Many people wonder, “How do I build a network?” and “What is network construction?” Network construction is essential for connecting computers and office equipment within a company and sharing data. It is important to acquire solid basic knowledge in order to build a smooth network.
Network construction involves connecting devices in the same building, on the same premises, or in remote locations, and setting them up to enable information communication. Networks are used in a variety of facilities, including homes, workplaces, and schools. They are an essential environment in today’s IT society.
Basic structures and types of internal networks
- LAN (Local Area Network)
A network that can be used in a limited area. If there are multiple locations, it refers to the network within the same location. - WAN (Wide Area Network)
A network that can connect physically separated locations. If there are multiple locations, it refers to the network that connects the separated locations. - VPN (Virtual Private Network)
This refers to a virtual private network. Physical line equipment uses the Internet, but by creating a virtual private network, costs can be reduced compared to a dedicated line that requires a separate physical line, and a secure communication network can be ensured.
Wired and wireless LAN for connecting within floors and buildings
“LAN” is an abbreviation for “Local Area Network” and refers to a network that has lines laid within a single building or designated site and can be used within a limited area. In addition to companies, LANs are also used in universities, hospitals, factories, etc. When connecting office equipment within a building or on one floor, either a wired LAN or a wireless LAN is used.
WAN connecting headquarters and branches
WAN is an abbreviation for Wide Area Network. A WAN is a system that connects the networks of a headquarters and branch offices that are far apart.
Network issues in companies and their solutions
Building a network is not the end of the process. Naturally, subsequent operation and management are also important. While advances in products and services have made it easier to build internal networks, many companies are also facing issues with operation and management.
Insufficient operational and management costs
Many companies focus on initial costs when building a network, but few seem to consider the subsequent costs of operation and management. Just like the rent for your own office or the purchase price of parts used in your products, the higher the quality you seek, the higher the operation and management costs of your network will naturally be.
Therefore, when building a network, you need to carefully examine the network quality required for your company and verify what type of network is optimal. Operating and managing a high-quality network requires skilled personnel and costs. In fact, a surprising number of companies are faced with labor shortages and operation and management costs, forcing them to consider rebuilding their network environment.
A remote access environment needs to be created.
It is also necessary to respond to the spread of remote work due to work style reforms.The traditional”perimeter defense” approach of “protecting the internal network from dangerous external access” is no longer sufficient; the challenge is to build a remote access environment that allows safe and comfortable connection to the internal network from a distance.
Establishing a remote access environment with security measures in addition to traditional operation and management tasks will only exacerbate the problems of labor shortages and operation and management costs.
Points to keep in mind
Below are the points that you should check when reviewing your internal
network construction.
Point 1: Determine the network standard that suits your company If you do not have any bases (branches), first decide whether to use a wired LAN or wireless LAN to connect the office.
Many companies with a large number of computers and heavy data traffic will choose a wired LAN, which has stable communication speeds. On the other hand, some small companies or those that only use a limited number of floors will use both a wired LAN and a wireless LAN. Companies with bases (branches) in remote locations may also want to consider using a WAN.
Point 2: Exhaustion of IP addresses due to an increase in the number of connected devices An IP address acts as an address on the Internet. A global IP address is unique in the world, while a private IP address is an IP address used within a limited network. Global IP addresses are used in the WAN, while private addresses are used within LANs such as internal corporate networks. For example, if a company assigns global IP addresses to all employees at its branch offices to access the outside world, managing IP addresses can become complicated.
However, by assigning one global IP address to each branch office and assigning private addresses to employees that are only used within the company, IP addresses can be managed more efficiently. The number of available IP addresses can sometimes be exhausted due to an increase in the number of network connections.
Point 3: Understanding the number of bases If your company has bases (branches), you need to clearly understand the number of bases. Not only will the price change depending on the number of bases, but the number of bases (branches) will also be a factor when changing or switching network routes.
Point 4: Monitoring traffic volume Traffic volume refers to the amount of communication on a network. When a huge amount of communication is taking place across the company, it can cause network failures such as server downtime and slow communication speeds.
For this reason, it is necessary to visualize and understand the traffic volume of applications used within the company.
Point 5: Strengthened security If you have implemented wireless LAN, you need to consider even more
security measures than with wired LAN. It is also necessary to provide in-house training on information leaks and other issues.