Maximize Your Resources with a Home Network!

By Michael M. Landry

If you have more than one computer in your home, you may want to consider the advantages of creating your own home network. With the current hardware and software available to us today, it’s pretty affordable and really not that difficult to put together.

Some of the benefits of home networking;

·        Each workstation can share a single, centrally located printer. That sure beats purchasing and setting up a separate printer for each computer or taking your document on a floppy disk to the computer that has the printer attached to it. You’ll also save yourself the expense of having to buy multiple toner and inkjet cartridges.

·        Users, who share the same dial-up Internet account but access it from different workstations, cannot all be on-line at the same time. With a home network, all the users can access the account simultaneously via modem sharing. You’ll enjoy the convenience and savings of only having to maintain a single Internet account for everyone. If you have DSL or broadband, you can share a single cable or DSL modem and enjoy high-speed access from each computer on your network.

·        You’ll have the ability to share data resources such as encyclopedias, clip-art CDs, documents, music, databases etc.

·        You’ll also be able to play network-capable games, head-to-head with other players on your home network without the problems and slow performance inherent in playing games over the Internet.

How much will this cost?

For a home with 2 – 4 computers, the equipment needed to network them will cost about $150 - $300 retail. That’s less than the cost of a decent printer and a few color Inkjet cartridges. Sounds pretty cost effective, doesn’t it?

What do I need to get started?

First you’ll need to decide if you want to go with a hard-wired or wireless system.

Hard-wired systems usually cost a little less and provide slightly faster and more reliable connectivity in many situations.

Wireless systems cost slightly more. The advantage of a wireless system is that you won’t have to run unsightly cables from each computer or fish cables through your walls or ceilings. A word of advice concerning wireless… Make you do not use any pre-supplied or default passwords. Also use a different I.P. address the one used by default on your particular router. Leaving everything set to the defaults could possibly allow other people outside your home to be able to access your network. (Watch for a future article concerning Internet and Network Security for other tips.)

Each of your computers will need an Ethernet network interface card (NIC) installed in it. Most of today’s newer computers come with one integrated into the motherboard. To find out if your computer has one, look in the back of it for a jack (a place to plug in a connector) that looks like it would accept a modular phone plug, only larger. If you don’t have a NIC, you’ll have to purchase one. They can range in price from as little as $15 to $100. You’ll have the choice of hard-wired or wireless.

You’ll also need a hub, switch or router. This is a piece of hardware that physically connects all the computers together. There are a variety of models to choose from. Some are made specifically for use with broadband and DSL modems, others can be less expensive and with a little planning, will suit your needs admirably. Models you’d want to consider for home usage range from about $40 - $150.

An even easier and more convenient option may be to purchase a “home networking kit” that will include at least 2 NICs, a hub, switch or router and even cables, unless you choose to go with a wireless system.

The items listed above are available at any computer store, Radio Shack or larger office supply stores and come with reasonably simple to follow instructions for installation and configuration.

Give it a try. You can do it!

To learn more about home networking check out the following link:

http://www.mdm-zone.com/Tutorials/Tomes_Volume_Six-Networking_Tutorial.htm