How to Connect Two (2) or more Computers to the Internet

To connect 2 or more computers/laptops to the Internet you first need to create a home network. Creating a home network isn't has difficult as it first sounds and once created you can use it to connect other devices to the Internet.

Basic Computer Networking

To connect two or more computers/devices together you need some kind of connection media. The two standard connection media types used today for home/small business networks are cable (CAT 5 UTP) and Wireless (WI-FI).

There are other connection types but these are used for connecting devices like hard drives, cameras to computers/laptops and not for home networking. Common are:

• USB-
• Firewire
• Bluetooth

There are three types of home network that you can make and connect to the Internet. They are:

• Ethernet LAN / Wired Network
• Wireless LAN / Wireless Network
• Ethernet and Wireless LAN mixture

Wired Networks

It is possible to directly connect two computers together using UTP using a  crossover cable. However in this mode you cannot add a third computer and so it is nor considered a network as it cannot expand and interconnect.

To connect two or more computers together the following Items are required.

• Computers equipped with Ethernet cards.
• A hub or a switch or a router/switch/hub combination.
• DSL modem
• DSL filter
• UTP connection Cables.

The graphic below shows the connection when separate boxes are used. It should be noted that often a single box will function as switch/hub/router and DSL modem all in one.

Regardless of whether or not you are using separate boxes or not the only devices that require configuration are the computers and the router. All others just require connecting together and usually power.

Wireless Network

There are several possible network configuration setups for connecting wireless computers/laptops to the Internet. They range from pure wireless to a hybrid or wired Ethernet and wireless.

To connect two or more computers together the following Items are required.

• Computers equipped with Wi-Fi or USB Wi-Fi adaptors
• A wireless Router
• A hub or a switch or a router/switch/hub combination.
• DSL modem
• DSL filter
• UTP connection Cables.

The graphic below shows the connection when separate boxes are used. It should be noted that often a single box will function as switch/hub/router and DSL modem all in one.

To learn how to setup the Wireless router for connecting to the Internet see Wireless Internet Setup.

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