pre-installed with either Microsoft® Windows NT® Workstation, Microsoft Windows® 98, Microsoft Windows 2000® Professional, or Microsoft® Windows® XP. These client operating systems come equipped with the tools required to connect to and communicate with a server.

Server Software
Server Software provides the operating system to run your server. Dell servers can be pre-installed with Microsoft® Windows® 2000 Server, Microsoft® Small Business Server 2000 or Microsoft® Windows® 2000 Advanced Server.


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