Why network? LANs and WANs

By the end of this lesson

By the end you can explain why devices are networked, list the benefits (and the catches), and tell a LAN from a WAN by its characteristics.

Thirty laptops, zero cables

Picture a school with 30 laptops and no network. Every laptop needs its own printer. Sharing homework means walking a USB stick around the room. Backups? "I emailed it to myself... oh wait, no email."

Connect them together and all of those problems disappear. That is the whole point of a network.

Definition

Network

Two or more computers or other devices connected together (by cable or wirelessly) so that they can communicate and share data and resources.

What networking gets you

Benefit	What it looks like
Share hardware	One printer or scanner for the whole room
Share an internet connection	One connection serves every device
Share files and software	Everyone works on the same up-to-date file; software installed and updated centrally
Communicate	Email, messaging, video calls, shared calendars
Central management	Log in from any machine and see your files; access rights and backups handled in one place

And the catches, because nothing is free:

Cost: switches, cables, servers, plus someone to run them.
Malware spreads: one infected device can infect the rest.
Security risk: a network is a door that hackers can try to open.
Dependency: if a central server fails, everyone is affected.

Quick check

Multiple choiceQuestion 1 · Recall

Multiple choiceQuestion 2 · Recall

Multiple choiceQuestion 3 · Apply

Answer the 3 questions above to continue.