How To Set Up Wireless Internet At Home

home-networking Today most every home and small office has a local network, and an Cyberspace connection.

The dwelling house network or modest area network enables multiple devices east.g. PCs,tablets etc to connect to each other, and also to connect to the internet.

In this tutorial you volition learn how you to build and setup a home or modest area network and connect information technology to the Internet.

Quick Links

Choosing a Wired or Wireless Network
Setting up a Home Network -Components and Structure
Extending Your Home Network
Home Network IP Addresses
Firewall Configuration on Home Networks
Checking Network and Net Speeds
Home Network and Internet Connexion Problems
Quiz

Choosing a Wired or Wireless Network

Do You Build a wired or Wireless Network? which is all-time?

Early (pre 2008) home networks were predominately wired networks.

Wired networks employ Ethernet over UTP cablevision and tend to exist faster than wireless networks, which is an important consideration if you lot are a gamer. The uncomplicated wired domicile network diagram below shows a minimum setup with a switch and broadband router.

Simple-Wired-Home-Network-Diagram

Wired Network Advantages

Fast typically 100 Mbps to 10 Gbps
Secure and reliable.

Wired Network Dis-Advantages

Doesn't piece of work with devices that don't have an Ethernet port eastward.m. tablets and smart phones.
Not so like shooting fish in a barrel and fast to setup as information technology requires running cables. All the same Homeplug or powerline adapters can be used instead.
Not and then easy for visitors and mobile devices (laptops) to connect to.

Main Uses

It Is all-time used for network backbone i.e. connecting betwixt router,network switches and wireless access points on different levels (floors).

See How to Wire your Abode Network

Abode Wireless Networks

Wireless networks use Wi-Fi. and are quick and piece of cake to install, but are mostly slower than wired networks. Come across Wi-Fi and Wireless networks for more details.

Wireless Network Advantages

Easy to setup from an end user perspective.
Allows easy admission to smart phones, Tablets and mobile devices.
No cables to run.

Wireless Network Dis-Advantages

Non every bit Secure as wired networks without proper configuration, and easy to setup insecurely.
Not equally fast every bit wired networks.
Not every bit reliable as wired networks.

Principal Uses

Connecting peripheral devices like computers,smart phone,tablets etc.

Most home networks will apply a mixture of wired and wireless.

Setting up a Home Network -Components and Structure

Today even so most home and small domicile office networks volition use a wireless network or mixed network, as virtually people use Smart phones, and tablets which don't have Ethernet back up.

The master components required to build a typical home/pocket-size office network are:

Router or Wireless router – Connects the network to the Internet.
Wireless Admission Point – Used to Connect Wi-Fi equipped devices to the network.
Ethernet HUB or Switch -Used to Connect Ethernet equipped devices.
Cable cat v, cat5e or cat 6 with RJ45 connectors.
Telephone Cablevision with RJ 10 connectors.
Broadband Filters.

The home network diagram below shows the structure of a typical small home network home-networking-diagram

For most abode networks the Wireless Router or Hub which connects the network to the Cyberspace will exist the chief component of the domicile or minor home role network, and in many cases it will be the only component.

The Wireless router usually incorporates a Wireless admission point,Ethernet switch, DSL modem and Router in a unmarried box.

This short video shows how to apply a Wireless Dwelling house Hub ( BT) or router to create a home network that is continued to the Net.

Video Notes:

DSL Modem– converts digital signals into analogue signals that are suitable for sending over a telephone line. It is usually built into the Internet/broadband router and is not ordinarily purchased as a split component.

DSL/Broadband Filter– Used to filter out DSL signals from phone signals and then that yous can access the net and utilise the telephone simultaneously. Often included as part of the connection socket.

Meet How to Setup and Configure your Home Router

Wireless Router Location

The Wireless router will need to connect to the phone line, cable or fibre network admission point in your home.

Therefore nigh people locate the Wireless router well-nigh to the main telephone socket.

However you can usually change the location past using telephone extension cables or longer WAN cables.

Note: WAN cables employ the same connectors (RJ45), and cables as Ethernet cables.

Because the Wireless Router provides the Wireless access point and so you should place it in a central location, if possible, to get the all-time wireless reception.

Don't

Hibernate it in a closet
Install it backside the sofa
install side by side to motors,microwaves,cordless telephones

Testing Your Wireless Betoken

The easiest mode of testing you point force in various locations is to use the inSSIDer Wi-Fi checker which is an App that you lot tin can install on your Android Tablet or phone.

The general idea is to identify the Wireless router in its preferred location and so movement effectually the house with the inSSIDer Wi-Fi checker, and check the signal force, and then adjust the location if necessary.

Extending Your Abode Network

In big homes/offices it may not be possible to connect all devices directly to the Wireless router and so you lot will need to purchase boosted networking components.

You tin extend your dwelling network by:

extending your Wi-Fi coverage by installing additional Wireless Access Points or a more powerful access point.
or y'all tin extend the Wired network by running cables into other rooms
or using your power cables by installing home plug adapters. Come across How to extend a Home Network

Home Router Setup

To administer the abode router you access it via a web browser, and login using a username and countersign.

Before you lot permit devices to connect to your dwelling house network you should make some basic changes to the default setup parameters of your router.

The two of import 1 are the SSID used to admission the Router and the router admin password every bit the default username/passwords are well known, and published on the Internet.

Meet How to Setup and Configure your Home Router and Setting up a secure wi-fi home network.

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 countersign when prompted.

All the same about modern Wi-Fi routers/hubs support a feature called WPS ( Wi-fi protected setup). Which usually involves pressing a button on the wi_fi router and a corresponding WPS connection button on the Device.

The devices then connect without requiring you to enter a password. Meet Wiki on WPS

Home Network IP Addresses

All of your devices volition need an IP address.

This is provided automatically by a service called DHCP which, by default, is provided by the abode router.

IP address provided by the DHCP server are known as dynamic addresses, as they tin can modify. You can also assign addresses manually, and these are known equally static addresses.

Static Addresses are non normally assigned but are often required when using Port forwarding.

They can be assigned on the network settings of the device, but preferably on the DHCP server using reserved addresses.

Additionally the addresses used on your home network are known equally internal addresses.

When you connect to the Cyberspace your device volition employ an external IP address. This address is the IP accost of the router/hub. Run across Internal vs external IP addresses for a more than detailed explanation.

Finding Your DNS, IP, MAC Addresses and Router IP Addess

You may need to find out what DNS servers you are using or the IP or MAC accost of:

Your Abode Router.
Your own reckoner/tablet/phone

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

The screen shot beneath shows the ipconfig command use with the /all switch. i.e. ipconfig/all

ipconfig-command-example

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.

In the screen shot in a higher place it is 192.168.ane.254

Splitting Your Domicile Network

For security reasons you may detect the need to split your home network. This is peculiarly true in small business networks like restaurants etc were customers are besides given admission to the network.

Many modernistic routers will provide guest networks for this purpose, and is easy to setup.

Another mutual method, but non as simple is to apply VLANs. Run across Understanding and using VLANs

Firewall Configuration on Dwelling house Networks

A Firewall functions similar a router, and generally what you employ on small networks is firewall/NAT router combination in which a single device acts equally a NAT router and firewall.

A firewall protects your home or small business network computers and devices from intruders on the Cyberspace.

It effectively acts like a i fashion digital gate blocking access to your network from devices on the Internet, simply at the same time allowing devices on your network to connect to devices on the Internet. (schematic diagram below)

Firewall-function-overview

For small domicile/role networks the firewall is built into, and is part of, the router that connects to the Internet.

By and large there is no configuration required as the default behaviour is only to let connections from the local network to the Net, and non from the Internet to the home network.

However if you lot do crave devices on the Net to connect into your network (frequently required by gamers) then you tin configure port forwarding.

You may as well want or need to use dynamic DNS- run across What is Dynamic DNS ? and Why Use Dynamic DNS Services?

Checking Network and Internet Speeds

On whatsoever network the speed is restricted by the slowest component.

A computer with a Gigabit network card talking to a figurer with a 100Mbit/south network card is restricted to 100Mbit/s.

Shared devices like switches and Wireless access points are network choke points just similar traffic lights and roundabouts on a road.

LAN Speed test is a very useful tool for testing your local network speeds. See understanding Home network speeds.

For Net speeds y'all tin can utilize online speed test sites. See Understanding Cyberspace speeds and speed tests.

Abode Network and Cyberspace Connectedness Problems

You lot will invariably have connection problems from time to fourth dimension.

In my experience most bug are easily diagnosed, and fixed with a piffling patience and perseverance.

Having a good agreement of how your network fits together, and works is essential for successful troubleshooting.

Questions and Answers

Q- What is the difference between a router and a Wireless Admission Point (WAP).

A- A router connects the home network to the Internet a WAP connects a device to a network.

Q-How practice I check mt domicile network Speed?

A- See Understanding home network speeds

Quiz

Home Networking Setup Quiz

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