What is an enterprise private network (EPN)

Internal and external networks: Internet and intranet are two terms that have great value in the world of knowledge and information. The first term is known to everyone as a name, while the second is known to specialists, and most companies use it in their internal work to improve the way they work. What is the difference between the Internet and an intranet?

What is an intranet?

On the other hand, an intranet is an internal network within a single building of a company or organization. This network is used for communication between technology support staff and work teams within the company, provides access to files and folders internally, and contains a perimeter firewall. By relying on various IT tools

Why do companies need intranets?

• Every company seeks to organize its business, and thus it needs to create an internal network, as this network contributes to increasing the cooperation of work teams for all types of companies. For example: Design, development, and programming teams can collaborate, communicate, work on single projects, and keep their files in one place via intranets.
• Hospital teams from multiple departments, such as accounts management, can also cooperate to put all the company’s accounts in one database, from which billing statements for clients are calculated, as well as issuing payrolls for workers, with doctors being informed of patients’ general conditions 24 hours a week, as well as nursing staff. , etc.
• Carefully organized and planned internal communication networks protect the company's data and prevent it from being hacked or stolen. Networks also make it easier to find, save, and back up documents, keeping data and information from being lost and altered.
• Among the benefits also is the ease of creating a store of frequently asked questions for maintenance teams and company employees, so that it can be a reference to speed up the process of fixing errors, especially for popular programs such as Office programs. This warehouse can also be used for self-maintenance of computers by employees.

Intranet features

1. Make repetitive tasks easier, especially for teams.
2. One central database for the company.
3. Share information across the network and facilitate collaboration.
4. Improve internal communication between employees as well as with superiors.
5. Providing access to information, latest events and requirements.
6. Easily organize and manage everything within the company, such as payroll, accounts, invoices, etc.

Disadvantages of intranet

1. If the network infrastructure does not exist since its creation, it will require significant effort and cost to establish it.
2. It requires continuous maintenance checks, especially for the infrastructure, to ensure that the network is functioning and not outdated, and this requires a support team of professionals.

Types of extranets?

Extranet networks emerged in response to the business sector’s requirements for partnerships and alliances and the security it requires of information exchanged through networks, with great care being given to powers (this activity was called “B2 B Business to Business”), and for this reason the classification of extranet networks It depends on the business sector, which divides it into the following types:

• 1. Supply extranet networks: These networks connect the main goods warehouses with the sub-warehouses to run work automatically, to maintain a fixed quantity of goods in the warehouses, and thus reduce the possibility of rejecting orders due to a shortage in the warehouse, in addition to many other services related to inventory control (Inventory Control). ).
• 2. Distribution extranet networks: These networks grant powers to customers based on the volume of their transactions. They are provided with an electronic request service and automatic account settlement. With constant provision of new product lists, technical specifications, and other services.
• 3. Competitive extranet networks: These networks enhance competitive capabilities in industrial sectors, as they give large and small companies an equal opportunity in the field of buying and selling (by linking small and large companies to transfer prices and precise technical specifications between them), which raises the level of service in that sector. It enhances the quality of products and eliminates monopoly.

Infrastructure components required to create the network

To create an internal network, you will need an infrastructure for this network. This architecture consists of at least one Router, and switches with ports for all of the company's devices, in addition to the need for cables to connect each device and a way to extend those cables across the entire company for each device.

Extended cables can be replaced by connecting Access Point devices to each department of the company, and placing a wireless card in each device. However, this method is not safe for companies that need to ensure and maintain the confidentiality of their work. You may also need a unified server or multiple servers to control company devices.

What is a packet and how do you transfer information through it over the Internet?

• When you send a 25MB file via Gmail to a customer in another country, the file's data is split into smaller chunks and then sent to the desired destination. These units are called Packets. The reason this data is divided has to do with the presence of billions of devices across the network, sending and receiving data in different forms at the same time.
• Therefore, it does not make sense for each device to wait until the other device finishes sending its data first at once, and then begin the transmission process. Then the traffic rate can be bottlenecked if too much data is sent to one server.
• For example, if many people want to send messages to one person at the same time, a bottleneck will occur in the area to which those messages are sent. The previous two problems are solved by dividing messages and making many branches on the Internet, to avoid data traffic congestion and to ensure speedy arrival.
• Units are transported in a globally fixed system by protocols. For example, when a message is split on your device, some new data, called a header, is added to each unit of the message. When this unit reaches the so-called router or DSL, another header is added to the unit.
• The data of this header changes as it moves across the network from device to device, to identify its destination and source, and many other important information, to protect it from errors that may occur to it during transmission.
• Each head added undergoes many changes due to the protocols used. For example, if page data is requested on a website, the popular protocol HTTP is used, and a header is added differently. When you upload a file to your site using FTP, the header is used in a different way than HTTPS.
• Because of the process of moving between devices for this packet, many different protocols were created for each type of device, which are subject to a global system called the OSI 7 Layers Model. In this system, headers are placed in a specific system for any sent packet. For example, the router and DSL device are located in one of the seven layers, which is the third layer and is called the Network Layer, and when the packet reaches this device, a specific header is placed for it.
• There is also something called a switch, which is used to organize the transfer of data in companies between multiple devices. It is located in the second data layer, and it has a different and added header as well. Also, when transferring data using an FTP application such as the famous Filezilla application, the fourth layer system is used to encapsulate the packet, or add a different header to it from the other layers.