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3. Ease of Communication: Computer networks allow users to communicate with each other
irrespective of their location, thus reducing the time and distance barriers. Documents and images
can be transmitted easily through e-mail or instant messaging services.
4. Centralised Software: Computer networks allow users to access and use multiuser software
without the need to install them on their systems.
5. Reliability: Computer networks provide backup features for data and information. Multiple copies
of data can be maintained at various locations in a network. Thus, failure of one computer does
not cause the loss of data.

DISADVANTAGES OF COMPUTER NETWORKING
Some disadvantages of computer networking are:
1. Security Threats: Data and identity theft by hackers is a major threat to networks since a large
number of users access information and data.
2. Expensive Maintenance: Setting up and maintaining networks is expensive beacause of cabling,
security measures, and constant up-gradation of network.
3. Network Failure: When centralised servers or transmission media
fail, network connectivity is lost. This leads to loss of information,
finances, and access to network resources.
4. Malware Infection: Viruses and other malware can easily spread
from one computer to others. This may corrupt the stored data.

Life Skills
Health Tip

The wrists of computer users go through a lot of strain. Though not apparent, the
wrist is used in almost all the activities a user does while working on the computer,
such as typing and using the mouse. The Active Wrist Circles exercise helps relieve the
strain on wrists and keeping them flexible.
1. Sit in a relaxed position on a chair.
2. Raise the hands up with the elbows close to the body and make fists with the
fingers.
3. Rotate the wrists around 20 times in a clockwise direction.
4. Repeat in the anti-clockwise direction.

Database Subject Enrichment

Some interesting facts about computer networks and the Internet are:
• Microsoft has more servers than Google. Microsoft owns over one million servers while Google has 900,000.
• The average speed of the internet is 5.6Mbps, South Korea is leading here with an average speed of
26.7Mbps.
• To make the internet working there are 550,000 miles of underwater cable.
• Ever since the birth of the Internet, file sharing was a problem for the authorities that managed it. In
1989, McGill University shut down their FTP indexing site after finding out that it was responsible for
half of the Internet traffic from America to Canada.

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