Nowadays, keeping up with advances in computer technology is a difficult task due to the sheer speed that improvements are being made at. Just a few years ago, having your own home computer network would have been an expensive and time consuming thing to set up, though with the evolution of computer hardware and software, and its plug and play integration into modern operating systems, anybody with a basic understanding of the fundamentals of computing is able to set up their own home network without any real difficulty.
Due to this evolution of operating system software, integrating plug and play systems that allow us to be taken through the steps of setting up a network by our computers, the biggest challenge we are likely to face in this process is actually buying the right equipment in the first place. If you are considering setting up your own home computer network, the main hardware components you will need are listed below.
Firstly you need to decide whether you would like a wired network or a wireless network. Wired networks are impossible for outsiders to hack into, as all the data is passed along cables as opposed to wireless data transfer. Wireless networks allow users to access any computers, printers or storage media in their home without connecting their hardware with cables.
If you have decided on setting up a wireless network, the actual parts you need in terms of hardware are quite few. You will obviously need a wireless router which acts as the data hub of the network, sending data to all the computers linked to it, plus wireless network cards for all computers you wish to link up, though nowadays most new computers and all laptops will come with a wireless card supplied. Wired networks will require a network router with enough available inputs for all the computers you wish to network, plus one Cat 5 ethernet cable for each computer.
It is important to bear in mind that if you wish to set-up a wireless network, you should consider installing certain security options to prevent unwanted access from people outside of your home. Co-currently, if you would like each computer to have access to the internet, you should look into purchasing a router modem which will both control the data transfer across your network and also provide internet connection ability.
Once all components are installed, most operating systems will be able to automatically detect the network and set-up the basic configurations for you, walking you through the process of other user defined settings. In some circumstances, you may need to refer to the user's manual of your router to obtain set-up information or default passwords. If you are having trouble setting up your home network, you can either contact the manufacturer of your router for assistance or have a brief search on the internet for information.
Due to this evolution of operating system software, integrating plug and play systems that allow us to be taken through the steps of setting up a network by our computers, the biggest challenge we are likely to face in this process is actually buying the right equipment in the first place. If you are considering setting up your own home computer network, the main hardware components you will need are listed below.
Firstly you need to decide whether you would like a wired network or a wireless network. Wired networks are impossible for outsiders to hack into, as all the data is passed along cables as opposed to wireless data transfer. Wireless networks allow users to access any computers, printers or storage media in their home without connecting their hardware with cables.
If you have decided on setting up a wireless network, the actual parts you need in terms of hardware are quite few. You will obviously need a wireless router which acts as the data hub of the network, sending data to all the computers linked to it, plus wireless network cards for all computers you wish to link up, though nowadays most new computers and all laptops will come with a wireless card supplied. Wired networks will require a network router with enough available inputs for all the computers you wish to network, plus one Cat 5 ethernet cable for each computer.
It is important to bear in mind that if you wish to set-up a wireless network, you should consider installing certain security options to prevent unwanted access from people outside of your home. Co-currently, if you would like each computer to have access to the internet, you should look into purchasing a router modem which will both control the data transfer across your network and also provide internet connection ability.
Once all components are installed, most operating systems will be able to automatically detect the network and set-up the basic configurations for you, walking you through the process of other user defined settings. In some circumstances, you may need to refer to the user's manual of your router to obtain set-up information or default passwords. If you are having trouble setting up your home network, you can either contact the manufacturer of your router for assistance or have a brief search on the internet for information.
0 comments:
Post a Comment