Important things about computer networks should be noted by a user
This module is about what networks do by, with, to or for organizations, public and private. The bottom line is that information technology ultimately is used by people, and computer networks, whatever their technical complexity, are ultimately about the networking of people, particularly people in their organizational settings. Part of the problem, unfortunately, is that a lot of people are not particularly smart when it comes to understanding information technology. Like most things in life, IT knowledge tends to follow what is called a "Pareto distribution" -- that is, about 80% of the knowledge is concentrated in about 20% of the people, while the other 80% of the people possess only about 20% of the total knowledge. Inevitably, this means that a lot of the demands made upon IT personnel, particularly those supervising networks and network-based applications, reflect a relatively high level of ignorance about how systems work and even about the basic technology. The case for this module explores this issue, and while part of it is pretty funny, the underlying problems are pretty serious.
Please start by reviewing the following three articles discussing some of the stranger requests for help received by IT personnel:
Chris Peters (2011), techsoup.org, Networking 101: concepts and Definitions, Retrieved November 21, 2012 from http://www(dot)techsoup(dot)org/learningcenter/networks/page4774.cfm
Rinkworks.com (2012) Computer Stupidities. Retrieved May 6, 2012, from http://www(dot)rinkworks(dot)com/stupid/ (pay particular attention to the tech support stories)
Cisco (2012), Basic Networking: What you need to know, Retrieved from http://www(dot)cisco(dot)com/cisco/web/solutions/small_business/resource_center/articles/connect_employees_and_offices/basic_networking/index.html
Also read the following article:
Notalwaysright.com (2012) Retrieved May 6, 2012, from http://notalwaysright(dot)com/
While humorous, the level of ignorance revealed in these anecdotes costs organizations substantial amounts of money, time, and expertise. Figuring out what to do about this situation is a major challenge to IT personnel. As your case assignment for this module, you are to distill from the anecdotes presented and other sources what seem to you to be critical training needs -- that is, the kinds of recurring ignorance reflected in the anecdotes that could be reduced with a little basic training.
Specifically, when you have reviewed this material, any items from the background information that seem helpful, and any other sources that you care to draw upon, please prepare a 3-5 page paper on the topic:
Evaluate five to seven most important things about computer networks that should be understood by everyone who uses one
For each of your items, please identify
- What you think people should know and why they should know it
- What you think is the best way to teach people about it
Assignment Expectations
Your paper should be between three and five pages. Take a definite stand on the issues, and develop your supporting argument carefully. Using material from the background information and any other sources you can find to support specific points in your argument is highly recommended; try to avoid making assertions for which you can find no support other than your own opinion.
Important things about computer networks should be noted by a user
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Important things about computer networks should be noted by a user
Computer networks tend vary significantly in terms of responsibilities of computers that have been connected to that network. Keeping that in mind, there are a number of things concerning computer networks that everyone should understand. To start with, nodes can be described as physical connections that links together digital devices or computers through wired or wireless links. Nodes are essentially data networks and are of huge significance to contemporary organizations since they provide easier and faster access to any messages or data that is represented, shared or stored in digital format (Peters, 2012). Second, another important aspect about computer networks is known as peer-to-peer network. This type of network is where multiple computers are connected together and none of these machines occupies a privileged position. This kind of network enables computers to communicate with each other and each of the computer runs its own applications and stores its own data.
Third, a client-server network is where one or more servers carry out important functions of a company on behalf of other machines, basically the clients present on the network. Such activities include data storage, user authentication, and running of shared and huge resource-intensive applications like client relation management (CRM) software and databases. Generally, bother client-server and peer-to-peer networks depend on shared internet connectivity to access resources of the network structures (Peters, 2012). The fourth important aspect about networks that has gained popularity over the past few years is known as cloud-based network. Organizations use this model of network by paying a third party (another organization) to host its applications, data and other resources on servers. The resources are then managed through a web browser. A network that depends on cloud can be cheaper, easier and greener compared to client-server since an organization does not have to purchase, maintain and power its own server. Nevertheless, this is not an option to all organizations particularly the one that handle health records or other sensitive data of clients.
The fifth important factor is known as protocols. Protocols are standards or consensus based documents which give a description for manufacturers, vendors, or other stakeholders so as to guarantee interoperability or quality in a competitive and diverse marketplace. Several networking protocols are usually obscure and employees do not have to wor...