Common Home Networking Problems to Avoid
Computer networks bring many good things into the home: more convenient Internet access, sharing of files and printers, additional home entertainment options, and so on. Yet home network technology also poses challenges. Many folks don't know where to start. Things often don't work right the first time. Sometimes, people settle for an inferior setup and never realize the full potential of their home network. The advice below helps you steer clear of these common problems.Operating Systems and Home Networking
The network operating system (NOS) plays a key role on the home network. The operating system is the glue between your network gear and your applications.Read more: About network operating systems
Home Internet Service
Although you do not need Internet (Net) access to benefit from a home network, a majority of home networkers want to share an Internet connection. Depending on where you live, several different form of Internet service might be available, including- traditional modem dial-up
- ISDN
- DSL or cable modem broadband, and
- satellite Internet service
Home Network Security
Hooking a home network to the Internet can be dangerous! If you can access information on the public Net, its very possible that people on the Net can access your information too. Fortunately, several different technologies are available to help you keep your home network relatively safe from attackers (often called "hackers"). Bottom line: security features should be installed and tested on everyone's home network.Troubleshooting a Home Network
Installing a home network for the first time can be frustrating, but the frustration passes quickly once the basics have been understood and your system is running. A few months may pass without problems, but inevitably, nasty trouble with the network will appear at some point. Maybe the kids can't get to the Internet or their network game keeps crashing. Maybe file sharing suddenly stops working. Maybe everything stops working. A small amount of knowledge can go a long way in finding and fixing these problems quickly while keeping the family peace.Advanced Home Networking
Have you always wanted to learn how to program computers, or build Web pages and a Web site? With a home network, these and other more advanced skills might be within your reach. There was a time in computer networking where much of the important technical information was kept in the heads of engineers and passed along through a kind of "oral tradition." Thankfully, we've matured in this field and now nearly anything about networking is accessible to people with patience and a willingness to learn. Your home network can function as a development environment for you to experiment and practice with technology.The Future of Home Networking
The home networks we use today will look nothing like the networks of twenty years from now. From the computers we use to the applications we run, the future of home networking should be very exciting. Some people believe, thanks to an area of computer networking called home automation, our refrigerators and toasters will even become intelligent! Most importantly, perhaps someday every family that wants to own a home network will be able to do so. No doubt we will be proud to tell our grandchildren of our experiences in these "pioneer days" of home networking, and they will laugh at us accordingly.Next page > Benefits of Home Networking > Page 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
