Simple Home Networking Guide

“It takes more effort to fix a mistake than it does to get it right the first time”. I have heard and applied that principal to setting up networks since I have started in the computer business back in 1998. I have marveled at some of the greatest failures of network topology setups and blunders. I have seen the worst and the best and everything in between.

First rule of thumb when preparing a home network is pen and paper. Yes start digging through your child’s backpack for the pencil and grab a piece of that printer paper.  Draw a simple sketch of what you need out of your network. Simple floor layout with best guess distances from the wireless or wired base of your network.  Also be sure to note the wall separation of each room that you expect your network to run.  Anyone can draw this simple floor plan sketch, and now you know where to begin your search for what type of network.

Wired networking used to be a lot more difficult and costly to setup 10 years ago. By using “CABLE RUNS” through walls and attic spaces, it requires quite a bit of knowledge and safety practice. Back in my college dorm we just ran network cables under the carpet and called it a day. But this can be achieved with some basic tools and a lot of patience. Hardwiring a house for network reasons is a huge plus for many including security, speed, and longevity.  If you need to learn how to set this type of network I suggest buying a book from Home Depot they have helped many including myself.

Power line network adapters of all makes and models are a reality! I remember not so long ago reading about the wonders of plugging a device into your power outlet and using that for networking! I was excited and a bit bewildered on how they would filter out the data from the electric flow. I was in awe and wondered if it would ever become a reality. It finally did and I have been a huge fan since. If you want simplicity and cost effective high speed hardwired networking this is a no brainer way to go. Simply plug a device at each end you want your network to attach to, and after that setup is done in minutes. It has become my favorite choice to all of my customers, and I have seen almost no major issues other than a device dying of old age.

Wireless networking the most popular choice and also the most hack able and intrusive mistake you may make.  When buying a Wi-Fi router make sure that it can cover the entirety of the area you need covered. Also be sure that you are purchasing a router that can operate on all the current bands which most new devices need, to offer you the fastest transfer rates. “AD is the current highest band commercially made as of now”. But you will more than likely see “N” as the most commonly used router band. Setting up your network for the first time usually requires a setup CD or direct access via plugging into a laptop or desktop device. The first thing you should always incorporate is a network password. There are many alternatives to what type of password you can use but use at least a simple WEP password.  Using a simple passkey is on the lowest end of security and has a high rate of being “cracked” if snooped properly with a good hacker tool kit.

Choosing passwords up to 63 characters exists for a reason everybody. If you do choose a lengthy password make sure you write it down properly, if not you will become frustrated and end up taking the security off. If it becomes bothersome when you can’t connect your phone to the wireless “people get frustrated”. I have seen this too many times and believe me you don’t want people snooping on your wireless network. Secure your router login and password! This is just as bad as not adding a wireless password to your network. Almost all routers come with a manger style login interface used via a webpage. Leaving the DEFAULT PASSWORDS on instead of changing them is a HUGE NO NO! Anyone can take complete control of your wireless network if they have the know-how to do so, and you just made it a walk in the park for them by not pass protecting your router login page.  Also an over looked option for extra security is the BROADCAST NETWORK NAME option. You can actually disable this and without someone knowing the exact name of your network they won’t have a chance to even connect to it!

There are many basic points I have discussed in this blog but I’m hoping this simple tutorial will help a few in need.  There is always an option to any choice you make and I hope you make all the right ones.