The Benefits of Wireless Home Networking

A wireless home network, also known as Wi-Fi, lets you share files, an internet connection, computer peripherals, and other devices more conveniently than a wired network. Here are some of the useful features that a home Wi-Fi network offers.

Network File Sharing

Network file sharing among computers provides more flexibility than using portable disk drives. You can share photos, music files, and documents, plus you can save copies of important data on a different computer. Backups are a critical yet overlooked capability of home networking.

Internet Connection Sharing

With a home network, multiple household members on various devices, including smartphones and tablets, can access the internet simultaneously without having to pay an ISP for multiple accounts. The internet connection may slow down when too many devices share it, but broadband internet services can handle a high load with little trouble.

Printer and Other Peripheral Sharing

Once a home network is in place, setting up the computers to share a single printer is simple. You won't need to run from one system or another to print a file. Other electronics such as speakers, scanners, and webcams can be shared across networks, too.

Online Gaming

Many popular home computer games support LAN (local area network) and online (internet-connected) modes so friends and family can play together.

Telephone

Voice over IP (VoIP) services make and receive phone calls using an internet connection and a cellphone or landline.

Home Entertainment

Home entertainment products such as digital video recorders (DVRs) and video game consoles support Wi-Fi. Integrating these products into your network enables online internet gaming, video sharing, and other advanced features.

Wi-Fi also lets you use streaming media devices such as Roku, Amazon Firestick, and Chromecast anywhere in your home. With a subscription to a live video streaming service such as Sling TV, DirecTV Stream, Hulu + Live TV, and others, you can cut your cable TV connection. Likewise, services such as Netflix and Hulu provide access to a variety of movies and other prerecorded programming.

Smart Devices

Among the newest entries in the world of Wi-Fi are smart devices such as thermostats, light bulbs, security systems, appliances, smoke detectors, TVs, and more. These use your home Wi-Fi network to enable control from connected smartphones, tablets, computers, speakers, and home assistants such as Google Home and Amazon Echo.

Still More Benefits of Wi-Fi

Although you can realize most of the same benefits with a wired home network, consider building a wireless home (Wi-Fi) network instead for the following reasons:

• Device mobility: Wi-Fi frees notebook computers, tablets, and other portable devices from network cables. Use your device on the couch, on your porch, or wherever in the house is most convenient.
• Freedom from unsightly wires: No one has the time or inclination to fuss with outdated, inconvenient cables. Save substantial time and energy avoiding the cabling mess and going wireless.
• Modern convention: Wi-Fi has become the default networking technology for homes and businesses, and most products that can be networked are optimized for wireless connections.