Because networking is a relatively young science, it borrows language from other disciplines. Many networking terms come from the realm of physical transportation--terms such as bridge, hub, port, routing, and switching. That borrowing is apt. Just as the transportation revolution, and especially the advent of the railroad, was an economic catalyst of the industrial Age, networks are the economic catalysts of the data age. And just as railroads need a solid infrastructure, so do networks. The foundation technologies of networks are routing and switching.
The Basics
In its most basic form, a network consists of two pieces of electronic equipment that chronicle data back and forth, connected by a third piece of equipment that enables that communication. A printer attached directly to a computer via a parallel or Usb cable does not include a network; it becomes a network if the printer and computer are both attached to a switch or router. The Internet in case,granted the impetus for most companies to adopt a network infrastructure. Even the smallest businesses need network-enabled Internet connections to send and receive e-mail, advertise and sell products and services online, interact with customers, and connect with suppliers. Moving to a networked environment opens new possibilities, together with online enterprise applications and collaboration opportunities. Data security also becomes a central notice with a network. While switches and routers have evolved and the lines in the middle of them may seem blurred, one easy difference remains: Switches reside within a local-area network (Lan), while routers are needed in a wide-area network (Wan) environment. It's analogous to an old-fashioned office phone: Switching is like dialing a four digit postponement to reach man in your building, while routing is like dialing 9 to get an outside line, and then dialing a seven- or ten-digit phone number.
Systems-Based Solutions
Growing companies, especially those opening new offices, can opt for integrated foundation solutions that are secure, solid, and compatible with time to come technologies. Rather than purchasing cut off products for personel functions such as routing, switching, security, and Internet gateways, companies can choose a "systems-based" clarification that provides all a enterprise unit needs to fully and securely connect to the Internet and the enterprise as a whole. A systems-based approach to routing and switching lets all workers, even those at separate sites, have the same entrance to enterprise applications, Internet Protocol (Ip) Communications, and videoconferencing as their colleagues at headquarters. Networking solutions for satellite offices tend to be modular in nature, allowing you to setup just the features you need for a particular office. Modularity also enables you to upgrade equipment (rather than replace it altogether) when needs change or an office expands. An added advantage of this systems-based approach is that technical staff at headquarters can centrally carry on the network, which keeps staffing counts low while providing dependable aid to employees in all locations.
What to Watch For
Several trends in routing and switching are of particular interest to Smbs:
o expanding need for Internet connections: Fully 70 percent of North American Smbs were planning to growth Internet connectivity and bandwidth while the next year, agreeing to an April 2004 Forrester report.
o Improvements in routing and switching gear: For example, switches with in-line power, which allow placement of wireless Lan entrance points and Ip phones anywhere there's a network jack, without external power.
o Managed networking technologies (especially switches): A managed switch allows the user or administrator can entrance it, ordinarily via the network itself, to adjust or monitor its operation.
Bottom-Line Benefits
Routing and switching technologies can have a certain impact on your company's financial outlook. The Net Impact Study 2003, sponsored by Cisco Systems and conducted by Momentum explore Group found that companies that combined sophisticated network infrastructures with network-based enterprise applications, and were willing to reengineer their enterprise practices to take best advantage of the technology and actively quantum the results, reduced their each year operating costs by more than 20 percent. What's more, they measured a 20 to 25 percent growth in customer satisfaction. Manufacture informed purchase decisions about networking technologies can also save money in the long term. For example having a network that can retain industrialized technologies such as Ip communications can deliver savings to Smbs in some areas:
o You can setup a particular network for both voice and data.
o You need to purchase and vocalize only one set of equipment.
o You can cut or eliminate toll charges in the middle of network sites
What To Do Next
Chances are good that you already have some networking technologies in place. The next step, then is to conclude whether you have the right foundation for your company's needs, both today and in the future. What you plan to do with the your network should drive your equipment purchase decisions. For example if you intend to run Ip telephony, you need to buy routing and switching equipment that can retain it.
Copyright 2006 Warwick Data Systems,Inc.
What You Need to Know About NetworkingHoneywell Pressure Sensor ADSL Router Wireless ECO Friendly Toys