Regardless of whether you use a peer-to-peer network or a client/server network, you’ll end up using a specific LAN technology to help the devices on your network communicate with each other. LAN technologies are special combinations of hardware and software that make networks work in a certain way and at a specific speed. If you purchase any of the popular “network-in-a-box” packages on the market today, you’ll notice that a specific LAN technology will already be included as a part of the package.
Some of the most popular LAN technologies these days are Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Token Ring and FDDI. Some companies—usually larger ones—may use more than one type of technology at a time, possibly because they’re evolving their equipment from one technology to the other and they can’t spare any network “down time.” When this is the case, a special device called a bridge or router must be used to help the two technologies communicate with each other. This probably won’t affect your small business, but it’s important to remember that two different LAN technologies cannot coexist without special (and quite expensive) additional equipment.
Following is a brief description of each of the major LAN technologies.
Ethernet The most widely used LAN technology in use today is Ethernet, and it’s the technology we recommend for AccountEdge (unless you don’t mind the extra expense of Fast Ethernet, described below). It strikes a good balance between speed, price, ease of installation and supportability. Approximately 80 percent of all LAN connections today use Ethernet. Ethernet networks run at a data rate of 10 million bits per second (10 MBps). This means that when a computer transmits information using Ethernet, it travels along that medium at 10 MBps.
LocalTalk LocalTalk is the ubiquitous LAN technology for Mac OS computers, mainly because it’s built into every Macintosh computer. Compared with other LAN technologies, however, LocalTalk networks aren’t fast; they run at approximately 230,000 bits per second – only about 0.23 MBps. (For this reason, we recommend that AccountEdge users use an Ethernet network.)
Fast Ethernet An extension of the popular Ethernet standard, Fast Ethernet transports data at 100 MBps. Fast Ethernet takes advantage of many aspects of the familiar Ethernet technology. Two types of Fast Ethernet are available: 100BASE-TX, which uses cabling that’s similar to telephone wire, and 100BASE-FX, which operates over multimode fiber-optic cabling. Not surprisingly, you pay for the 10-fold increase in speed over Ethernet: Fast Ethernet is more expensive than Ethernet. (However, if you’re able to afford Fast Ethernet, we recommend that you purchase it for use with AccountEdge.)
Token Ring Another major LAN technology in use today is Token Ring, which can run at two different data rates, 4 MBps or 16 MBps. Only rarely used in Macintosh networks, Token Ring gets its name from the manner in which the network is set up (in a ring-like configuration) and from the way the network passes information (using a special “packet” of information called a token) from computer to computer. Token Ring networks are slightly more expensive and more difficult to set up than Ethernet networks.
FDDI Fiber Distributed Data Interface, commonly known as FDDI, transports data at 100 MBps. FDDI is also rarely used in Macintosh networks. Originally, FDDI networks required fiber-optic cable, but today they can be run on telephone-like cable as well. FDDI is used primarily as a part of a large LAN; for example, it can be used in a network that links several individual workgroup or department LANs together in a single building. It’s also used to link LANs in several buildings together in a setup that’s referred to as a “campus environment.”
As mentioned above, we recommend using Ethernet for your LAN technology. It’s reliable, inexpensive and easy to set up and maintain. If you don’t mind the added cost, however, Fast Ethernet is even a better choice.
LAN technologies