subject: Parts Of A Network [print this page] Parts Of A Network Parts Of A Network
There are three main parts that need to be used together to create a basic network. In fact, they are the three parts that form a complex network as well, the difference being that the large network will just have more of these same pieces. They will all be connected with standard Ethernet cables. Only two cables would be needed for a very basic network, while hundreds and thousands of cables could be needed for a complex, extensive network in a school or a place of business. The three main parts are a server, a serial switch, and a computer console. These are the three things that need to be linked together to make everything work.
A server can consist of one or more powerful computers. When people traditionally think about personal computers, they think about a keyboard, a monitor, a mouse, and other accessories. A server is a computer, but it has none of these extra pieces. It is just the main box holding the memory. Depending on what kind of server has been purchased, it may not even look much like a traditional computer. A rack-mounted server is much thinner and sits horizontally in the rack, taking up far less space.
From the server, the Ethernet cables will go out and hook into the serial switch. This is another simple box with input and output plugs in the back. It is the portal through which all of the other computers can access the information that is being held on the servers. It allows the console to connect to all of the servers at once, and it allows multiple consoles to hook into one server. This is a way of streamlining communication and making it accessible to everyone on the network at one time.
After the switch comes the main console. This is a traditional computer with a monitor and a keyboard. It can be used in the server room; if rack-mounted servers are being used, the computer is often connected to the racks so that it hangs at the right level for a technician who is standing and fixing the network. This is needed so that the information on the network can be seen at all. It allows the technician to access each of the servers in turn, through the switch, without having to move the computer from one individual server to the next.
From there, another serial switch could be used to connect the main servers to the rest of the computers on the network. A business will often have many computers that all need to be connected in order for the business to run; they can all hook into the network using nothing but Ethernet cables.
