Networking Essays (1661 words) - Server, Server Hardware

Networking For my independent study, I have created a network in my house. A network by definition are more than one computer that are linked together electronically via a protocol (common language) so the computers can communicate and share resources. This network improves the day-to-day life by adding value and usefulness to the computers. The processes and ideas that I have learned thru this experience can be applied directly into todays rich electronic business environment. Identifying the needs of the user is the first step for building a well-designed Network. A professional installation was needed to maintain the aesthetics of the rental house. Most of the wires are run in the attic and then down plastic conduit attached to the wall. The conduit is run all the way to the wall boxes where the Ethernet ports are located. Every wire is clearly labeled and included in an easy to read schematic of the house. This way future tenants will have the ability to utilize the network. Next, every room needed to have access to the network. In order to minimize the overall use of wires, hubs were placed in strategic locations. An 8-port 10/100-megabit auto-sensing hub is located in the computer room and a 5 port 10-megabit in the sound room. There, needed to be docking stations, so laptop users or visiting computers could easily plug into the network and utilize the pre-existing monitor, keyboard, and mouse. These are the basic needs that have been put into the des ign of the network. Each computer setup is unique with certain strengths and weaknesses. The network takes advantage of the strengths of each individual computer and makes them available to all users. A network essentially expands the capabilities of each computer by increasing functionality thru resource sharing. In the house, there are a total of four computers and two laptops. Processing speed and an abundance of ram is not essential for a server with such low traffic. Thus the most antiquated computer was elected for this function. Between all the computers, we have several extra pieces of hardware such as a zip drive, CDRW, DVD ROM, scanner, and multiple printers. Each piece of hardware is dispersed between the computers. There were several immediate efficiencies that occurred when the network went operational. The zip drive is located on the server while the CDRW is located on one of the individual workstations. Previously, if the need arose to burn some information stored on the zip disk to a CD, the individual computers were practically worthless for this task. However, with the network, one can map a network drive on the computer with the CDRW to the zip drive on the server. This allows information to be efficiently transferred from the zip drive to a CD. In addition, the server also has a scanner attached to it. The problem is that the server is too slow to handle sophisticated photo editing software. Now an image can be scanned on to the server and then a faster computer can be used to edit it. There are 3 different printers, each varies in quality, speed, and maintenance costs. The most expensive one is reserved for only making color photos, and the other two are used for everyday printing, one of which is much faster and has more reliable paper feeding. A user can easily choose a printer depending on their needs. This network takes full advantage of each computer through resource sharing which ads tremendous value for its users. In Business it is important in any network to be able to restrict access to individuals private files or directories. Security would demand that not all users would be allowed access to highly confidential information. There is other information that would be made available to other users on a read only basis. The same is true of the users in my network. Microsoft developed NT to be very secure. Most of this security is devoted to protecting network resources and the filing system (NTFS). The administrator decides who gets access to which resources by setting up users and user groups. Each person is asked to choose a user name and password. Then the administrator identifies the needs and privileges of each individual user.

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buy custom Computer Systems essay There are many types of objectionable files that can be found on computer systems. Other than viruses attack that infect computer systems day in day out, there are many other forms of objectionable files and publications like pornography which ranges from movies with highly or mild sexual images, nude pictures, computer games depicting sexual violence and other sexual exploitation materials (Rosenman, 2009). Contrary to the belief that these materials must be necessarily files, there are other acts that amount to objectionable behavior such as sexual grooming of the underage. Another form of unwanted file in a computer system is Trojan horse. Nick (1999) defines a compute virus as a program normally designed by programmers and it spreads through infecting executable files or hard and floppy disks initially before multiplying in the whole system. They not only infect program files but any form of executable code. A different form of virus referred to as macro virus has the ability of infecting spreadsheet and word processing documents which use macros. Trojan horse is a harmful program that is frequently confused with viruses. It is a program that assumes the shape of something else, like a game or a movie. For example you may thing it is your downloaded game but when you run, it messes up other files on the hard drive by may be deleting them (Nick, 1999). There are many sources of objectionable files; this is the main reason why they keep on circulating all over the world. Out of all the sources, the internet serves as the major source of Trojans, viruses and other unwanted content. In most cases they come about due to downloading free or small-charge software on the internet, the developers attach them to these free software applicatios to help them cover overhead charges (Mckay, 2010). Sharing of applications on shared networks leads to spread of unwanted files. There also are other questionable websites which are full of objectionable content or files. Visiting them can also generate malicious files to downloaded automatically and get installed in the computer. HTML documents with JavaScript or other executable files code can spread malicious files. These form of objectionable files spread through, in the case of a virus, executing a program code that has been infected by a virus hence infecting other programs when it runs. This can happen on the same computer or on other computers that are connected together on the same network. Sharing a copy of an infected file with other with other computer users leads to infection or transfer of these infected. Other forms of viruses referred to as multipartite spread through both infecting the floppy disks boot areas and infecting the files. Unauthorized users or otherwise referred to as intruders can also access your computer system and install objectionable files or copy pornographic materials on your computer system (Barry, 2010). Mellon (2006) observes that there are many websites that expose children to pornographic content and child predators. Pedophiles often pose as good people in some sites such as social networks with an intention of luring them into bad acts. Chat rooms are a source of objectionable file especially when it allows sending of executable code. Additionally email spoofing that can easily trick the users to attempt into making objectionable statements. Ways a Technician can use to Detect Objectionable Files on a Computer System. As a professional, a technician has various ways of detecting that a system/s they are charged witth are infected with objectionable files, whether viruses or pornographic content. There are several symptom signals that a computer is probably infected. First of all, incase of viruses or Trojan horses, PC will start working slowly. These contents have the ability of really slowing down a computer system and often it can take a longer time than usual to restart or sometimes the internet connections become very slow (Nick, 1999). Secondly, according to Mana Media (2004) new desktop shortcuts may appear or there can be alterations on home page. These are good signs of virus infections because they sometimes tamper with internet settings or redirect with you computers default home page settings a different unwanted web sites. They also go to an extent of adding new shortcuts on the computers desktop. Sometimes one may experience annoying popups on the computer. This is as a result of the objectionable files ability to swap the computer with bothering popup ads eve if the user is not connected to the internet, whereas secretly monitoring and tracking the browsing behavior and collecting the users personal information. Strange as it may sound, a technician can also detect whether a PC is infected with objectionable content if there are e-mails being sent from your mailbox to unknown destinations and you did not actually write them. For instance if Trojan find its way into a computer system, it attain total control of your mailbox (Mellon, 2006). By so doing, it starts generating and sending e-mails attached with viruses, spam, e-mail hoaxes and other malicious contents to other recipients. These are not exclusive ways of detecting objectionable files but the most common ones that can easily alert a technician or any other computer user that there must be something wrong with the system. Buy custom Computer Systems essay