I talk and write a lot about making sure that your computer has plenty of ventilation around it so it won’t over heat. Computers suffer greatly when exposed to too much heat. That same principle, however, also applies to high speed cable and DSL modems and routers we use to share those high speed connections. If you examine one of… Read More »Modems and Routers need air too
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.
This is our final installment of our networking tips. In this tip, you will learn how to share files and printers between computers on your network. One of the greatest advantages of a network for home users is the ability to use a single printer to service all the computers.
Windows XP offers a networking wizard that works quite well for most people to setup a home or small business network. You can find it by:
Using this method will allow you to share files through the "SharedDocs" folder found in My Computer. Any files you save into this folder can be accessed on any other computer via the network. The wizard will also allow you to share any printers you have installed.
This is Part III of our ongoing series regarding home and small-business networks. You can read the first two installments here: Part I and Part II.
In Part II, we discussed how to use a 'wired' system with Ethernet cabling to connect your computers and broadband connection. We suggested that you purchase a Wireless Cable/DSL Router with 4 port switch to connect your computers. The reason we suggested a wireless router is two fold; 1) The cost is only a few bucks more, and 2) Having the wireless gives you the ability to easily add a laptop or computer in another room to your network.
Typically, wireless routers can broadcast a signal that will reach around 75' indoors. However, that number reduces significantly depending on the barriers it has to pass through…walls, ceilings, type of walls and floors, etc. For best results, I like to keep the wireless computer as close to line of sight as possible to the router (least number of walls and barriers like furniture). Currently, the standard used in wireless computing (wi-fi) is 802.11g. For those with inquisitive minds, you can get detailed definitions of all terms wireless at Webopedia. This link is a comprehensive list of wireless networking terms.
As with the wired setup, use the CD that came with your brand of router to walk through the setup. The first thing you want to do is assign a new password (right it down and remember it for future use) for the routers settings. Most of the wizards offer you the chance to do this right away.
Next, you want to setup the wireless security for your system. Enabling wireless security drastically reduces the chances of a hacker trying to break into your network. The first step you will be asked to do is assign a name (SSID – Service Set Identifier) to your network. Don't use your name…use something like your street name or high school mascot or development name…etc. Again, right this down and don't forget it. You will also be given the opportunity to broadcast your wireless name or not…for ultimate security, click "No" on the broadcast option. However, for ease of setup, as long as you are following the rest of the security steps, broadcasting should be ok.
Broadcasting your wireless names allows computers with a wireless network card to see what networks are available. If you are broadcasting you need to be secure.
Last week we introduced you to some networking terms and technologies. This week, we will show you how to
start building your network.
In these instructions we discuss how to setup a network for sharing the Internet, but if you only want to setup a network for sharing files and printers without broadband, simply leave out the broadband modem and these instructions will still apply.
One term we did not define last week was Network Interface Card (NIC). Currently, there are two main types of NIC's. Wireless and wired. A NIC is a device that is connected to your computer that allows communication with other computers (networking). This can be done either through wireless means or wired means with an ethernet cable.
All computers that you want to network need to have a NIC. You choose whether it is wireless or wired. Almost all computers built since 2002 have an internal NIC for networking right from the factory…even laptops. Almost all laptops built since 2004 have built-in wireless networking capabilities as well. If you need to add one to your computer, a NIC will cost between $10-25. A wireless NIC will cost around $40.