Ten computers and one printer
A small design studio has ten computers. Everyone prints to one printer and everyone saves to one shared folder.
Who looks after the folder? Who decides who may open it? The answer depends on how the computers are joined. This is Unit 8 of the BTEC Level 2 Technical Diploma in Digital Technology.
By the end of this lesson
Note
I can choose how a small organisation joins its computers and name the services it needs.
Key words
| Word | What it means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Network | devices joined so they can share data | |
| Client-server | a network where servers give services to clients | |
| Client | a device that asks for a service | |
| Server | a computer that gives a service to clients | |
| Peer-to-peer | a network where every computer is an equal | |
| Directory service | a central list of accounts and what each may do | |
| IP address | a number that names a device on a network | 192.168.1.20 |
| DHCP | a service that gives a device its IP address | |
| DNS | a service that turns a name into an IP address |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
Starter: what you already know
Have a go
Starter: what you already know
4 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.
Four types of network
In a client-server network, one or more servers hold the shared files and accounts. Clients ask the server. One person can manage everything in one place.
In a peer-to-peer network, there is no server. Each computer shares its own files. It is cheap and simple, but hard to manage when it grows.
The internet joins millions of networks together. A mobile network reaches phones through radio masts, so you can stay connected as you move.
Comparing the types
| Type | Where you find it | Good for | Weak point |
|---|---|---|---|
| Client-server | A school or an office | Control and shared accounts | The server costs money and needs care |
| Peer-to-peer | Two or three computers at home | Cheap and quick to set up | No central control or backup |
| Internet | Everywhere | Reaching any web site or person | Nobody in your organisation controls it |
| Mobile | Phones and tablets outdoors | Staying connected on the move | Signal depends on where you are |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
Check
Have a go
Check
3 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.