Advantages and Disadvantages of Computer Network

The world that we live in has an ever-changing set of systems. Nothing remains the same after a given point in life, and a part of this changing phenomenon is introducing the computer system to humankind. When computers were introduced to the world, they were a new concept and were not accessible to common people. Still, with the help of years of research and brainstorming, computers are available to almost everyone around the globe in various formats.

Information and databases are as valuable as gold these days, and many multi-millionaire industries are running on the information collection and storage business. In the present day and time, there is a whole network of computer systems around the globe. In the initial times when the computer was introduced to the world, it was a very hectic system with a lot of devices connected through wires. Now, it is completely changed, and it has gotten completely wireless, and a whole bunch of devices are interconnected nowadays through various features like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. All the devices billions of people use are connected through a singular network mode. It enables all these people to stay connected even if they are located miles away from each other. The most vital goal of this network is to place everyone in a common ground and give access to the same features across the globe. The biggest reason computer networks have become so prevalent is that people can share information easily and connect to their loved ones.

In earlier times, when computers were first introduced to the world and were made to put in used by engineers, then they used to face the problem of limited storage. The procedure of building a singular computer system and setting it up was very hectic. Not much focus was put into how many files can be stored in a particular computer system, but it has now evolved. In today’s time, computer systems are all about storage and expanding it every day. This feature of computers to store and contain as many data and files as possible is a major advantage of why one should use and invest in computer network

Everyone is now aware that what is a computer network and its benefits. Simply put, a computer network is a chain of interconnected networks with a common purpose that is joined wirelessly.

Computer networks have many advantages; their main purpose is to make our life easier and more effective. Many sectors in the world which were difficult to operate in the olden times have been improved with the help of computers and networking. It has also opened up a lot of new fields and sectors to provide employment and new chances to the people.

There are also a few disadvantages to this technology. For every one that becomes a part of a computer network, there are a lot of serious security risks that come along with using a computer network. With the advancement in time, there has been an increase in the number of people that use the Internet for their malicious activities, including the theft of databases and misuse of personal information that the people on the network share.

The success and future of the computer network depend a lot on correctly analyzing its advantages and disadvantages.

Internet and Its Role in Computer Networks

The introduction of the Internet is considered the most revolutionary invention of humankind. And everything changed after it. People in the 1960s first used the Internet, and back then, it was used by defense and military organizations to carry out their operations easily. The Internet was not as traceable and well-equipped as it is these days, and it took many years to make it more accessible. In the 1980s, the Internet started to get used for scientific purposes, and a lot of funding was received for the betterment of the Internet. The Internet started becoming more and more modern and user-friendly by 1990 because it was getting used by famous commercial networks and business enterprises. It was the transition point when the shift happened, and the Internet service reached the common public. Now we are at a point where any operation in any field is not possible without the help of internet access. It is in our phones, tablets, computers, televisions, and even motor vehicles.

The Internet means an interconnected network or network of networks, and it acts as a singular computer network that holds the balance of all the computer networks around the globe. It provides access to all the information and allows information and data sharing faster than the other modes of traditional information sharing. In a common network, many devices are interconnected through a common link. The Internet is a facilitator, allowing communication and information sharing between all the connected devices. Internet uses the Internet Protocol Suite (TCP/IP) technology, which facilitates communication between networks and devices.

The Internet is a global network, and it is operated without any central body governing it. Therefore certain protocols must be followed for the safe and convenient application of the Internet worldwide. These core protocols are termed IPv4 and IPv6, which are overlooked by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), a non-profit organization comprised of volunteers who contribute their technical expertise.

Security in Internet operations is the biggest concern. The Internet is supposed to be a safe place for any individual to share any information without any threat of privacy invasion and fraud. There are a lot of unauthorized activities, such as interruption in the chain of networks, commission of fraud, blackmailing, or access to private information. Many protective measures have been implemented and are still getting worked on to stop the commission of cyber crimes.

Advantages of Computer Network

Computer Networks have been put in place after a lot of decision-making and analysis, and it is expected to be the future of our evolution. That’s why it is important to know its advantages. The list of advantages of computer networks are:

1. Enhancement of Communication and Information Availability

Access to the web has made networking faster and more advanced in many aspects. The new technologies of messaging and sharing images, voices, and anything through textual messages have connected many users. Enterprises with a vast spread of offices and franchises all across the globe use lot of networking methods to connect with these offices and enterprises. This form of connectivity and easement in information sharing has made impossible tasks possible. It is also beneficial in service industries as the user can give immediate feedback without hassle. Facebook is a prime example of a business that has boomed because of information availability and communication.

2. Convenient Sharing of Resources

In huge enterprises, there is a lot of daily functioning, resulting in data collection and generation, which can be a valuable resource for present or future endeavors. A computer network facilitates such organizations to share resources easily and at a faster rate to avoid any delay or drawback in organizational work. It is one of the most important features of the computer network. Other sectors of society have enabled their day-to-day functioning through a computer-based network. Such industries are education, transportation, hospitality, etc. Transferring resources and necessary information is much easier as they are all connected through a singular network.

3. Easy File/Data Sharing

The sharing of files and data sets is the most vital feature of a computer network. The computer that was present during the initial stages didn’t even have this file-sharing feature. Now, with constant advancements, this feature has not only been present in the computer network but has also become much easier. Many industries and organizations are using computer networks for their operations, and computer networks have made information sharing easier because such organizations run on their data. It is very important to get such data to be transferred efficiently. Computer networks also save a lot of time, and it has been proven to be monetarily beneficial in the long run.

4. Highly Flexible

The times have changed, and the rigid mediums of information sharing are not relevant anymore. All the technologies present at this time must be flexible and equipped with various features, or else people won’t use them. People want everything on the go and in the remote version, which is why the computer network is booming technology. The people that buy any device get instilled into the world of computer networks, and it does not require much effort to get used to it or access it. The flexible nature of computer networks allows anyone worldwide to share information or data. This feature of computer networks has revolutionized the world and has made everything easier and more convenient.

5. Affordable

The computer network was not very common among people twenty years ago because it was mainly used for commercial purposes and was expensive to install. With time and the rapid modernization of everything around the world, networking devices got common among folks, and their cost decreased. The software that are now available in the computer world can be easily accessed and last very long on devices. The software and networking devices are available at very affordable rates and provide easy ways to transfer information across the network.

6. Increases Cost Efficiency

Computer developers and engineers are constantly brainstorming and developing new kinds of software to enhance networking. There are a lot of websites on the Internet that even provide software that are free of cost and can also be used for multiple uses. The Internet, the primary source of networking in the world, is also home to many applications and software that are easily accessible, provide benefits for a long time, and can help with multiple things. Examples of such software that provide cost efficiency are VLC Media Player, Discord, WinRAR, Torrent, etc.

7. Networking Boosts Storage Capacity

The networking platforms present on the Internet have introduced ways for people and organizations to provide storage spaces at optimum costs. The devices have been modernized a lot, and their capacity to store files and all sorts of data has also been advanced, but still, there is a limit to it. In the functioning of big enterprises, the number of files generated is very high in numbers, and it gets difficult to store them in just devices in which the operation is being performed. These storage spaces are also called cloud storage. It is the concept of uploading the necessary files on the Internet so that it does not use up any extra space on the device and also within the safe constraints of the user that uploads so that the information doesn’t get misused by anyone. Examples of such storage spaces are Google Drive, I-Cloud, etc.

Disadvantages of Computer Network

Computer Network is the most prevalent technology of today’s time, and most people in the world also use them. It is very modernized and is supposed to get more advanced with time. Still, its sustainability depends on overcoming the drawbacks faced inside the computer network by the people. The people that use the devices come from all across the world, and they bring in all kinds of malware with them. Some of the disadvantages of computer networks are:

1. Computer Network lacks Independence

There are a lot of factors that are very trivial in modern times, but they can very much affect the computer network. These are electricity, cable wires, location, and the devices used to install networking software. Computer networks depend on interconnected devices; the whole network gets disrupted if any singular thing goes wrong. The whole network also depends on a singular file server that acts as the primary conductor for all the network operations, and if it goes bad, everything gets derailed. It has also decreased the nature of humans to do things independently, and they are highly dependent on the devices around them.

2. Poses Security difficulties

Many people use networking devices all across the globe, and it is very hard to track all the operations that everyone carries out. Hackers and cybercriminals have mastered the trick of extracting sensitive information from network servers, and such malware by these people can cause real trouble and invasion of privacy to any individual. Everyone should be aware of the networking world’s illegal activities and protect themselves from them.

3. Lacks Robustness

The system of computer networks across the globe is connected to a singular primary server located at a fixed location. It runs most of the time smoothly, but in case of a malfunction, the whole will go into a blackout, and all the operations will shut down. To fix this problem, all these huge networks that connect many devices should have a very advanced computer that can serve as the server of the files. This procedure can make network maintenance easier and more frequent, and the risk of facing a total blackout decreases.

4. Presence of Computer Viruses and Malware

The saved files on any device can contain viruses and bugs that can harm the device and cost serious money. There should be some check on the files that get downloaded through the Internet, but there is none, and the risk of getting the device corrupted is at its peak while extracting any file or application through the Internet.

5. Easy-going Policies and Light Policing of Computer Networks allow Negative Activities

There have been a lot of observations made on people that use internet access, and it has been observed that a lot of people use the Internet in a negative sense and they use it to let out their frustration which they can not do in real life. The world wide web is very distracting and consists of all sorts of things with more negative sides. The huge set of interconnected networks makes the singular devices hard to track and it encourages folks to engage more in illicit activities. Individuals can easily get distracted by them, and sometimes, people give up their work time to do malicious activities on the Internet. Many organizations have drawn up different policies in these regards and are trying to implement them but have failed.

Conclusion

The presence of computer networks is very helpful in this world, and it has a lot of positive impacts and has also modernized the world in many senses. It is the most convenient mode for transferring and sharing information and data.

Despite its ample features, everyone who uses the computer network should be well versed in its drawbacks.

The main point of figuring out the advantages and disadvantages of computer networks is that one should use them for an easier life, be aware of their risks, and not be completely dependent on them.

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