What is Computer Network Its Types Advantages and Disadvantages

Computer Network Its Types Advantages and Disadvantages 

Computer Network

A computer network consist of two or more computers that are connected together to share information and resources. The resources may include printers, hard disks, scanners or programs etc. The computers in the network are connected together through communication media. The communication media can be a physical cable or a wireless connection. The computer in the network can be in same room, building or at different places.

Network Architectures

Network Architectures is the design of computers and other devices in a network and how they communicate. The two most common network architectures are client server and peer to peer (P2P) 

Peer to peer network 

Peer to peer Network is a simple and inexpensive network. It normally connects less than ten computers. Each computer in this network can share hardware, data or information of any computer in the network. Each computer store files on its own storage devices. Peer to peer networks are suitable for small businesses and home users.

Advantages

1. It is easy to setup.
2. It is easy to maintain.
3. It does not require expensive server computer.
4. It is suitable for small office of ten or less computers.

Disadvantages

1. Heavy use can slow down the network speed.
2. It also provide less security of data because file are stored at different locations in the network.

Client Server Network 

Client server network is a network in which one or more computer work as server and other computers work as client. A client is a computer that is connected with a server to access different resources. The client computer sends request to the server for resources. The server computer provides the requested resources to the client computer. The client computer is less powerful than server computer.

Advantages 

1. It reduces the volume of data traffic on the network.
2. It also provides faster responses to the client.
3. It can use less powerful computer as clients because most of the processing is done by the server computer.

Disadvantages 

1. It is expensive model because server computer are costly.
2. The operation stop all over the network, when server goes down.