Advantages & Disadvantages of Computer Networks

ADVANTAGES

• FILE SHARING - Allows file sharing and remote file access. A person sitting at one workstation of a network can easily see the files present on the other workstation, provided he is authorized to do so. It saves the time which is wasted in copying a file from one system to another.
• RESOURCE SHARING -  Important benefit of a computer network. For example, if there are four people in a family, each having their own computer, they will require four modems (for the Internet connection) and four printers, if they want to use the resources at the same time.
• INCREASED STORAGE CAPACITY - As there is more than one computer on a network which can easily share files, the issue of storage capacity gets resolved to a great extent. A standalone computer might fall short of storage memory, but when many computers are on a network, memory of different computers can be used in such case.
• REDUCE COST -  The software can be stored or installed on a system or a server and can be used by the different workstations.

DISADVANTAGES

• SECURITY ISSUE -  One of the major drawbacks of computer networks is the security issues involved. If a computer is on a network, a computer hacker can get unauthorized access by using different tools. In case of big organizations, various network security softwares are used to prevent the theft of any confidential and classified data.
• RAPID SPREAD OF VIRUS - If any computer system in a network gets affected by computer virus, there is a possible threat of other systems getting affected too. Viruses get spread on a network easily because of the interconnectivity of workstations. Such spread can be dangerous if the computers have important database which can get corrupted by the virus.
• EXPENSIVE SETUP - The initial set up cost of a computer network can be high depending on the number of computers to be connected. Costly devices like routes, switches, hubs, etc., can add up to the bills of a person trying to install a computer network. He will also have to buy NICs (Network Interface Cards) for each of the workstations, in case they are not inbuilt.
• DEPENDENCY ON THE MAIN FILE SERVER - In case the main File Server of a computer network breaks down, the system becomes useless. In case of big networks, the File Server should be a powerful computer, which often makes it expensive.

This article is written by : Swapnil Srivastava