What is a home network?
A home network is a residential local area network. It is used for communication between digital devices typically deployed in the home, usually a small number of personal computers and accessories, such as printers, game consoles, Blu-Ray players, DVRs, and mobile computing devices. An important function is the sharing of Internet access, often a broadband service through a Cable TV or Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) provider. Additionally, a home server may be added for increased functionality including backing up all the computers in your home.
Usually the home network usually operates over a Wireless LAN and can allow files to be shared like music or photos. A Wireless network can allow you to go online anywhere in your home, print to a compatible wireless printer, and share files fast and easy.
We have a few family computers why do I need a network?
The benefits of home networking your computers (either wired or wireless) are:
- File sharing – Network file sharing between computers gives you more flexibility than using flash drives or CD’s. Not only can you share photos, music files, and documents, you can use a home network to save copies of all of your important data on a different computer. Media servers can create a centreal space where all photos and music are stored, giving you access to all your media from any computer in the house.
- Computer Backups – One of the most critical yet overlooked tasks in home networking. Reason alone to be networked. Do all the computers back up in your home?
- Printer sharing – Once a home network is in place, it’s easy to then set up all of the computers to share a single printer. No longer will you need to go from one system or another just to print out an email message. Compatible wireless printers can be located anywhere in the house and not even need a computer to host them.
- Internet connection sharing – Using a home network, multiple family members can access the Internet simultaneously without having to pay an ISP for multiple accounts. You will notice the Internet connection slows down when several people share it, but broadband Internet can handle the extra load with little trouble.
- Multi-player games – Many popular home computer games support LAN mode where friends and family can play together, if they have their computers networked.
- Internet telephone service – So-called Voice over IP (VoIP) services allow you to make and receive phone calls through your home network across the Internet, this can save you lots of money.
- Home entertainment – Newer home entertainment products such as digital video recorders (DVRs), Blu-Ray players, and video game consoles now support either wired or wireless home networking. Having these products integrated into your network enables online Internet gaming, video sharing, movies on demand, and other advanced features.
Wireless Network Benefits
- Computer mobility – Laptop computers and other portable devices are much more affordable than they were a few years ago. With a mobile computer and wireless home network, you aren’t chained to a network cord and can work on the couch, on your porch, or wherever in the house is most convenient at the moment.
- No unsightly wires – Businesses can afford to lay cable under their floors or inside walls. But most of us don’t have the time to build this in our home. Unless you own one of the few newer homes pre-wired with network cable, you’ll save substantial time and energy avoiding the cabling mess and going wireless.
- Wireless is the future – Wireless technology is the future of networking. In building a wireless home network, you’ll learn about the technology and be able to teach your friends and relatives. You’ll also be better prepared for future advances in network technology coming in the future.
- Security – When Computer Superheroes sets up a wireless network for you, we put in place security measures so you can relax and not worry about your data.
Get a free estimate
Take the worries out of setting up a home computer network yourself and let Computer Superheroes do a free estimate and show you all the benefits to a home network. Call 720-205-5250 today.
