What/How of the Network in Comp102 Classroom?
Because the operating software (OS) of all computers in classroom-102 is Windows7, so any students who use them, those machines, should better understand how they work, especially how to use the network of them.
Our computers in comp102 classroom are connected together with the UTP (unshielded twisted pair) cables. Why? Because the unshielded cables are lower cost than the shielded cables which have been used in the signal noisy areas e.g. airports, factories, etc. The style of their connection is "Star Topology" which each machine has its own cable which connects directly to the hub/switch. A hub/switch is the center point of cables (both devices are similar to each other but a switch is more clever than a hub) . Well our network is called Local Area Network (LAN). Any LAN must has its workgroup name which required by the Operating System (OS) of each computer, Windows7 . But the administrator (the teacher) of this LAN named it "comp2" workgroup.
If we consider only the "comp2-workgroup LAN", it is a peer-to-peer network that every machine is independent from each other but shares its files/folders/printers to its peers. On the other hand, when this workgroup connects to the server computer of "the School Media Center", it must be a client-server network.
What is about the client-server network? It means that the server computer of "the Media Center" is the manager/boss of other computers which are only the clients. The server computer has been installed with the operating-software-for-server such as Windows2003server/Windows2008server , Linux or Unix, which can manage the client computers of the network. The clients have to obey the server because the latter has the power to control/ban the former. Yes, the clients can never control/manage the server.
