| Some
Advantages |
Some
Disadvantages |
| A
user can logon to a computer anywhere on the network and access their
work files from the file server |
If
something goes wrong with the file server the whole network is unable to
operate |
| Computers
can be managed centrally - with the same software installed on each one |
The
technical skills needed to manage a network are much higher than working
on a stand-alone computer |
| Time
- it is much faster to install an application once on a network - and
copy it across the network to every workstation |
It
would take a long time to install software applications on each computer
- one at a time! |
| Sharing
printers, plotters, modems etc saves money and time |
It
can be frustrating to print to a printer in another room - and then find
after a long trek - that there is no paper in the printer! |
| Security
- the Network Manager can allocate usernames and passwords to all users
to try to prevent unauthorised access |
Users
may use up too much of the storage space and this may cause problems on
the network |
| I
is easy and convenient to monitor users - for example websites visited
or documents printed - this can be done using software running on the
server |
Users
may use too much bandwidth - for example when listening to music files
or watching video clips - preventing others from using the network
facilities properly |
