Many people have a home network in order to share an Internet connection, stream movies from the Internet, share printers, or share files or music among devices, such as computers, TV sets, Home Theater equipment and Music Players.
There are three types of home networks: wired, wireless and mixed (wired and wireless). Wired networks use wires to connect the devices together. Wireless networks use radio waves to connect the devices. Mixed networks use both wired and wireless connections.
Wired connections are by far the most reliable. If at all possible, we recommend wired connections for all stationary devices.
To setup a home network, a device called a router is used to connect the devices inside your home to the Internet. Routers can wired only, or more commonly both wired and wireless Routers also include a firewall as an extra level of protection from Internet threats.
Here are some common mistakes to avoid when setting up your home network:
1. Not securing the network with a wireless password. Without a wireless password, any device within range of your network can connect to it and use your Internet connection, which can cause your Internet speed to slow to a crawl. Also, any shared devices, such as printers or computers that are sharing files may be accessible.
2. Not writing down all network settings and passwords. We spend an inordinate amount of time trying to find forgotten or misplaced passwords, usernames and settings.
We have extensive experience setting up and troubleshooting wired and wireless networks for both PCs and Macs.
