Home Networking
A home network lets you attach more PCs to your internet connect by sharing the connection.
And a wireless network will let you move around the house with a laptop top, connecting you to the internet where ever you are.
Home Network Overview
A home network is a way to attach more than one PC or laptop computer to a single internet connection. It also allows all the computers on the network to connect to each other and share files or even resources, like a printer.
If you have a main PC with a printer directly attached, anyone else in the house who is on the network, can connect to that printer, and use it.
It really only makes sense to add a home network if you have a high-speed internet connection and more then one PC or laptop that needs internet access.
Typically, your high-speed internet access will be made through a DSL/cable modem. By putting a router between your modem and any computers that want a connection, you make more connections available.
Router
A Router is a piece of equipment that is connected to your cable modem and to your PC(s) using a network cable.
The router handles all the incoming and outgoing traffic between your DSL/cable modem and your PCs.
It has its own identity. And it gives a unique identity to each computer attached to it. That way each computer connected to the router is unique, giving each PC its own internet connection.
To connect to a router, each computer will need an Ethernet card. If you don't have one, don't worry, since they are very inexpensive. Click on the Buy.com link at the bottom of the page for pricing.
You will also need an Ethernet cable to connect each computer. If the computers are in different rooms, you are looking at a major wiring job. It would be better to consider a Wireless Router.
Wireless Router
A wireless router gives all of the computer users in your house a lot more flexibility.
You only have to connect the wireless router to the DSL/cable modem. Anyone else, who has a wireless Ethernet card can link to the wireless router from any room in the house, and from any outside space as well, like a patio or porch. You can have a large number of wireless connections at the same time.
And it also has slots to plug-in to the router if you have a computer near by.
Once you install your wireless router, which usually only takes a few minutes and is very simple, you will love the flexibility it provides.