Home/Small Business Network Planning and SetupThere are many different ways to build and setup a home network. Because of this it is important that you plan your network before you proceed to build it, otherwise you may finish up buying hardware that you don't need or that doesn't do what you really wanted.. Planning the NetworkThings you need to consider
Wireless, Wired or MixedToday all home networks are either wired networks using cat 5 UTP cable or wireless using WI-FI or a mixture of both. Although wireless networks are much more flexible they are:
Having said that I would generally recommend a wireless network. Three ScenariosBecause of the many different network permutations that are possible I am going to cover the three most common scenarios.
Home Wired Network and Standard Broadband RouterThis is a common configuration in older/existing networks. The Internet connection uses a standard DSL broadband router. The home network side of the router is Ethernet. Most routers also function as hub and will allow multiple Ethernet devices (computers) to connect. You can also connect and external hub/switch to the Router to increase the number of devices you can connect. The client computers can then connect to each other and the Internet. Here is the logical network diagram for this type of network:
To setup this type of network you will need to
Home Network using Wireless Access Point and Standard Broadband Router.This is a common configuration in older/existing networks. The Internet connection uses a standard DSL broadband router. The home network side of the router is Ethernet. Most routers also function as hub and will allow multiple Ethernet devices (computers) to connect. In this scenario you connect the router to the Wireless access point using an Ethernet cable and the client computers connect to the Access point using wireless. The client computers can then connect to each other and the Internet. Here is the logical network diagram for this type of network.
To setup this type of network you will need to
Home Network using Wireless Broadband RouterMany broadband providers provide a Wireless broadband router as part of the service. This means that not only do you get an internet connection but you get a home wireless network in a single box. In a wireless network the Router and Hub are replaced by a Wireless router which provides the same functionality. The client computers can then connect to each other and the Internet via the wireless router. Here is the logical network diagram for this type of network.
The wireless router effectively is a router and Wireless Access point in one box. To setup this type of network you need to:
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Setup StepsThey are
In order to illustrate the network planning and setup process we are going to follow through some case studies. All you need to do is find the one that best matches your own situation. Connecting Computers Together on a Home NetworkThere are two main methods of connecting computers and other devices together on a network. They are
Using a Network Hub/and or Switch Although there are technical distinctions between hubs and switches as far as our present discussion goes they can be treated a the same device as they perform the same function. The hub/switch can a wired Ethernet Hub or a Wireless Hub. Wired Ethernet Hub/Switch
You simply connect the computer or networking device using a UTP cable with RJ-45 UTP connectors to a spare port on the hub. The computers themselves need to be equipped with an Ethernet card. All hubs operate on 10-100Mbits/sec and are compatible with modern network cards which work at 100mbits and older one which operated at 10mbit/s. Main problemsThe main problem with wired hubs is the connecting cables. You can get very long connecting cables but in a home it is difficult to run them especially between floors. Therefore I would only recommend this configuration for a home office where all the equipment is located in a single room. Wireless Hub or Wireless Access Point
The back (not shown in the picture ) has standard RJ-45 UTP connectors for connecting the access point to a wired Ethernet device/network. The computers themselves need to be equipped with a suitable wireless adaptor. This is the preferred method for creating a home network. Main problemsThe wireless standards are evolving and so you need to be careful that new equipment is backwards compatible. If you mix two different standards then they will operate at the lower speeds. You may also experience signal problems when the access point is separated from the computer/device with a wall and/or a long distance. depending on the To connect to the for connecting Case Study 1- No existing NetworkSteve currently connects to the Internet using Dial up modem. He decides to upgrade to broadband and at the same time allow his two daughters, who both have computers, to access the Internet. Steve doesn't want to run wires through the house and not all of the computers are equipped with Ethernet cards, so Steve decides on a wireless solution. Equipment needed:
Steve notices that there are Broadband providers offering wireless routers as part of the Broadband package, and so only needs to equip the computers and his laptop for wireless. There are two choices:
Not being too confident with computers Steve decides that he doesn't want to start taking the covers off the computers and so opts for Wireless USB adaptors. SetupThere are two aspects involved in the setup
Case Study 2 - Existing NetworkSteve currently connects to the Internet using Dial up modem. He has a small wired network that connects his computer and two other computers that belong to his daughters. On his computer he has enabled Internet connection sharing and his daughters access the Internet via his machine, which means it must always be left on even when he isn't using it. His daughters are constantly chatting away on MSN, and the connection is very slow. He decides to upgrade to broadband DSL. Because all of the computers currently have Ethernet cards, as they are currently being used on a wired network, all that needs to be considered is the broadband connection itself Because the connection will be shared and Steve doesn't want to have to leave his computer on all the time he opts for a broadband router to connect to the Internet. Steve has also noticed that some broadband providers offer the router free with the broadband connection, and so he doesn't need to buy anything. In addition, the broadband router also includes a 4 port hub which means that he can connect even more computers if he wants. SetupRelated Articles and Resources
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This
looks very similar to a wired hub except that it has an antenna and
usually more leds.