Basic Guide to Network Infrastructure

Networking Options

There are different ways of networking your computers into a network. More sophisticated solutions will be more costly, so you will need to decide what exactly your business requires.

Local Area Network (LAN)

There are two kinds of LAN. The simplest is a peer-to-peer arrangement (P2P) where two or more computers nearby are connected to each other by a cable. Relatively cheap and straightforward, it allows them to share files and programmes. However, it is basic and has limitations. It is slower than other options and any failures will affect every other computer that is connected.

Wide Area Network (WAN)

This is used by companies with offices at different locations - often many miles apart. The WAN connects different LANs together, building into a more complex network. WANs use cables/lines that are leased from a telecomms company.

Virtual Private Network (VPN)

This allows the user to connect across the internet to the company's private network (rather than via physical cabling such as leased lines). It enables secure access to the systems that the remote worker needs. A VPN can also be cheaper to operate than using leased lines or domestic-type broadband connections.

The two most common types of VPN are:

Remote access

Remote-access, also called a virtual private dial-up network (VPDN), is a user-to-LAN connection used by a business with employees who need to connect to the private network from various remote locations. By installing networking software on your employees' computers and using encryption, remote workers can connect securely to their company network.

Site-to-site VPN

The two options for site-to-site VPN are:

• Intranet-based - if a company has one or more remote locations that they wish to join in a single private network, they can create an intranet VPN to connect LAN to LAN.
• Extranet-based - if a company wants to connect directly to a partner, supplier or customer, they can build an extranet VPN.

If you decide to use a VPN, you will need to ensure that your data and connections are kept secure. It is best to make use of several security methods to do this - including firewalls, encryption, Internet Protocol Security (which offers security in the form of authentication and encryption) and AAA Servers (including authentication, authorisation and accounting measures).