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There are several different approaches, or architectures, for computer networks. In a small office
environment with only a few computers, the computers might be connected in a peer-to-peer network.
Here, all the computers function on the same level as peers or equals to each other. Peer-to-peer
networking capability comes built into most of today‟s new computers, making it relatively easy to set
up a peer-to-peer network between two or more PCs. All one needs is a network adapter card in each
computer, along with some network access between or among them (wireless or cabled). The most
notable peer-to-peer network is Napster, the online music file sharing service that allowed people to
copy and distribute music files to each other and was forced to shut down by court order over
copyright infringement issues.
However, in a larger networking environment (dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of computers
hooked together), the situation is more complex. In this case, the most common network architecture
used is called a client-server network. To deal with the added complexity, in a client-server network
there is a hierarchy of computers, with one server acting as the traffic police directing the network
traffic. This includes redirecting the traffic as well as accessing data from its server-based location. In
this architecture, the user computer is referred to as the client in the network. A picture of a typical
client-server network appears in Exhibit 19.12.
Networks are also covered in Chapter 20, Information Technology and the Firm.
Exhibit 19.12 Diagram of client-server network.
Local and Wide Area Networks
Within a business, the typical network is called a local area network (LAN). Clients are connected to
the network using wires or fiber-optic cabling to a hub. These hubs are interconnected to form the
actual network. Transmission speeds are generally either 10 or 100 megabytes per second. Lines