Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
wired into office buildings and factories (see Figure 6.6). Although LANs often use unshielded
twisted-pair wire, other media—including fiber-optic cable—is also popular. Increasingly,
LANs are using some form of wireless communications. You can build LANs to connect
personal computers, laptop computers, or powerful mainframe computers.
Figure 6.6
A Typical LAN
All network users within an office
building can connect to other users'
devices for rapid communication.
For instance, a user in research and
development could send a
document from her computer to be
printed at a printer in the desktop
publishing center.
Ex
ecu
tive
c
om
pu
ter
s
a
nd
de
vice
s
Finance and
accounting
c
om
puters
a
nd
devices
Pr
o
duc
tio
n c
ent
er
computers and devices
Research and
d
ev
elo
pment
co
m
put
ers and
dev
ices
Marketing and
sales computers
and
devi
ce
s
Cop
y cente
r, p
ri
ntin
g,
and desktop publishing
computers and devices
A basic type of LAN is a simple peer-to-peer network that a small business might use to
share files and hardware devices such as printers. In a peer-to-peer network, you set up each
computer as an independent computer, but let other computers access specific files on its
hard drive or share its printer. These types of networks have no server. Instead, each computer
is connected to the next machine. Examples of peer-to-peer networks include Windows for
Workgroups, Windows NT, Windows 2000, and AppleShare. Performance of the computers
on a peer-to-peer network is usually slower because one computer is actually sharing the
resources of another computer.
With more people working at home, connecting home computing devices and equipment
into a unified network is on the rise. Small businesses are also connecting their systems and
equipment. A home or small business can connect network resources, computers, printers,
scanners, and other devices. A person working on one computer, for example, can use data
and programs stored on another computer's hard disk. In addition, several computers on the
network can share a single printer. To make home and small business networking a reality,
many companies are offering networking standards, devices, and procedures.
Disneyland's House of the Future in Tomorrowland features information technology
designed to enhance everyday living. A LAN that senses the presence of people throughout
the home is the key to making this all work. The lights, temperature, and even the paintings
on the wall adjust to preset personal preferences as people enter and leave the rooms. If
someone clicks on the remote, the network dims the lights, shuts off any music, and draws
the shades in preparation for the TV to turn on. The network also enables people to easily
transfer music, photos, and videos among computers and TVs throughout the home.
35
Metropolitan Area Networks
A
metropolitan area network (MAN)
is a telecommunications network that connects users
and their computers in a geographical area that spans a campus or city. Most MANs have a
range of roughly 30 to 90 miles. For example, a MAN might redefine the many networks
within a city into a single larger network or connect several LANs into a single campus LAN.
The Miami-Dade Police Department consists of 3,000 officers and 1,500 civilians
who serve and protect more than two million citizens over a 2,100 square mile area. The
metropolitan area network
(MAN)
A telecommunications network that
connects users and their devices in
a geographical area that spans a
campus or city.
