Computer networks: the basics

A computer network is formed when computers are connected together or to peripherals such as printers, scanners, or modems.

Sooner or later most businesses need to invest in more than one computer. At this point it is more practical and cost effective to share resources like printers and to have access to common files.

As with all computer equipment it is important to assess your business requirements to see how the proposed system can fulfill your needs.

Finding the right partner to help you with this process is the first (and most important) step towards realizing your business goals. The staff of ComputerWorks has the skill and experience that will make your company's project move forward quickly and easily.

Advantages of using networks

As your business grows, you will appreciate the importance of good communication between employees. Computer networking is one of the key ways in which information can be shared to make the business more efficient and profitable.

Financial benefits

• You can cut costs by sharing printers, scanners, external disks, tape drives and Internet access.
• A centralised database can improve productivity by allowing two or more staff to deal with different clients simultaneously.

Practical benefits

• Staff can deal with more customers at the same time by simultaneously accessing product or customer databases.
• Standard versions of manuals and directories can be made available to everyone.
• Network administration can be centralised so fewer IT administrators are required.
• Data can be backed-up from a single point on a scheduled basis, ensuring consistency.

The following scenario shows how a good network can help a business to run more smoothly:

John's business doesn't have a network. His staff each have their own printer attached to their PC, and transfer data amongst themselves on floppy disks. Some people back up their data, some don't. Everybody has a copy of everything. The trouble is, no one is sure who has the most up-to-date version.

John decides to install a network. Documents are now stored on a server. His staff all work on one copy of a document, so there is no argument about who has the latest copy. The entire server is backed up by his IT support person. People log on to networked business applications when they arrive at work, and only log off when they go home. There is one reliable printer, which everyone shares.

Networking means that time, money and mistakes are reduced. Customers are dealt with successfully and orders are processed more efficiently.