I Know Computers Well

Whether you want to connect a few PC’s for file sharing and printer access or you wish to connect several business sites, using a Chicago computer networking professional can help you achieve your goal. When connecting multiple locations, the service is called a wide area network or WAN. At a local level a local area network or (LAN) can be used to connect computers and devices that are in the same physical location. This article goes over LAN technology to give you a better grasp of local area networks.

The Scope of Local Computer Networks

Connecting to other computer users through a network can allow individuals to gain access to a wide variety of collaborative opportunities ranging from file sharing to gaming and real time communications. LANs can be protected using firewalls which will limit the users that are authorized to enter your network from outside of the building.

There is both a technical and software based implementation to a local network, varying according to the setup. Most commonly today’s networks are linked by wireless connectivity which connects computers to a centralized data-clearing server access to this server provides the means by which multiple computers are able to communicate. Importantly, companies and households are allowed to set individual computer level access to the network, ensuring that users only have access to the files and applications intended for their user. This is particularly useful in cases where families want to limit the access of younger children, or when companies want to safeguard confidential data to only a certain group of employees.

An internal network, or intranet, is usually in the form of portal based communication software which allows users to access a series of shared applications. Internet access can be limited to keep employees or children off of websites that are not business related or appropriate.

Proper LAN Setup

On your LAN you can easily setup shared services such as file and print sharing. Devices can either be connected via a wireless router or hardwired using ethernet cabling. With advances in firewall technology and wireless encryption, many firms now rely upon wireless connectivity exclusively.

Computers on the same local network are connected via a shared router, which broadcasts the signal to authorized machines. Since access to the LAN is password protected, individual users are able to access the shared resources only with proper authorization. Most networks offer a shared repository of files and data that can be easily shared with many users. Each individual folder can be shared only with the people that require access to perform their job duties. Today’s complex networking software enables network administrators to connect remote machines in a secure manner to keep your business running smoothly.