Team 1 Wal-Mart: Networking

What type of network do they have?

With the best technology and up to date, Wal-Mart has wireless networks that operate from one store to another. The Local Area Network (LAN), works by linking several computers without the need of wires.

What kind of interface do they use?

Wal-Mart uses two types of interface for commercial and personal. With personal use the interface used would be an expansion card but with commercial you would use an Ethernet card. A Ethernet card the most used interface with Wal-Mart

What kind of media?

The satellite communications system benefits Wal-Mart a great deal because it gives them real-time TV broadcasting to provide training programs and news updates. Also, Wal-Mart executives can hold important meetings to discuss new products, new ideas, problems, etc. and be able to communicate it to their employees immediately.

What kind of communications software?

In 1984, Wal-Mart increased its technology in a few stores by deploying a satellite communication system from Hughes Network Systems. Three years later, Wal-Mart began installing the system throughout all their stores. The benefits of this communication system was to make credit authorizations faster, and also having a much faster communication from one store to another, Wal-Mart’s headquarters and among all other facilities.

What kind of connecting devices or components?

The connecting devices are routers, servers, networks, and an 802.11 wireless connection used in Wal-Mart

How do they connect to the internet and at what speeds?

Wal-Mart uses frame relay on their DS3 network that run at 44.736 Mbps. The circuits can provide network connections for every office with having any physical lines.

Do they use Voice over IP?

The Wal-mart Smart Network was incorporated in 2008, and it gave the largest retailer stores a chance to roll out an internal IP network. It operates by carrying out custom, one-way video to TV displays that are already installed in all the Wal-Mart stores. This network helps Wal-Mart with their sales, their suppliers to better communicate and most importantly to engage their consumers. This is Wal-Mart’s best media network yet.

How do they apply the four principles of network security?

Four principles of network security are confidentiality, integrity, availability, and authenticity. Wal-Mart uses SSL which is Secure Sockets Layer, technology protects your online transactions and help increase trust in your Web site in the essential ways. 1. An SSL Certificate enable encryption of sensitive information during online transactions. 2. Each SSL Certificate is unique credential identifying the certificate owner. 3. A Certificate Authority authenticates the identity of the certificate owner before it is issued. Wal-Mart has set up a fire wall to protects against authenticity and integrity of the information. Wal-Mart wants to see chip-and-pin payment cards adopted in the United States in the effort to better secure financial transactions.