Network Architecture

The networking architecture or network model specifies how computers on the network interact and communicate with each other. The network of the personal computers may use Client-server Network or Peer-to-Peer Network.

Client Server Network

In it, computers are connected to a central device (server) and communication is done through it. The server is the main computer which provides services to the workstation. The server computer provides resources to the workstations when the request is made. An unauthorized person cannot access the resources of the server. There are different types of server like print server, file server and network server, etc.

Advantages of Client-Server Network Model

• Only an authorized person can access the resources of the network.
• It is more secure than the peer-to-peer network.
• All the workstations can be managed from a single server computer.
• The required application can be installed on the server computer instead on the individual workstation.

Disadvantages of Client-Server Network

• All the workstation has to depend upon server computer.
• It is difficult to set up the client-server network.
• A trained administrator is required to handle it.

Peer to Peer Network

It is sometimes called workgroups. In this network, all the computers have equal responsibilities. Each computer has access to at least some of the resources on all the computer. Each computer in this network has equal right. It is suitable for the only small geographical area such as small rooms, building, school, etc.

Advantages of Peer-to-Peer Network

• It is easy to set up a peer-to-peer network than a client-server network.
• Each computer in the network has equal right and can determine resources to be shared.

Disadvantages of Peer-to-Peer Network

• It has low-level security than the client-server network.
• The expansion of the network is limited.
• The network performances degrade with a heavy load.