Installing Campus Area Networks (Can)

A Wide Area Network is also known as a LAN or campus network. As have already mentioned above it’s smaller than the traditional broader area network and several Local Area Networks (LAN) join in on a single organization or zones to create a Campus Area Network (CAN). So, when someone says of the corporate networks within the particular geographical location, you could easily guess that it’s campus network. The term itself implies a physical location of a corporation within a specific location. The CAN have various features and services, that may include but are not limited to, the following: communication features, including voice, data, and unified communications features, access to the Internet, secure key distribution, management of secured networks and devices, including firewall, intrusion detection and prevention, and more. However, the feature that makes the CAN stand out from other networks is its versatility and the fact that any given machine within the LAN can connect to the other machines even outside the local area network.

The term topology pertains to the logical arrangement of components in a given structure. There are different types of topology including logical topology and physical topology. Based on the physical topology, there are different CANs namely physical layer, logical layer, and virtual network topology. Based on the logical topology, there are different types of switches such as circuit switching fabric switches, packet switch fabric switches, managed switch fabric switches, networkable fabric switches, and many more. The switches allow enterprises to manage their campus networks effectively with minimal effort from the administrator’s side.

There are many advantages for an enterprise if it chooses to implement a campus-area network. The main advantage is that the enterprise can get its applications and resources from anywhere within a limited geographical area. With this facility, companies or organizations can …

An Overview of Wireless Local Area Network Technology

Wireless Local Area NetworkA WLAN provides wireless connectivity over short to long distances with radio waves rather than traditional electrical network cabling. A WLAN extends already existing wired local area networks (LAN) to computers not attached to the LAN directly. The term ‘wireless’ denotes that the system does not require any wires connecting the computers or devices to the network. It uses radio signals for this purpose.

There are four main types of wireless local area networks: single-mode, multimode, bridged, and a packet switch. Each has its pros and cons and can be used for various applications. In single-mode networks, the primary (and least important) mode of connectivity is fixed and the secondary mode covers either one or two modes. Bridged and packet switch networks combine the features of both single and dual-mode networks. The fourth network type offers faster connectivity and provides more efficient power consumption.

An example of a single-mode network involves a laptop computer or a computer in its mobility mode being able to connect to other computers in its home network. Such a situation can be achieved by a wired connection between the laptop and other wireless devices within the home. These devices can be laptops, notebook PCs, cell phones, wireless internet access points (wifi ids), cordless phones, and other wireless local area network devices. Such a scenario would allow the laptop to stay connected to other wireless devices in its home network even when the laptop is moved between locations.

On the other hand, in a multimode arrangement, there are two or more computers that can be securely connected. The most commonly used example is a two-way wireless connection between the laptop and one or more desktops in a home or an office. In this case, the desktop acts as a primary gateway and the laptop is connected …