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What Is a Peer-to-Peer Network?
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Can Your Business Benefit from a Network?
Should you set up your own network? How do you know if a network can
benefit your business? To consider this question, take a look at some of the
things that even a small network makes possible:
✦ You can open files, folders, and applications on one computer while
you’re sitting at another computer.
✦ You can share a single printer among several computers.
✦ You can share an Internet connection.
✦ You can back up important files and folders to another computer.
✦ You can communicate with other users on the network via e-mail and
conferencing applications.
Not to beat a dead horse, but truly, after you set up your network, you’ll
wonder how you ever got along without it.
What Is a Peer-to-Peer Network?
Networks are of two basic types: client/server and peer-to-peer. In a
client/server network, one (or more) computer stores resources and sup-
plies; it
serves those resources to the other computers. All the other comput-
ers are connected to this central computer(s), which manages applications,
files, printers, and so on. In general, big monster corporate networks are
client/server networks and are managed by a system administrator.
In a
peer-to-peer network, all computers are equals. Each computer has its
own hard drive and can see and talk to all the other computers on the net-
work. In addition, each computer can share its resources, such as a CD-ROM
drive, a printer, files, folders, applications, and so on. A peer-to-peer network
is ideal if you have no more than, say, ten people in the office working on a
computer. On a peer-to-peer network, all users decide which of their files
and folders they want to share and with whom.
You can connect the computers in a peer-to-peer network in several ways:
✦ Use the electrical or telephone wiring already installed in your office.
✦ Install a wireless system.
✦ Connect each computer on the network to a central hub.
Connecting to a central hub is the easiest configuration, and it’s also
inexpensive. In this chapter, therefore, I walk you through the process of
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