Network Problems

There are four general Categories of Network Problems.

1. Physical environment

2. Electrical problems

3. Viruses

4. Security

Physical Environment
The physical environment has everything to do with the function of a network and for that matter all the things it is connected to. Normally if you feel comfortable in a room with a computer, the environment is probably OK for the network and computer equipment also. The primary areas of concern in any environment are temperature, air quality and magnetism.

Electrical Problems
Electrical problems happen quickly and often without warning. In order to prevent problems you need to plan for the installation and maintenance of the network and the equipment that goes with it. Be sure everything has proper ground and adequate wiring.

Viruses
A computer virus is a destructive program that is written to alter files or the system configuration and then copy itself onto external disks or other computers. The main damage is that viruses alter files and configurations or grow exponentially, thus interrupting or slowing down data flow.

To protect against these aggressive enemies, you need to have the best Anti-Virus program you can afford. You can either have a program that is installed on each separate computer or a one that is installed on the server. It is far more economical to have one that runs on a server and it is far easier to administrate. You don't want users to have to update or maintain an Anti-Virus program because it can be time consuming and may cause them to spend time on something that is not their job.

Security
Most networks have some sort of security to prevent unauthorized access and to control the overall system. The Network administrator is responsible to control what is shared and who has access to what. Most users don't even know they are denied access to something until they try to use it.

Passwords are normally used to provide security. However, periodically the user forgets the password or simply doesn't type it properly. Normally a network will be locked out after a certain amount of tries. The system administrator is the only person that will be able to correct the problem by either assigning a new password or totally resetting the account.

The above problems are only the main problems. Other things can happen to a network. However, if you pay attention to these you should prevent most catastrophes. Proper planning will prevent most major problems.

By: Dennis Levenhagen

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Wireless or Wired Network, Which is The Best?

Have you purchased a new computer and planning to take internet connection? Or you have more than one computer at your home or office and want to connect them with home network? When it comes to network, there are two options - Wireless and Wired Network. Now, you may think which one to choose, wireless or wired. You are not alone. Many are there who have the same question. In this article we have given a brief discussion about both of them. For router configuration, you can consult a computer repair company that offer tech support to the PC users.

Before digging deep into discussion, let’s have a look at what wired and wireless network exactly is. Wireless (WiFi) networks are very popular among the computer users. You don’t need to drill holes through walls or stringing cable to set up the network. Instead, the computer user needs to configure the network settings of the computer to get the connection. If it the question of network security, wireless network is never the first choice.

With a WiFi network, the data are literally flying through the air. And if there is flaw on your network and PCs, the hackers can easily pull your important data out of the air. It can easily be done by sitting in a nearby apartment, or even parking outside your home. They will access your network, scan your computer and steal your personal information. When you notice it, it is too late.

On the other hand, a hardwired Ethernet network is always safer and more secure than WiFi. But it does not mean that there is no chance of online security breach. But as compared to the previous one, it is far better. Whether you are using wired or wireless network, you must follow certain security measures to protect your important information.

You must secure both the network and the computer. You must install and updated the security software that is delivered with your wireless or wired router. Along with this, you also should rename your network. Normally, most routers use their own easily identifiable names (SSIDs). For the hackers it is very easy to crack these names and hack the network. Another good idea is to make the use of the media access control (MAC) feature. This is an in-built feature of the router which allows the users to name each PC on the network and restrict network access.

Turn the firewall option on in each PC. You should also install good Internet security software on your computer. It is also recommended to use the latest and updated security software. You will find several levels of password protection in the software that come with the router. You should use at least WPA (Wi-Fi protected access) or WPA Personal passwords. You should also change the password quite often.

By: James Madisons

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What is a DHCP Server?

DHCP is a protocol that not only assigns IP address to workstations connected in a network but also determines whether the IP address is static or dynamic; it also determines the length of the time when an IP address is assigned to a computer or a workstation. This process is used to minimize the configuration tasks within the company.

What is a DHCP server?
DHCP is controlled by a DHCP server which assigns different or unique IP address to the computers on a network. When computers are connected within a network then no two computers on that network can have the same IP address or there will be IP conflicts.
How does a DHCP server work?
In a network DHCP works as manager as it manages a pool of different and unique IP addresses, gateway and DNS details and all the necessary information that is required for the client’s network configuration. When ever a new a computer is introduced in a network, it requests for an IP address from the DHCP server, when this request reaches the server it then grants the new computer a unique IP one that has not been assigned to any other computer on that network, server also grants a lease to that computer; lease is the time duration for which that computer can use that assigned IP.
IP address assigning steps:
1) DHCP Lease Request.
2) DHCP Lease Offer.
3) DHCP Lease Selection.
4) DHCP Lease acknowledgment
DHCP IP allocation methods:
Dynamic allocation:
In this type of allocation when an assigned IP address is not being used then its transferred to the pool of IP addresses that DHCP server manages, this way it can be used by any other computer on that network. All the computers will have random IP’s but there will always be an optimum usage of IP addresses.
Static allocation:
In this type of allocation the DHCP server manages a database of MAC addresses of all the computers on a network and thus assigning IP’s to only those computers whose MAC addresses are in that database, this way each computer will use same IP every time.

Automatic allocation:
Automatic allocation method is very much like dynamic allocation; the only difference is that when ever a client connects again on the network, the DHCP server manages a database of all the IP grants that were used previously, thus providing that client the same IP it used the last time.

By: commsupport Networks

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