Main Use of a Wired or Wireless Network

 

Connecting peripheral devices like computers, smart phone, tablets etc. Most home networks will use a mixture of wired and wireless. Setting up a Home Network -Components and Structure

Today however most home and small home office networks will use a wireless network or mixed network, as most people use Smartphones, and tablets which don’t have Ethernet support.

Used for network backbone i.e. connecting between router,network switches and wireless access points on different levels of floors.

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Wired Network Advantages

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• Fast typically 100 Mbps to 10 Gbps

• Secure and reliable.

       

Wired Network Disadvantages

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• Doesn’t work with devices that don’t have an Ethernet port e.g. tablets and smart phones.

• Not so easy and fast to setup as it requires running cables. However home plug or power line adapters can be used instead.

 

Wireless Network Advantages

Wireless networks use Wi-Fi. and are quick and easy to install, but are generally slower than wired networks. 

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• Wireless networks use Wi-Fi. and are quick and easy to install, but are generally slower than wired networks. 

• Allows easy access to Smartphones, Tablets and Smart devices.

• No cables to run walls or on the floor.

 

Wireless Network Disadvantages

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• Not as secured as wired networks without proper configuration.

• Not as fast as wired networks.

• Not as reliable as wired networks.

 

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The main components required to build a typical home/small office network are:

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• Router or Wireless router – Connects the network to the Internet.

• Wireless Access Point – Used to Connect Wi-Fi equipped devices to the network.

• Ethernet HUB or Switch -Used to Connect Ethernet equipped devices.

• Cable cat 5, cat5e or cat 6 with RJ45 connectors.

• Telephone Cable with RJ 10 connectors.

• Broadband Filters.

 

For most home networks the Wireless Router or Hub which connects the network to the Internet will be the main component of the home or small office network, and in many cases the only component. The Wireless router usually incorporates a Wireless access point,Ethernet switch,  modem and Router in a single box.

 

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Wireless Router Location

 

Because the Wireless Router provides the Wireless access point then you should place it in a central location, if possible, to get the best wireless reception.

 

Don’t

• Hide it in a cupboard or cabinet

• Install it behind the sofa or chair

• Install next to motors, microwaves, cordless telephones or TV antenna

 

Testing Your Wireless Signal

 

The easiest way of testing you signal strength in various locations is to use the in SSIDer Wi-Fi checker which is an App that you can install on your Android Tablet or phone.

The general idea is to place the Wireless router in its preferred location and then move around the house with the in SSIDer Wi-Fi checker, and check the signal strength, and then adjust the location if necessary.

 

Extending Your Home Network

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In large homes or offices it may not be possible to connect all devices directly to the Wireless Router. But you mayl need to purchase additional networking components like an Access Point that relay's the signal of your router.

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• Extending your Wi-Fi coverage by installing additional Router or Access Point.

• You can extend the Wired network by running cables into other rooms

• Install electrical wall adpters to plug your ethernet cable into.

 

Home Router Setup

 

To administer the router you access it via a web browser, and login using a username and password. Before you allow devices to connect to your home network you should make some basic changes to the default setup parameters of your router. The two important one's are the

SSID used to access the router and the router admin password as the default uername and password that are well known and published on the Internet.

 

Connecting Wi-Fi Devices

 

The standard way of connecting a Wi-fi device to a Wi-fi network is the connect to the network and enter the password when prompted.

However most modern Wi-Fi routers/hubs support a feature called WPS ( Wi-fi protected setup). Which usually involves pressing a button on the WiFi router and a corresponding WPS connection button on the Device. The devices then connect without requiring you to enter a password.

 

Home Network IP Addresses

 

All of your devices will need an IP address. This is provided automatically by a service called DHCP which, by default, is provided by the home router. IP address provided by the DHCP server are known as dynamic address as they can change. You can also assign addresses manually, and these are known as static addresses.

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Static Addresses are not normally assigned but are often required when using Port Forwarding.

Additionally the addresses used on your home network are known as internal addresses. When you connect to the Internet your device will use an external IP address. This address is the IP address of the router/hub.

 

Finding Your DNS, IP and MAC Addresses

 

You may need to find DNS servers you are using or the IP and MAC address of:

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• Your Home Router.

• Your own computer/tablet/phone

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The main tool you use is the ipconfig (windows) or ifconfig (linux) tool.

Your home router is your gateway to the Internet. When viewing your configuration some devices refer to it as the default router whereas other use the term default gateway.

 

Firewall Configuration on Home Networks

 

A Firewall functions like a router, and generally what you use on small networks is firewall/NAT router combination in which a single device acts as a NAT router and firewall. A firewall protects your home or small business network computers and devices from intruders on the Internet. It effectively acts like a one way digital gate blocking access to your network from devices on the Internet, but at the same time allowing devices on your network to connect to devices on the Internet. For home and office networks the firewall is built into the router and connects to the Internet. Generally there is no configuration required as the default only allows connections from the local network to the Internet and not from the Internet to the home network.

 

Checking Network and Internet Speeds

 

On any network the speed is restricted by the slowest component. A computer with a Gigabit network card talking to a computer with a 100Mbit/s network card is restricted to 100Mbit/s. Shared devices like switches and Wireless access points are network choke points just like traffic lights and roundabouts on a road.

 

​Home Network and Internet Connection Problems

 

You will invariably have connection problems from time to time. In my experience most problems are easily diagnosed and fixed with a little patience and perseverance. But for me it's easy and a God given talant. For you I can give you a good understanding of how a network works and essential for you to successfully troubleshoot your network. Should you still have problems just Book an Appointment or Call us to setup appointment with an OnSite Technologies experts today to learn how we can offer you superior service and flexible solutions.