| Setting up a home network doesn't have to be | | | | sit outside of your home on a laptop and pull off |
| difficult. It also depends on what time of home | | | | of your network. They could gain access to very |
| network you want to install. Maybe you want to | | | | personal and very sensitive information if you |
| install a wired network or maybe you want to | | | | don't set everything up the way that it needs to |
| install a wireless network. It depends on the | | | | be set up. If you're not sure how to do this, then |
| capabilities of the computers within your home as | | | | it is time to seek professional help. |
| to what route you're going to take. | | | | The wired network |
| The wireless network | | | | This can be a bit more difficult than the wireless |
| The wireless network is probably your easiest | | | | network for the simple fact that you have wires |
| network to install. That's because you don't have | | | | you have to hide everywhere. Everything else as |
| to hide a cord all the way around your home. As | | | | far as DNS, IPs, and DHCP applies because |
| a matter of fact, you just need to have a | | | | someone on the outside could still compromise |
| computer that is wireless capable and a router. | | | | your network. Again, you don't want that to |
| Seems easy enough, right? Well, it can still be a | | | | happen. What if you have financial information on |
| bit tricky because you have to program that | | | | your computer? Someone could very easily get a |
| router so that all of your computers can talk to it. | | | | hold of credit card and bank account numbers. So |
| So let's say that your computer is not wireless | | | | again, if you have difficulty with setting up your |
| capable. What do you do now? Well, you need to | | | | network, it is a good idea to look into having a |
| get a wireless adapter to plug into the computer | | | | professional take care of the job for you. |
| or you need to plug it directly into the router with | | | | Once you have your network set up, you'll be |
| an Ethernet cable. In homes with multiple | | | | able to share files with the other computers in |
| computers, there is sometimes that one | | | | your home. You can share video files, music files, |
| computer that is not wireless capable. If the | | | | and so much more. It is a lot of fun to be able to |
| others are, they can simply talk to the router | | | | share all of that information. It is almost like |
| from wherever they are. If they are not wireless, | | | | having external hard drives all over your home. |
| then Ethernet cables need to be run from those | | | | You're able to access information beyond your |
| computers to the router. The router is the hub | | | | own hard drive and beyond the Internet. Those |
| for your network. | | | | are the reasons why more and more homes are |
| Furthermore, you have to set up your Domain | | | | installing home networks. When something is |
| Name System so that the router knows what's | | | | stored into the "shared" folder on the computer, |
| going on. You also have to set IPs and your | | | | other computers are able to access it. Permissions |
| Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. If you don't | | | | can also be set to allow other folders to be |
| do these things, then your computers are not | | | | accessed from another computer in the home. |
| going to be talking to each other the way you | | | | This is a good way to keep an eye on the kids |
| want them to. They have to know who and what | | | | and see what it is they're downloading while on |
| they are talking to in order to ensure that | | | | the Internet. |
| permission is granted. You don't want someone to | | | | |