Home networks are becoming more common. People want to be able to share a single broadband Internet connection to several computers in the house. There are many different devices that you can use to make up your home network. If you have never heard network terminology device names likerouter, hub, etc may seem confusing.
The purpose of most of these devices is to control how the network passes around information. This information is sent in the form of “packets”. I will refer to the term packet several times in this article. It simply means the data that the network is transporting. I will now explain the purpose of the major components of a home network. Read more…
Tags: Broadband Internet Connection, Common People, Computer Network, Control, Device Names, Different Computers, Ethernet Network, Home Networks, Hubs, Major Components, Multiple Computers, Network Hub, Network Terminology, Ports, Several Times, Switch Hub, Switches, Term Packet, Understanding the Components of a Home Network, Uplink Port
More and more of us are adding devices to our home networks, extra pc for the kids, xbox or wii, media sever to store all our music and photos. The ability to share music, photos and videos across all the pcs in your house has never been easier. Yet with all this growth a recent survey conducted by ABI Research, showed one in three consumers reported difficulty in setting up and maintaining their home network. 25% of all wireless devices are returned to the store simply because it was too hard to setup, and not a defective product. This notion is further enforced by Best Buy’s Geek Squad founder Robert Stephens who acknowledged that the complexity of installing a wireless network is evidenced by the fact that return rates on wireless networking devices drop to nearly zero when his installers do it. Really there are a lot of great network products out there but fortunately they do not always do a good job of explaining very simple to set up. Read more…
Tags: Best Buy, Business Networking, Complexity, Defective Product, Frustrations, Geek Squad, Good Job, Home Networking, Home Networks, Installing A Wireless Network, Music Photos, Networking Devices, Notion, Reboot, Robert Stephens, Security Passwords, Technical Knowledge, Wii, Wireless Networking, Wireless Router
It wasn’t long ago that building a home network was something which was only done by IT professionals and serious geeks. The cost and difficulty made it hard for anyone else to do. But things have changed since then.
Now, the costs of the equipment are far lower. Wireless gear is about the same price as is cabled network equipment; and a length of Cat 5 Ethernet cable costs no more than does an audio cable. Routers were once hundreds of dollars but can now be had for very little money indeed. At the same time, speeds have increased.
Both wireless and cabled networks have gotten better. Wireless was once only something done as an experiment; almost anything could knock out your network and the distance of these networks was quite limited. These networks can now easily provide networking for a three story home (as well as for your neighbors if it isn’t secured).
The best part is that it’s not only the cost which has come down; it’s also easier than ever to set up. The equipment now available has better documentation which makes it easy even for the less than technically skilled to set up a home network. The configuration is far easier and tools to troubleshoot problems are also simpler than they once were.
Your average person also knows a lot more about computers than they did even a few years ago. Everybody uses email now and is aware of a few networking terms (HTTP, ping, etc.). Routers and IP addresses are no longer the sole dominion of nerds.
People are also much more aware of security issues than once was the case. Thousands of pages have been written about fraud and identity theft due to poor computer security, making people better informed about the issue. While they may not follow every security procedure recommended by experts, they are at least aware of the risks. Most of us have had a computer virus by now, so we all know why it’s important to protect our computers and home networks.
The biggest problem for many people is simply familiarizing themselves with the technical terms involved in networking; NICs, protocols and so on. Once that barrier is overcome, it’s pretty easy to do the rest. Internet connection sharing, once a difficult task is a simple matter today – there is a little research, maybe a little troubleshooting and you’re good to go.
So if you’re interested in building a home network, then get going and start connecting all of those computers in your home together. You’ll easily be able to set up file and print sharing. You won’t need to pass files in your household via email and CDs. You’ll have better security and you’ll be able to do all the stuff which only the pros could do a few years ago; that’s the best part of all.
By: Joseph Nyamache
Tags: Audio Cable, Average Person, Building A Home, Cat 5 Ethernet Cable, Computer Security, Computer Virus, Fraud, Geeks, Home Networks, Identity Theft, Ip Addresses, Neighbors, Nerds, Networking Terms, Poor Computer, Security Issues, Security Procedure, Sole Dominion, Time Speeds, Troubleshoot Problems
Not too many years ago, no one ever thought of having more than one computer in the home. Now that we are so dependent upon them, it is a common thing for home to have multiple computers. Before the blink of an eye, there are seven computers in the house yet there is only one printer and just one Internet connection. How is everyone going to be kept happy and productive?
The answer is to set up a network! This is none other than a group of computer components connected together with a router, hub and switch which gives its users the ability to share resources. These resources are some of the most integral parts of computer use. A network is much like a spider web. That is the basic reason why the Internet is often called the World Wide Web. Signals are constantly flowing along the network. Unlike a spider web, a computer network sends and receives those disturbances in the form of ‘packets’. Although there are other ways to perform the same function, almost all networks today operate as explained below.
On the network, the software and hardware cooperate to pass those packets.These packets are chunks of information that contain your data that is wrapped in control information. The control data allows the computers and the routers to know where and how to send your data. In most commercial and home networks, the method uses IP or Internet Protocol. Every device on the network is assigned an address such as 206.121.34.148. When you are talking about using a computer in the home these addresses are typically in the range of: 10.0.0.0 through 10.255.255.255, or 172.16.0.0 through 172.31.255.255, or 192.168.0.0 through 192.168.255.255
These are what are known as Private Addresses since they are not able to be sent unmodified over the public networks that make up the Internet. These are used by computer, routers and peripherals in your home network. These same address ranges are also used by private commercial networks. An NAT, or network address translation, and coupled with the use of a boundary router allows many companies and homes to use the same range without unintentionally passing information to and from one another over the Internet.
It may happen that your computer may have quite a different address such as 70.31.192.243. This is often true because a single computer that is connected to the Internet gets an address that is assigned by the ISP or Internet Service Provider. You then do not really have only a home network, but you are considered to be a paying customer of a commercial network. When every device, computer, router and printer, is assigned its own address, the software as well as the hardware can ascertain where the data is coming from and when it should go. This is called communication without confusion.
The router software along with the hardware, routes the data to and from the proper devices using those addresses. The method is almost exactly the same as the postal system when it routes letters from one home or business to another.
By: Joseph Nyamache
Tags: Address Ranges, Blink Of An Eye, Chunks, Commercial Networks, Computer Components, Computer Network, Computer Routers, Computer Use, Home Networks, Internet Connection, Internet Protocol, Multiple Computers, Network Address Translation, Peripherals, Private Addresses, Public Networks, Router Hub, Share Resources, Spider Web, Web Signals
Todays Secret : Why big stores love home networks.
More and more of us are adding devices to our home networks, extra pc for the kids, xbox or wii, media sever to store all our music and photos. The ability to share music, photos and videos across all the pcs in your house has never been easier. Yet with all this growth a recent survey conducted by ABI Research, showed one in three consumers reported difficulty in setting up and maintaining their home network. 25% of all wireless devices are returned to the store simply because it was too hard to setup, and not a defective product. This notion is further enforced by Best Buy’s Geek Squad founder Robert Stephens who acknowledged that the complexity of installing a wireless network is evidenced by the fact that return rates on wireless networking devices drop to nearly zero when his installers do it. Really there are a lot of great network products out there but fortunately they do not always do a good job of explaining very simple to set up.
This is one of reasons that big stores love home networks , it seems complex and hard to set up. Its easy to get frustrated with it. So if you return a wireless router to the store how hard do they have to sell you on letting them ease your frustrations by having them install it for you.
Another reason they love home networks is the time it can take to set up a network. Usually there’s software to install, pc will need a reboot, add security passwords and need another reboot and we all know how long that can take. So if you have two pcs on your network the time needed is doubled, want to add a printer you can all use, time doubles again as more software is added to each pc and yet more reboots.
Final reason is maintenance. Want to add a new pc or printer they will gladly come out and spend more time adding the new device. If the network stops working do you know where to start troubleshooting?
Truth is home and small business networking is not that difficult if you have some technical knowledge. Setting up times and maintenance can be greatly reduced with the right software. With great software you do not even need the technical knowledge to get a mult device network running. Whenever I go to someones home to set up a network I show them them Network Magic. This software is by cisco one of the leading companies in business high tech networking. I explain how by using this software their network can be set up quicker, be more secure and easier to maintain
Setting up
Simply install Cisco Network Magic to each pc in your home. The Essentials version has licenses for upto 3 devices. The Pro version lets you connect upto 8 devices. Cisco Network Magic adds a level of simplicity to many of the most common setup problems encountered. These issues include enabling wireless security and discovering and adding each device to the network, whether wired or wireless. With Cisco Network Magic, you can instantly connect all of your devices to the network, without the usual difficulties.
Once your network is up and running, Cisco Network Magic makes it easy to see what is happening on the network through a Network Map which is a visual representation of of all the devices that are connected to your home network, as well as possible intruders. The map also provides additional details about those devices, including IP addresses, connection status, alerts about software updates, as well as easy access to any tasks related to each device. By utilizing the features of the map, you can view and control many aspects of your networked devices, without having to go to each device individually so no more running back and forth.
File and Printer Sharing
ABI Research has also found that more than 33% of home network owners said they use their network for file sharing, and 40% share a printer among multiple computers. Cisco Network Magic helps make the process a snap, with built-in file and printer sharing tools.
To share files with your other computers, simply click on “Share a Folder” and a software setup program known as a “wizard” walks you through the steps. If you want to see what folders are shared on one computer, or all of your networked computers, you can do that as well. Cisco Network Magic even puts a shortcut on your desktop, making it easy to access all the music, photos, videos and other files available on your networked computers. With multiple computers in a household, it becomes very cumbersome and expensive to outfit each one with its own printer. If you want to share a printer among multiple computers, Cisco Network Magic has an easy setup process. The program will make the printer available to all computers on the network, and will even automatically install the printer drivers on the different PCs for you.
Parental Controls
If you’re like millions of concerned parents, you worry about the content that your children are exposed to on the Internet. Perhaps you would also like to control when your children have access to the Internet. With the Internet Access Controls in Cisco Network Magic, you can do all of this and more. Access pic Cisco Network Magic offers controls that allow you to manage when and where your networked computers access the Internet. You can restrict Internet access to certain times of the day, making sure your kids are doing their homework and not surfing the web or chatting with their friends online. All of this can be done remotely, via a password-enabled tool so the controls you put in place stay there.
Computer Reports and Network History The reports feature of Network Magic offers a convenient way to keep track of what sites have been visited on your connected computers. The program can be setup to email a link to a detailed report each day, showing when the computer was online, the programs that were used (and when they were used) computer health status, each website that was visited, and the Internet bandwidth consumed by each computer. Network history shows you which computers and other devices have connected to the network, along with any intruders that may have attempted to connect.
Troubleshooting One of the most frustrating aspects of managing a home network is troubleshooting when one of your devices gets disconnected. Your computer’s operating system offers limited solutions for fixing a problem with the PC, and no help for reconnecting other devices like game consoles or Internet-connected TVs. Network Magic offers a variety of troubleshooting solutions for your network connection, as well as file and printer sharing. When your connection is lost, the Network Map will clearly show you where the break is. Click on the “Repair Connection” button from the map to have the software walk you through a step-by-step guide to fix your network connection. The “Troubleshoot Sharing” task will do the same when you have file and printer sharing problems. If your still having trouble after using Network Magic then its worth having someone come in and help you.
So why do I recommend Network Magic to my clients if it means less work and money? Because I would rather my clients only need to call on me as a last resort and to know that when I a working for them I’m not wasting their time and money on tasks that can be made simple and easy Top 5 Home Network Problem Areas 1. Wireless Network Connection 2. Printer Sharing 3. Troubleshooting 4. Connecting New Devices 5. Wireless Network Security I’ll add a sixth to that 6. Cost. Network Magic reduces all of these. Its a great price and is a one off fee, no yearly subscriptions like some software
Bonus Secret : Most times when your network is down a simple restart will get everything back just follow this procedure.
Shut down all the pcs and network devices
Shut down your router
Shut down the box provided by your cable company or phone ne for internet access
Wait 5 minutes and then start up the cable/phone box again
Wait five more minutes and start up your router
Wait 5 more minutes and startup your pcs one by one
For more secrets and to but Network Magic visit www.pcrepairsecrets.blogspot.com
By: Richard Leddy
Tags: Best Buy, Business Networking, Complexity, Defective Product, Frustrations, Geek Squad, Good Job, Home Networking, Home Networks, Installing A Wireless Network, Music Photos, Networking Devices, Notion, Reboot, Robert Stephens, Security Passwords, Wii, Wireless Networking, Wireless Router, Xbox
Many people have relatively uncomplicated needs for their home networks. Even now that multiple computers within a single home are common, the systems are often not networked, with file transfer being done by means of “sneaker net”, or copying files to and from a CD or by Sending files via email.
This is a great time to build your own home network, if you have always wanted to. The costs and the complexity of the systems are lower than ever. Just getting past the technical terminology used is the biggest barrier for many new home network builders. The equipment you’ll need is pretty simple. You’re going to need Cat-5 (or Ethernet) cables for a wired network. Think about where you plan to set up your computers to determine how much cable you’re going to need and then add on about 1/5 more cable than that – you always need a little more than you think. If you plan to build a wireless network, you can skip the cables.
You’ll also need a switch or a router for all of these cables (or radio waves if it’s a wireless network) to connect to. A hub or a switch is just a box with ports to plug cables into – a switch has slightly more functionality than does a hub. A router is better and can handle internet connection sharing; it is almost a must for a home network. I say almost because you can use one of the computers on your network to handle internet connection sharing. However, it is in most cases far easier to just use a router instead of tying up a lot of the resources of one of your computers dealing with connection sharing.
You’re also going to need Network Interface Cards (or NICs) in each computer, printer or any other device you want to be on the network. These can be your standard 10/100 ethernet cards or 802.11b/g cards which can be used for a wireless network. If you are building a wired network, you can use Ethernet equipment with 10MB or 100MB speeds. They are both so inexpensive, that there is really no reason not to go for the 100MB equipment. These devices generally support equipment which runs in the older standard as well. There is also Gigabit Ethernet, but this is prohibitively expensive for many building a home network.
Install, attach and/or setup all hardware as per the manufacturers’ directions. Every device on the network needs to have at least one IP address of its own. IP addresses are those numbers you may have seen on the internet before, such as: 70-1-2-125. On a home network, your IP addresses will look like 192.168.0.1 or 10.121.0.1.
Your IP numbering should begin with the router. This device is the center of your network; imagine a star with rays of light emanating from it. Each cable or wireless signal is one of these rays of light. The ends of these rays are where your devices are. If the router has the number 192.168.0.1, then computers and other device should be numbered 192.168.0.2, 192.168.0.3. Don’t assign the same address to two devices.
You’ll have to read the manual for your router for the specifics on how to assign these addresses, as well as the documentation for your computer’s operating system.
By: Joseph Nyamache
Tags: 100mb, 10mb, Cat 5, Computer Printer, Ethernet Cables, Ethernet Cards, File Transfer, Great Time, Home Networks, Hub Router, Hub Switch, Internet Connection, Multiple Computers, Network Hub, Network Interface Cards, Nics, Radio Waves, Single Home, Sneaker, Technical Terminology
