Remote Access and Some Networking Basics

A network is a group of computers, printers, and other devices that are connected together with cables or a wireless system for sharing of data and resources. Information travels through cables or over radio waves. This allows network users to exchange documents and data with each other, print to the same printers, and generally share any hardware or software that is connected to the network.

Networks, or Building the Net Between the Dots

Each dot, that is: each computer, printer or other peripheral device which is connected to the network, is called a node. Networks can have tens, thousands, or even millions of nodes. TSplus Remote Access software is a perfect tool to make either data, applications or both accessible and usable by various interlinked nodes.

Networking via Physical or Wireless Access

Cabling, network adapters, network cabling, network interface cards or NICs, hubs… These are all pieces of the networking puzzle in a hard-wired context. But Wi-Fi, mobile networks and the Internet in all their forms have taken networking one step further. They have created a shift away from wires and cables towards ever greater mobility. Distances are not restricted to 1, 2, 5 or 10 meters or whichever length of cable. Instead, they are dictated by how good a signal and receiver can be.

Networking Basics: LANs (Local Area Networks)

A network is any collection of independent computers that communicate with one another over a shared network medium. LANs are networks usually confined to a geographic area, such as a single building or a college campus. They can be small, linking as few as three computers. Yet, they often link hundreds of computers used by thousands of people. The development of standard networking protocols and media has resulted in worldwide proliferation of LANs throughout business and educational organisations.

Networking Basics: WANs (Wide Area Networks)

Often a network is located in multiple physical places. Wide area networking combines multiple LANs that are geographically separate. This is accomplished by connecting the different LANs using services such as dedicated leased phone lines, dial-up phone lines (both synchronous and asynchronous), satellite links, and data packet carrier services.

Wide area networking can be as simple as a modem or router with a remote access server for employees to dial into. Or it can be as complex as hundreds of branch offices globally linked. In this case a WAN would use special routing protocols and filters to minimize the expense of sending data sent over vast distances.

Networking Basics: Internet and the World Wide Web

The Internet is a system of linked networks that are worldwide in scope and facilitate data communication services on a global scale. These services include the likes of remote login, file transfer, electronic mail, the World Wide Web and newsgroups.

With the meteoric rise in demand for connectivity, the Internet has become a communications highway for millions of users. It was initially restricted to military and academic institutions, but now is a full-fledged conduit for any and all forms of information and commerce. Internet websites now provide personal, educational, political and economic resources to every corner of the planet.

Developing to Provide Better Application Services

Furthermore, ASPs are developing new software that can provide business solutions to operating issues not previously addressed through PC-based software. They also remove many of the technical administrative and maintenance issues associated with software by providing real-time upgrades, remote hosting, remote dial-in customer support and overall software management.

Networking Basics: Intranets

With the advancements made in browser-based software for the Internet, many private companies are implementing intranets. An intranet is a private network utilising Internet-type tools, but available only within that organisation. For large organisations, an intranet provides employees with an easy access mode to corporate information.

Networking Basics: Ethernet

Ethernet is a popular type of physical layer (cable) LAN technology because it strikes a good balance between speed, cost and ease of installation. Combined with a wide acceptance in the computer marketplace and the ability to support virtually all popular network protocols, these benefits make Ethernet an ideal networking technology for most computer users today.

Standards & Preferences for Local and Remote Networks

There are international standards defining rules for configuring pretty much any type of network as well as specifying how elements in a network interact with one another. By adhering to these IEEE standards, network equipment and network protocols can communicate efficiently.

Although LAN, WAN or ethernet may be favoured for networking within a company, Wi-Fi and other wireless networks are increasingly chosen for the lack of complexity and physical set-up they require.

Networking Basics: Network Protocols

Network protocols are standards that allow computers to communicate. A protocol defines how computers identify one another on a network, the form that the data should take in transit, and how this information is processed once it reaches its final destination. Protocols also define procedures for handling lost or damaged transmissions or "packets". TCP/IP is the main type of network protocol in use today, though many more existed before standardisation.

One level of protocols will actually encrypt the data being transported. It also includes a certificate system called SSL or TLS. A great deal of the security of any network depends on this set of protocols, so much so that these have now become essential in all open networks. That is why TSplus implements TLS in its software.

Networking Basics: Network Topologies

A network topology is the geometric arrangement of nodes and cable links in a LAN. Topologies (shapes) are used in two general configurations: bus and star. These two topologies define how nodes are connected to one another. A node is an active device connected to the network, such as a computer or a printer. A node can also be a piece of networking equipment such as a hub, a switch or a router.

A bus topology consists of nodes linked together in a series with each node connected to a long cable or bus. Many nodes can tap into the bus and begin communication with all other nodes on that cable segment. A break anywhere in the cable will usually cause the entire segment to be inoperable until the break is repaired.

Some Ethernet setups use a star topology, in which access is controlled by a central computer. Generally, a computer is located at one end of the segment, and the other end is terminated in a central location with a hub. The primary advantage of this type of network is reliability, for if one of these 'point-to-point' segments has a break, it will only affect the two nodes on that link. Other computer users on the network continue to operate as if that segment were non-existent.

Remote & as a Team: Peer-to-Peer Networks

A peer-to-peer network allows two or more PCs to pool their resources together. Individual resources like disk drives, CD-ROM drives, and even printers are transformed into shared, collective resources that are accessible from every PC. Network software package must be installed onto all of the PCs. In a peer-to-peer network, the information stored across peer-to-peer networks is uniquely decentralized. This is quite unlike client-server networks, where network information is stored on a centralized file server PC and made available to tens, hundreds, or thousands of client PCs.

Because peer-to-peer PCs have their own hard disk drives that are accessible by all computers, each PC acts as both a client (information requestor) and a server (information provider). By far the easiest type of network to build, peer-to-peer is perfect for both home and office use.

Remote & All Answering to One: Client-Server Networks

In a client-server environment, files are stored on a centralized, high speed file server PC that is made available to client PCs. Network access speeds are usually faster than those found on peer-to-peer networks, explaining the vast numbers of clients that this architecture can support. Nearly all network services like printing and electronic mail are routed through the file server, which allows networking tasks to be tracked. Inefficient network segments can be reworked to make them faster, and users' activities can be closely monitored.

Remote Access in Networking: Save on Infrastructure & Individual Installations

Because drives can be easily shared between peer-to-peer PCs, applications only need to be installed on one computer rather than all. Let us consider for example a pair of users who have one copy of Microsoft Word. The software can be installed on user A's computer and yet still used by user B.

In a client-server set-up, public data and applications are stored on the file server, where they are run from client PCs' locations. This also simplifies the task of upgrading software since network administrators can simply upgrade the applications stored on the file server, rather than having to physically upgrade each client PC. Because the clients' primary applications and files are stored in a common location, client PCs will be separate and subordinate to the file server. File servers are often set up so that each user on the network has access to his or her "own" directory, along with a range of "public" directories where applications are stored.

Those are the main reasons TSplus Remote Access is such a time and infrastructure saving tool. But there is more.

Remote Access in Networking: Save Computer Parks and Legacy Applications

The fact it is not only about remote access but also about application publication is very important. Let us look at this capacity to publish applications to the Web. Here are 2 great benefits.

Countless numbers of workstations that would become obsolete because they haven’t the power to run the applications themselves can now seamlessly use them via Remote Access. Just the same, any legacy application can be published to the Web using Remote Access and used on devices running a different OS, from much newer generation and more.

Remote Access for Networking: the Sky’s the Limit

Remote Access software has shifted the importance of computer networking into the ether, inviting mobile phones and more into the game. Indeed, millions of the computers are networked together to form the Internet but millions more tablets and smartphones are too.

Like networking, remote access now plays a crucial role in every kind of organization, small, medium or large, public or private, education, commerce or research oriented, and even in homes. In short, they play their role everywhere where computers and other networking devices are used, globally.

TSplus Remote Access for Simple Efficient Networking of Applications

Any device, any application, anywhere… Boundaries are growing increasingly distant in networking as in many other fields. Find our software downloads , quick-start guides and additional information and support on our website. You can even test our software for free before buying.