What Is a Local Drive?
There are two kinds of drives a computer can use: local and network drives. Although their names pretty much explain their location, there is still much to know about local drives than simply what the name implies.
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Definition
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A local drive is a drive that is installed on your computer. Your computer will read this drive directly from its own circuitry and will not need to wait any longer than the time it takes for the drive to seek data.
Benefits
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Local drives, as opposed to network drives, are attached to your computer, meaning that you will only have to wait some milliseconds for the drive to seek data. You have much faster access to data and much faster transfer speeds this way.
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How Local Drives Are Installed
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Usually, your local drive will be installed through an ATAPI or SATA cable attached to the main circuit board of your system. Some systems utilize a peripheral controller to communicate with drives instead of the main circuit board, which might cause some delays in data readiness.
Features
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Local drives usually feature a large bandwidth capacity that is not limited by your network connection. They are, however, not accessible by other computers unless you configure them in such a way that they are shared on your network.
Warning
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Never share a local drive without having a firewall running on your computer. Sharing without protection opens the doors to intrusion and you risk having all your private data seen by others.
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References
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