Networking in a workgroup vs.

The importance of the computer network in small business is very often being under estimated. Typical company network consists of few workstation computers connected to the router that allows those to be connected to the internet. The information between the computers are being exchanged in various ways. From sharing removable media around the office to working in a workgroup. Networking in a workgroup has it's advantages and disadvantages. The only real advantage is the price. It is a basic service included with the workstation operating system. The biggest disadvantage is it's limitation to grow called expandability. Access is controlled on peer-to-peer basis. Permissions can not be applied to the group of the computers but to each individual client. Server computers are not aware of other clients permission across the network. Any computer on the network can perform server function. When workgroup reaches 10 users it becomes expensive to maintain and unpredictable in operations.

Domain based networking.

The biggest advantage of networking in a domain is centralized security. Domain has at least one computer in charge of managing permision to domain resources that could be device on the network such computers, printers, network faxes as well as files and folders. Unlike in a workgroup, domain controller is the computer where valid credentials can be assigned to be used with any computer and any user that belongs to that domain. Users can be sorted into groups and permissions can be applied to the group that eliminates the task of adding it over and over for every single network user. Domain administrator can grant or deny access to the resource to the entire group. Physical networks (sites) can be connected together at different geographical locations over the internet using secure VPN link and act as one organization as if they were in this same building connected with the network cable.

Benefits of network infrastructure planning.

Well planed and designed network allows to be expanded efortlessly, as the need arise. Adding another system or server should not require major overhaul of the existing network, therefore hiring a consultant seems to be more cost effective than having full time IT person on premises, just to keep the network up and running. Scalability is additional benefit that company can take advantage in the future. For instance, merging with other companies can be done by assigning trust between two domains, that would eliminate setting up the network that is about to be merged, from the scratch.