Edward C. Maurer asked:


Establishing a home computer network has become so amazingly easy that with the addition of a few small devices that just plug into any computer, the average home can have its own wireless network up and running in less than an hour, and for surprisingly little money. The best part of the home-based wireless network is you don’t need to buy printers and other components like scanners and DVD players for each computer in the house. They can all share the same component from different parts of the home, and yes, even the yard or garage.

Okay, you’re a modern family. You might even have the latest home technology like notebook computers, “smart appliances” that can be controlled through your computer, and a computer-controlled home security system, right? Yeah, sure you do. And, of course, you’re hooked up to the Internet through a cable or broadband connection, right? And I bet you even have a scanner and a color printer for everyone in the house to use. So, all your computer needs are taken care of.

All you have to do to use the printer from your second desktop, or your notebook computer, is save the file to a disc (Unless it’s an art file, then you have to make sure you have a high-capacity disc, like a ZIP disc, or maybe you even burned it to a CD. You do have a CD-burner in your notebook, right?), then take the disc to your primary computer (Ah, but what if one of the kids is already on it playing a game, or doing homework?), then download the file, then go right ahead and print it. Easy, isn’t it? Or maybe you want to surf the Web from out by the pool (Wait…out by the pool? How?), or catch up on some office work, or maybe junior needs to do homework. No problem, because everyone can shuffle around to the right computer (for the moment) and….

Wait a minute…there HAS to be an easier way to do this. Right?

Sure there is, just setup a home computer network. A computer network is when two or more computers are given the ability to communicate with each other through wires or radios to share information or devices like printers and scanners.

Now, a home network is easy to set-up…just run some network cables through your walls…(Make sure they’re in the right rooms; don’t forget the one out to the patio, oh, and the one for the kitchen.) and hook yourself right up to that broadband connection. (Of course, you know how to run the cable through a wall, and you know how far each cable can be from the main computer, and how to put on all the connectors.) Of course, you don’t have to run it through the wall…you can just run it along the baseboards…the cable is a real pretty bright blue…it just matches everything. Great! You’re ready to go. But, one more little thing…since your Internet cable connection only allows one computer to access the Net at a time, you better make sure you have a schedule so everyone has a chance to use the it when they need it. Now, that’s easy. Remember how easy it was to make up that bathroom schedule when you had all that company last year? Same thing. Just as easy. Right.

Well, friend, all is not lost. You can easily have your network at home and everyone can access the Internet at the same time. The best part is that there are no wires to feed through walls, and it’s affordable. The solution is a wireless network connected to your Internet cable through a router using a NAT, or Network Address Translation program, and both are available from your local electronics or computer store right now.

Very simply put, a wireless network is made up of small, hi-tech radios that send signals between computers. The NAT allows several computers to access the Net at the same time, because they will look like only a single computer once the NAT is done with them; it even adds an extra layer of security to your network. Now, if you don’t have a broadband connection, but still use a dial-up, the wireless network and NAT are still a great choice for your home network.

Computers, the Internet, and the network components that ties them together, gives you connectivity in your home. Connectivity, there’s a word that means a lot. Connectivity means you have the ability to connect your computer to a system like the Internet, or other computers in a network, and send and receive information. A network, whether it’s two computers hooked up to one-another, or all the computers in the world hooked up to the Internet, is a community, a community of computers and the people who use them. There are small communities and large communities, and even the world community. And as long as you have connectivity, you can be part of that community.

There are essentially two types of networks, LANs and WANs. If you have computers in your home or office, and they can speak with each other through a network, that is a Local Area Network, a LAN, since it’s all local. The Internet, since it is worldwide, is the ultimate Wide-Area Network, a WAN. Of course, you can probably access the Internet from your home or office, and this is done through a port. Imagine a port where ships come and go. They leave the port with people and cargo, and sail to other destinations around the world; it’s the same way with an Internet port. Through it, you can travel the world.

With wireless networking, notebook and desktop computers can talk to one-another and use the same printer and other devices without having to be in the same room, so there’s no need to buy a printer or a scanner for each computer. You can even control the new “smart appliances” with your wireless network. There’s also no need to run around plugging your notebook computer into different devices, either. Now that you aren’t hooked up to wires that connect you to your home network, you have the freedom to move around the house, or even out to the yard, and still be able to access the Net and printers and anything else run by a computer. Being wireless means you can take your portable computer from your office to the kitchen. There’s no running back and forth to find recipes or keep an eye on your stocks. You have total mobility, and isn’t that why you bought a notebook computer anyway?

Apartment dwellers and renters will find wireless networks the best solution for their connectivity needs since there are no cables that need to be run between rooms. With the wireless network there is nothing that has to be installed other than a broadband cable or telephone line coming into the home for Internet access, which is probably already in place.

Since connectivity is so important to the home network, NAT, the Network Address Translation program is a vital part of any network that connects through a cable, or broadband, connection. Cable service providers typically provide one Internet Protocol (IP) address per household. Each computer that accesses the Internet has to have an IP address (These are automatically assigned each time you sign onto the Internet.), much like anyone who wants to mail a letter has to have a destination address and a return address. Since a household is generally only allowed one IP address, only one computer can be on the Net at any one time. So, if you have say, three computers, two won’t be able to use the Internet. NAT solves this problem by separating the IP addresses of the network computers as they try to access the Internet, and exchanging its own address for them. In this way, the only address the cable reads is that of the NAT, so it lets the signals pass unimpeded. When a response is sent back to those computers, the NAT recognizes the answer and sends the reply back to the computer that originated the exchange. Since the NAT exchanges its own address for that of the computers on your network, no one on the Internet knows your computers are online, unless you contact them. What this means for you is anyone trying to access your computers without your involvement cannot even find you, so NAT adds an extra layer of security to your network. Several wireless products come programmed with NAT software, so keep an eye out for it when you shop.

Now, so we don’t give you a false sense of security, running a computer behind a NAT router will not give you complete protection, though it can complement your current security measures. Malicious codes can still be downloaded through NAT, and Trojan Horse programs can still initiate connections to a hostile server. Web browsers and email operates through NAT unhindered, so any threat from Web sites and email still exists because the intended victim initiates these contacts, and opens a window to trouble if not careful. Imagine Dracula hovering outside your bedroom window…he can only enter if you invite him in. NAT’s your window; don’t open it to vampires!

Wireless networks are so simple to establish that the kids (even an adult) can have your network up and running in a matter of minutes. Wireless networking devices come in a variety of configurations that fit into one of the available slots in the back of your desktop computer or plug in just like your keyboard or mouse. Some are little electronic cards that plug in to the communications slot in your portable notebook computer or PDA. Better yet, many new computers will soon have the wireless radio already installed by the manufacturer.

As you begin shopping around for various types of in-home wireless network devices, you are bound to run into people with different opinions about data-transmittal speeds, the speed at which information, whether it be email, photos, or even movies, travels over the network. This is most often expressed in bits-per-second, bps, which, using automotive terms, is like miles-per-hour. The greater the bps, the faster information can travel over your network. That’s pretty simple. Where it gets confusing is when you hear people saying you need this many bits per second or that many bits per second to have even a basic network. Well, I’m here to tell you—that can be very misleading. Wireless networks currently transmit at a rate of 11 megabits per second, or 11Mbps. What that means is that 11 million bits of data can travel through your network every second. At that speed, an average 3”x4” photo made up of about six million bits will load onto your computer in about a second. Not bad, huh. So, at these speeds, you can play games, listen to music and do pretty much all your normal computer-type information sharing without any speed issues. For the most part, the only issue is when the file you want has more information than the system can handle quickly. Pretty much all that happens then is the file is a little slower to download, and you may not even notice the delay. About the only time an 11Mbps speed will be an issue is when you want to play video on one computer and watch it on another. However, in the very near future a system (It may already be available as you’re reading this.) containing a wireless radio called Indigo, will be producing speeds of 54Mbps, which will be able to easily handle any type file you’ll need, even video.

Some cable-network aficionados will insist that even 54Mbps isn’t fast enough for the home. (They probably also like the big, fat, ugly blue cables that run along your baseboards, too.) But one thing they don’t mention is that your Internet connection, even the fastest available, is slower than most wireless transmission speeds. Imagine you have a car that will go 100mph, and you are in rush-hour traffic going 40mph; even though the posted speed limit is 65mph. Being able to go 100mph doesn’t really mean anything under those conditions, does it? Nope. It’s the same way with data-transmittal speeds. If the Internet is slower than your computer, you will usually be fine with a speed of 11Mbps, and most certainly will at 54Mbps! So, don’t sweat the speed; wireless can take care of all your needs.

There are basically three radio units that comprise a wireless network. An access point is a stationary unit that physically connects to the network cable. This is also the unit that can be, or already is, programmed with the NAT software. The computer hooked up to your printer, scanner and other peripheral devices may be attached to this. Similar units attach to individual desktop computers, but not physically to the Internet cable, and provide a communications link with the access point. The units that are attached to notebook computers are called Wireless Network Interface Cards, or W-NICs, and they plug into the communications slot on the notebook. Another version of the card fits into PDAs, Personal Digital Assistants. You need one access point for the typical house, and one WLAN component for each computer. That’s it. No bright blue cables running between computers or along baseboards. No special installation requirements, and no computer technicians to come in and setup your network. Just follow the instructions on the packaging…and you’re on your way to a fully mobile computing environment in your very own household. These wireless-networking products can be found on the websites of most, if not all, computer and electronics dealers. Wireless home computer networking is convenient and it brings the family together; it’s easy set up and cost-effective, too. How can you afford NOT to have a wireless network if it does all this? The answer is—you can’t.



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