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It is important for anyone trying to set up any type of Utah network cabling system to learn the different types of networks and also the terminology used in the systems so you can avoid running into network disasters and mishaps that almost always occur for people that do not really know what they are doing. The two basic types of networks are called Local Area Networks (LANs) and Wide Area Networks (WANs). A network that covers a single location is called a LAN, and a network that covers more than one location is called a WAN. A WAN is usually an interconnection of LANs. WANs allow you to connect an office in Utah to an office on the other side of the country. The Internet is the world’s largest WAN. All devices have to speak the same language in order to connect to one another to form a network. This language is called protocol, which describes how to form the data, compress it, and handle errors. There are several different types of protocol, but TCP/IP is the most common for the home, office and Internet. TCP/IP is not stricly a protocol, but rather a group of protocols used together. TCP/IP stands for Transmission Control Protocol and Internet Protocol. It is widely used because of its ability to recover lost or corrupted data, and it makes sure you do not lose any valuable information. Computers used to be connected directly to each other in the old days, which obviously had some drawbacks. These days most businesses have all sorts of fancy networking equipment, some costing thousands of dollars. Some of these key networking devices include Firewalls, Hubs, Routers, Switches, Wireless Access Points and Wireless Repeaters. All of these tools can be used in the home or office. 1. Firewall: A firewall is a software program or a hardware device that prevents unauthorized entry into a network. Think of a firewall as a brick wall. There is fire on one side and you are on the other. The "fire wall" protects you from danger. This is an absolute must for any network. 2. Hub: A hub is a device that connects multiple network devices together. On a hub, only one device can talk at a time. When one connected device sends data to another, that data is actually sent to all connected devices. The intended recipient accepts the data and all the other devices simply ignore it. Think of this type of communication as yelling in a crowded room. While you may eventually get your point across, you will also unnecessarily distract and occupy the time of others. Hubs are an older technology and they are being replaced by switches, where appropriate. 3. Router: A router is a device that forwards data using the best path to another router or network device. Think of a router as a smart traffic management system. It knows that transmitting your data to the left would take 2 seconds but transmitting it to the right takes 1 second, so it transmits it to the right. 4. Switch: A switch is a "smart" hub that allows multiple devices to talk at the same time and directly communicate with a connected device. When you need to connect multiple, non wireless, computers together, a switch is the way to go. 5. Wireless access point: A wireless access point (WAP) is a device that authenticates and connects wireless devices to a network. Think of an access point as the maitre d' at a reservation-only restaurant; it greets you, verifies who you are, and shows you to your destination - table by the window if you're really lucky. This is the most commonly used device in a wireless network. 6. Wireless repeater: A wireless repeater (a.k.a. range extender) is a device used to extend the range of a wireless signal. Every access point has a maximum range that a signal can reach (typically 100 to 150 feet).That range easily diminishes due to interference and attenuation. A wireless repeater can take a dying signal, reconstruct it, and rebroadcast it.
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