What is a home network?
When two or more computers are connected so they can communicate and share information, it’s called a network. With a home network you can use up to ten home computers without slowing your broadband connection. When all your computers are connected, you can share files without transferring them to disc, play shared games and even share equipment (e.g. there’s no need to buy more than one printer). You don’t have to be a computer whizz to set up a home network, and there’s no need to rewire your house. There are different ways to network your home – wired, wireless, or a combination of the two.
A network is a group of computers, printers, and other devices that are connected together with cables. Information travels over the cables, allowing network users to exchange documents and data with each other, print to the same printers, and generally share any hardware or software that is connected to the network within a single family residence.
A home network can be an excellent tool for a busy household with multiple computers, or just someone who wants the convenience of accessing the Internet from any computer in their home. A home network is a type of local area network (LAN), a group of computers and other devices in close proximity to each other that are connected, so they can share information and resources. Home networks often link desktop computers, laptops, printers, DSL or cable modems, video game systems, and digital video recorders. A home network is all about sharing. It can allow you to exchange files without floppy disks, print from any computer to a single printer, play multi-user video games, and share one broadband Internet connection. A typical LAN is made up of three parts: nodes, a connecting medium, and specialized networking equipment. Any device connected to the network, like a computer or printer, is called a node. A LAN can have as few as two nodes or as many as thousands of nodes. Nodes can be conn
If you have more than one computer in the house, you may want to consider linking them together in a home network. A home network allows multiple computers to interact with one another in order to share files, resources and an Internet connection. Sharing Files: Swapping files between computers is standard procedure for anyone with more than one computer in the house. In the past this was done with floppies, then CDs, and now memory sticks. A home network makes it easier than ever, as you can access any other computer from the comfort and convenience of your own keyboard. Directories and files appear as if they were on your own system. MP3 libraries, digital photographs, spreadsheets and word processing files are only a click away, no matter where they reside on the network. Whether an individual with a laptop and desktop system, or a large family with multiple computers in the house, home network users will find file sharing to be one of the biggest conveniences. Sharing resources: A
Before we begin to discuss the functions available to a home network or how a network actually operates, it is important to first identify what a Network is. According to Habraken (2004) “A network can be anything from a simple collection of computers (two qualify as a network) at one location that has been tied together using a particular connectivity medium (such as network cabling or wireless technology).
