Computer Network Architecture

Computer Network Architecture is defined as the physical and logical design of the software, hardware, protocols, and media involved in the transmission of data.
Simply put, it refers to how computers are organized and how tasks are allocated to them.

Types of Network Architectures

There are two commonly used types of network architectures:

• Peer-To-Peer Network
• Client/Server Network

Peer-To-Peer Network

A Peer-To-Peer (P2P) network is one in which all computers are connected with equal privileges and responsibilities for processing data.

• Peer-To-Peer networks are ideal for small environments, typically up to 10 computers.
• These networks do not have a dedicated server.
• Resource sharing is managed by assigning special permissions to each computer.
• However, if a computer with shared resources goes down, the resource becomes unavailable.

Advantages of Peer-To-Peer Network

• It is less costly since it doesn't require a dedicated server.
• If one computer fails, the others continue to function normally.
• It is easy to set up and maintain, as each computer manages itself.

Disadvantages of Peer-To-Peer Network

• There is no centralized system, so data backup is difficult and data may be scattered across devices.
• It has security issues, since each device manages itself without centralized control.