Network

The type of networking topology your clinic should use will depend on the size of your clinic, and the type of information.

Networking standards continue to increase in speed. Only a few years ago, the standard was 10BASE-T (Ethernet); this type of network carries data information at up to 10 Megabits per second, or 10Mbps. This was superceded by the current standard, 100BASE-T (Fast Ethernet), which has progressed to Gigabit Ethernet at up to 1 Gigabit per second, and is progressing still to 10-Gigabit Ethernet. This progress strives to keep up with the advances in computer processor speeds, allowing modern networks to handle faster and faster data traffic.

The speed of a network is primarily determined by what standard the devices on that network are capable of, and the physical connection (i.e. wiring) between them. It is possible to have a slower computer on a faster network, however a slower hub or other central device limits the speed of all traffic going to or through it, regardless of the wiring. 10BASE-T networks typically use Category-3 (“CAT-3”) cable. 100BASE-T requires at least CAT-5 cable, while a 10BASE-T network can be run on CAT-5. Wiring is very important, and advances in this seemingly simple technology result in faster and more reliable networking. CAT-6 cable was introduced in 2002, and the most advanced systems are implementing optical rather than electrical networking using fiber cable.

JonokeMed™ works adequately on a 10BASE-T network, and exceptionally well on a 100BASE-T network. The faster network can make a difference if you are transfering large files across the network, as is often done with JonokeMed™, such as with the Image Server. The critical components of a network, besides the wiring, are the hub(s) and router, and with high-speed Internet connections, the firewall.

A 10/100BASE-T (combination) network hub has the advantage of working with both network speeds, since some devices may only support the slower speed. Some hubs also feature a 1000Mbps port, which can be used to link more than one hub, therefore ensuring the maximum network speed between devices connected to separate hubs. The standard Network Interface Card (NIC) for personal computers is 10/100 also, allowing your workstations and servers to take advantage of 100Mbps communication, while accommodating any slower devices.

JonokeMed™ is in use at a large Radiology group. This group has placed six of their clinics on JonokeMed™. The implementation they chose was to have one central server. This permits each of the six locations to have access to all data in the central system. The staff in one clinic can have access to the information entered into the system by staff at the other locations. In computer terms, they have a wide area network (WAN). They chose to implement this by using the Internet and high-speed cable modems for connecting each location. This was the solution they chose, but other solutions exist as well. What this implementation shows, though, is that JonokeMed™ can be run over the Internet.

Wireless Networking

Wireless networks provide new hacking opportunities. Though this is the case, there are certain things that can be done to negate these risks. Of course the wireless hardware must support these security features. In some regions there are published requirements for implementing wireless network. All systems that Jonoke implements meet these requirements. Essentially you can be confident that Jonoke will only provide a solution that meets or exceeds the current best practices.

We currently have clients who have sites using a wireless internal network, we recognize that wireless networking can be much slower than a hard wired network, and its performance can decrease with distance between wireless terminals. It is also subject to environmental interference.

The best wireless technology available today is one that comes from Apple: Airport Extreme is the fastest, and simplest to implement and use, providing a maximum of 54Mbps. As well, SonicWALL offers the SOHO TZW, both a firewall and a wireless access point which provides added security; SonicWALL's Long Range Wireless Card provides up to 11Mbps transfer speed. Bluetooth promises similar capabilities, integrating many devices without the need for physical wiring between them.

For “speed sensitive users,” and computer-savvy individuals, we recommend a hard wired network, which can include wireless components.

Modules