Set up a home network - Part I

Home computer networks used to be just for geeks, there was no practical reason to setup a network at home because most people only had one system and the Internet was only accessible through a dial-up connection that couldn’t be shared.

Today that has all changed. Computer networks are not only practical but they are also easy to setup and in many cases they are absolutely necessary. Over the next few weeks, we will breakdown the process of building a computer network into simple steps that will guide you through the entire process of setting up either a wired or wireless home computer network.

Before we get into the logistics of a network setup, we should cover some quick terminology. Here are a few terms you absolutely need to understand to build a computer network.

Ethernet – This is the kind of cable that you use to build a wired network. You will recognize it by the large RJ-45 ends that resemble large telephone jacks.

Router – This is a device that monitors the complex network transmissions and acts as a traffic cop to decide what communications are safe and what are potentially bad guys trying to get in. A router is a kind of hardware firewall.

Switch – Often people use the terms switch and router interchangeably, but a switch is actually the device that controls how communication takes place within the network. For example a switch acts as a hub where all of the computers come together to share files, printers and other devices. Typically a router will come with a switch built-in, but not always, especially on wireless networks.

Wireless/WiFi – Also called 802.11a/b/g WiFi is a special frequency that allows you to setup a network with minimal wires. Sometimes wireless networks are setup for complex jobs like file and print sharing; sometimes they serve only one purpose such as sharing the Internet with nearby computers. This type of wireless should not be confused with wireless cell phones or high speed Internet offered via wireless microwave technology.

Broadband Internet – Only broadband Internet access can be shared on a network. There are two ways to connect to the Internet – dialup or broadband. In order for an Internet connection to be called broadband it must meet four criteria:

1. It is fast, very fast.
2. It is always on, no dialing required.
3. It doesn’t occupy a phone line – you can talk on the phone while you surf.
4. It can be shared among multiple computers at the same time. The whole family can be on the Internet at the same time on each computer.

There will be more terms defined in future articles, but these terms and concepts should be a good start and get you ready for the next article. Stay tuned!

You can read the previous tips in this series here:

Set up a home network - Part II

Set up a home network - Part III

Set up a home network - Part IV

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