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Microsoft really has two different types of network offerings:
peer-to-peer with Windows 95, and server-based with Windows
NT. A peer-to-peer network is simply a network without
a dedicated server; all computers on the network are responsible
for requesting and providing their own services. This
has both advantages and disadvantages.
The advantages of a Windows 95 network is ease of installation
and low cost. If your PC's are already running Windows
95, there is no extra software to load! The only purchases
necessary are the actual hardware that plugs in to the
computer. Because there is no server, the functionality
is limited. Files and printers can be shared, but with
very little security. E-mail and some fax sharing is available,
but to a smaller degree than with other solutions.
Windows NT (New Technology) is Microsoft's high-end network
operating system. This is server-based, like Novell's
IntranetWare. Since the server is running a version of
Windows it can be used for applications, although I strongly
recommend against it. Simple day-to-day administration
is easy; Microsoft provides software 'wizards' for automating
simple tasks like setting up new user accounts. Security
is not as strong as IntranetWare's, and a single Windows
NT server cannot handle as heavy of a workload as IntranetWare
can. Simple installations of Windows NT, however, are
much less expensive than IntranetWare. Compared to a car,
Windows 95 is a Volkswagen bug; Windows NT is a nice Toyota.
UNIX really isn't in the same class as IntranetWare and
Windows NT; I include it here because it can do what Windows
NT and IntranetWare do, although in different ways. Versions
of UNIX are available for free (!), while some versions
cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
UNIX has been around for decades, and as such has a LOT
of support from thousands of different vendors. Standard
services, such as file and printer sharing and e-mail
messaging, are included in basically all installations;
beyond that, you can pick and choose what you want. If
you want it, UNIX has it; sometimes it's cheap, and sometimes
it isn't.
My favorite part of UNIX is its connectivity options;
with all the diversity of the Internet, UNIX systems power
most of them (by some counts, more than 81%). At my office,
I use a UNIX-clone, Linux, to provide my Internet connections,
administrate my IntranetWare server, share files and printers
with my Windows 95 and NT computers, and provide internal
and external e-mail for all users. The basic version of
this software cost me less than one hundred dollars; the
latest upgrade with added functionality is less than four
hundred right now. What a deal! Compared to a car, UNIX
can be anything from a Ford Escort to a Lamborghini Countach.
Computer networks offer functionality
that make them well worth the price and time investment.
Only the basics have been covered here; more information
can be easily obtained from anyone in the networking industry.
Many different options exist, and most of the different
systems offer most of the required services. When properly
implemented, networks provide functionality and resources
that far surpass those of stand-alone computers.
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Brought to you
by: World Wide Information Outlet - http://certificate.net/wwio/,
your source of FREEWare Content online.
Joseph Cheek is a network professional that has been involved
with computers for 15 years. He has been published in
national and international magazines, and currently spends
his time working for his computer network consulting business,
Cheek Consulting. He can be reached at joseph@cheek.com
or on the web at http://www.cheek.com |
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