Behind the Scenes of Networking

If you want to get anywhere in the world, networking is the way to go. But with so many hundreds of ways to network, how do you know which avenue to chose? Especially with the advancements that have been made over time, the use of natural language in communications has made incredible bounds. Now, we no longer have to use little beeps and series of sounds to communicate, but technology has advanced so much that we can have face to face contact with people that aren't even in the same country as us! Keeping in touch with the people you meet on a day to day basis is imperative in life, and I'm here to help you figure out which systems are best for you.

Deciding to have internet access within your business is a given. Since you can find practically anything online, it is crucial to your business to find a reputable and reliable internet service provider. If you are running your business out of your home, a home network may be just what you need. Through a home network, you can connect to the internet with multiple computers at the same time, access files and programs on the other computers in the home, share peripherals such as printers, scanners, etc... and even use VoIP. But if you are a larger operation such as the restaurant example that I have been using, you may choose to use a wireless modem, or a network card. I have had much experience in the past with network cards. If you are using a laptop with the card, all you have to do is insert a portable device into your usb drive and the computer will connect you to the internet. This device is very handy as it can be used almost anywhere, and is great for businesses that have to travel a lot.
Besides just deciding on what type of digital modem you would like to invest in, you must also decide on how much bandwidth you need. Bandwidth is the channel transmits capability. A cable modem has more bandwidth than a dial-up modem. This should definitely be taken into account when making your decision. Latency should also be a deciding factor. Latency is the time it takes a signal to travel from one location to another on a network. Common things that interfere with latency are distance that the data must travel, type of transmission media, and the number of nodes that the data must travel over the communications channel. My best advice is that your bandwidth should be high, while your latency should be low.
Once you have decided on the source of internet access that you want, you must know what type of computer communications that you will be using. Computer communications allow you to transfer data, instructions, and information. You can go about this using anything from text messaging, blogs, emails, video conferencing, and wiki's. many software products provide a means for you to collaborate with other users as well. For the restaurant industry, I would highly recommend Groupware. Groupware is a software that allows you to work on projects together, share information, and even partake in screen sharing. Skype is a great option as well. This program is available on the internet and allows people to video chat with other skype users. This ability has the potential to save your business thousands of dollars in travel fees because you will no longer have to pay for transportation to send your employees to trainings or corporate meetings.
Knowing your computer needs will help you to determine what type of networking you would like to participate in. By recieveing the exact package and capabilities you desire and no more or no less will save you thousands of dollars in the long run. Best of luck on your search!!!