What is the advantage and disadvantage of local area networks?

Sam Kolta

Jan 31st, 2007

LAN Advantages:? Workstations can share peripheral devices like printers. This is cheaper than buying a printer for every workstations. ? Workstations do not necessarily need their own hard disk or CD-ROM drives which make them cheaper to buy than stand-alone PCs. ? User can save their work centrally on the network?s file server. This means that they can retrieve their work from any workstation on the network. ? They don?t need to go back to the same workstation all the time. ? Users can communicate with each other and transfer data between workstations very easily. ? One copy of each application package such as a word processor, spreadsheet etc. can be loaded onto the file and shared by all users. ? When a new version comes out, it only has to be loaded onto the server instead of onto every workstation.LAN Disadvantages:Answer:? Special security measures are needed to stop users from using programs and data that they should not have access to; ? Networks are difficult to set up and need to be maintained by skilled technicians. ? If the file server develops a serious fault, all the users are affected, rather than just one user in the case of a stand-alone machine.