Networking small offices and home computers
Microsoft .NET

Microsoft's .NET technology now allows us to use many of the elements previously only available to those programmers developing desktop applications in our websites and web based applications to build integrated systems that are quick to deploy to employees and customers.

It also means that the development of more complex websites is quicker and more cost effective which helps deliver results faster. This especially applies to n-tier and multi-tier applications and distributed data bases where many users have access to an on line SQL data base via Microsoft .NET connected software.

In a typical LAN configuration, one computer is designated as the file server. It stores all of the software that controls the network, as well as the software that can be shared by the computers attached to the network. Computers connected to the file server are called workstations. The workstations can be less powerful than the file server, and they may have additional software on their hard drives. On many LANs, cables are used to connect the network interface cards in each computer; other LANs may be wireless. See the Topology, Cabling, and Hardware sections of this tutorial for more information on the configuration of a LAN.

Wide Area Networks (WANs) connect larger geographic areas, such as Florida, the United States, or the world. Dedicated transoceanic cabling or satellite uplinks may be used to connect this type of network.

Using a WAN, schools in Florida can communicate with places like Tokyo in a matter of minutes, without paying enormous phone bills. A WAN is complicated. It uses multiplexers to connect local and metropolitan networks to global communications networks like the Internet. To users, however, a WAN will not appear to be much different than a LAN.