Private Networks

EIS will not consist of only one computer. It's more likely that your organization will have SEVERAL computers -- maybe thousands. The people that work on these computers (i.e. "**work stations**"): - must regularly share files with each other; - use many of the same devices (e.g. a printer,...

EIS will not consist of only one computer. It's more likely that your organization will have SEVERAL computers -- maybe thousands. The people that work on these computers (i.e. "**work stations**"): - must regularly share files with each other; - use many of the same devices (e.g. a printer, a physical firewall, a router through which to access the internet); - must access & update a lot of the same data (e.g. inventory data that is stored in a database); How can dozens -- or thousands -- of computers do all these things? One way would be to assign each work station an individual internet connection. Then it could simply connect to whatever device it needs. But most organizations prefer a different option. They set up a **private network**. Such a network **connects only the computers (and other digital devices) of the organization with each other**, allowing them to share data directly with each other instead of through a public internet connection. Organizations prefer private networks over the internet for the following reasons: **Security:** A company\'s network is more secure than the public internet because it allows the company to control who has access to its data and systems; **Reliability:** A company\'s network is more reliable than the public internet because it is usually designed to have \"plan B\" options in case the internet is down (or too slow for critical activities); **Performance:** A company\'s network can provide faster and more consistent network performance than the public internet. **Cost:** Companies can tailor their network infrastructure to meet their specific needs and avoid paying for unnecessary services or features; You have now familiarized yourself with many of the hardware components of a private network. There are a few extras that we won't cover in this beginner course, such as "**hubs**", **bridges**", and "**repeaters**". These are simply additional devices that provide many of the same functions we've already discussed here (though in faster or cheaper ways -- depending on the situation).