Networking is currently one of the fastest growing and most important developments in the computer industry. Not only are more and more PCs becoming parts of networks, but networked Pcs are being incorporated into large enterprise wide applications so that everyone in a company can access and share data.
Networks are used for the following key reasons: To facilitate communication via email, video conferencing, instant messaging, etc. To enable multiple users to share a single hardware device like a printer or scanner To enable file sharing across the network To allow for the sharing of software or operating programs on remote systems.
A router helps you connect multiple devices to the Internet, and connect the devices to each other. Also, you can use routers to create local networks of devices. These local networks are useful if you want to share files among devices or allow employees to share software tools. If you don’t have routers, your business's data won’t get directed to the right place. For example, if you'd like to print a document, you need a router to help get that document to a printer—not to another computer or a scanner.
Switches are key building blocks for any network. They connect multiple devices, such as computers, wireless access points, printers, and servers; on the same network within a building or campus. A switch enables connected devices to share information and talk to each other.
A wireless access point (WAP) is a networking device that allows wireless-capable devices to connect to a wired network. It is simpler and easier to install WAPs to connect all the computers or devices in your network than to use wires and cables. sing a WAP lets you create a wireless network within your existing wired network, so you can accommodate wireless devices. You can also use a WAP or mesh extenders to extend the signal range and strength of your wireless network to provide complete wireless coverage and get rid of "dead spots," especially in larger office spaces or buildings. Additionally, you can configure the settings of your WAPs using a single device.
There are so many methods and appliances are available to secure the network and also to examine its security. It is available for everyone who likes to use it. The ironic things are that if the selected one not use any of the tools, then it has the to miss the vulnerability that the attacker may find using the tool that have used. Employ the proactive security methods and appliances to catch and trap an attacker. In the following sections, the different methods of intrusion prevention and detection that can employ on the networks are discussed. Additionally, find some of the vulnerability scanners as well as more proactive and advanced methods used to trap, catch and decoy attackers.
  Communication speed.
  File sharing.
  Back up and Roll back is easy.
  Software and Hardware sharing.
  Firewall protection.
  Security.
  Scalability.
  Reliability.