So the journey begins and our first stop is to establish the basics of a network. This Basic Networking guide will help you understand the following:

• The Hardware used to create a network
• The correct operating system to use on our network
• Understanding how networks work

So buckle up your seatbelt, here we go! Are home networks Complicated to set up? The short answer to the heading above is No. The long answer… Heck no!

Believe it or not, setting up a network in your home is not complicated by any means. All you need is a point in the right direction and a little guidance. Together with this Basic Networking guide we will create the best network for you and your family.

So, what’s a network?

Simply put, a network is when two or more computers are connected and sharing data. That’s it! Nothing more, nothing less. These computers can be connected in a variety of ways and we will touch on that a little later. What we want to do now is work out the type of network we need in our house.

Why do I need a network again?

There are a lot of benefits to having a network. If you have more than one computer in your house you really have no reason not to have them networked, and by networking them you will be able to:

• Share printers, CD-ROM drives and other removable drives between the computers.
• Eliminate having to transfer files from one computer to another using a floppy (do they still exist?) or CD-ROM and share files directly between PCs. ( a great advantage if you are lazy like me)
• A huge benefits is you can share your internet connection with the other computers in your home
• Store only a single copy of large files, saving space on the other PCs’ hard drives.

Fantastic, how do I get started? Whoa there! Before we can start anything we need to plan first. “Plan?” I hear you say. Yes, plan! Building a network is a kin to building a house; we need a strong foundation to build upon. I can hear the groans already! You will be thanking me later. Read more…