Most people think that whenever the words IT Network come up, it refers to local area network. True, this definition is used loosely to define an IT network, but the addition of the words IT (Information technology) lends a depth to the terms that encompasses both the physical, and functional. More appropriately, IT Network should be termed as Computers and computer servers, networked together, being used to collect, store, manipulate, and distribute information. Let us look at the physical part of the network first. In order for the term to be minimally applied, two or more computers have to be connected together. The terms to remember are:
The first term is switch, which allows data connectivity between all devices connected to it. These switches are available in various sizes (size depicting the number of devices that can connect to it), starting from four ports (data connection socket) going up to 124 ports. These ports are built to handle 8P8C connectors.
The 8P8C connectors are another important part. The ports on the switches are based on the 8P8C (8 Position 8 Contact) Standard. This is often also called RJ45 connectors.
The UTP, or STP Cable (Unshielded twisted pair, or Shielded twisted Pair) – A cable consisting of 4 pairs of twisted cable. Industry benchmark are CAT-5 (capable of transmitting 100 Megabits of data per second), or CAT-6 (capable of transmitting 1 Gigabits of data per second). This cable terminates the RJ45 connecters on both ends.
Network Adapter – Standard card that plugs into the computer providing the functionality of a network address (unique address within the network in order to route information properly). These cards are equipped with an RJ45 port.
The Router – It is a device for providing connectivity to the internet, or any another network over telephone/internet connections.
Servers – This computer provides the functionality of authenticating users, and providing them access to the resources of the network. These machines are usually running server operating systems, and can be configured to provide additionally features of a network, namely, mail servers, databases, etc.
Now that all the major pieces have been identified, putting them all together constitutes the physical network. To function as a true IT Network, the functional aspect needs to be explored. The server we mentioned earlier is usually configured with operating system level software called LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol). This is used to authenticate users with a pre-configured user name, and password, and based on those dispenses rights to the various areas of the network. Once logged in, users can access other devices, as their rights dictate. The IT network can contain more than one server, and other peripherals such as printers, document scanners, et cetera. The entire objective of an IT Network is to provide a collaborative platform for users to perform various tasks throughout their offices. These tasks can range from the simple function of printing out a letter, maintain financial spreadsheets for others to share, and collaborate on, enter, and retrieve data from a database. Networks can be dedicated to certain tasks, or be used as a general workhorse throughout the office. This is dependent on the functional software that is ported to the network.
All you wanted to know about UK IT network providers.