Sharing High-Speed Internet...

Today, it is far from uncommon to have several PCs in one house. After every Dell commerciall telling us that "Dude, I'm getting a Dell" and then one magically appearing in our mailbox several weeks later, what is there to do with the extra computers?

The answer is simple: connect them all! (No, not collect them all)

Now, this connection is simply in terms of the Internet. I have yet to configure my own home network so that I can share files or printers with each other, but that's simply because I have no need to now. It is possible to do, however, and is detailed at the link below.

After coming home from college with my PC, I felt like a chocolate addict who heard that Hershey's shut down when I could no longer access the Internet from my room. Soon after arriving home, I connected a US Robotics Wireless 'G' router and installed a PCI card... and now our house had 2 Internet-accessing machines connected by 1 DSL line (yes, this works also with cable).

A router is simply a box about the size of 2 sandwiches (side by side) that sorts the information coming in and going out and sending it to the proper computer that requested the information.

It is possible, and slightly cheaper, to allow 2 computers to connect to the Internet by using a wired router, but you're setting yourself up for a mess, with running wires through the attic, drilling thru walls...

 

This is a simplified depiction of what a router does.

Routers can also connect your two computers together so they can share files and such (which will not be explained here, as it can be slightly tedious; consult Practically Networked for more detailed information on this).

 

 

As for a 'wired' connection, it's pretty obvious how you should connect your PC to your router. You can go out and buy some cables at a retail store, but if you need a lot of cable to connect? Try making your own cable! It's actually not that hard to do (here's a guide on how to do it), and if you find the right market, you can actually make some money doing it. My friend made over $1,000 in a week, selling cables to incoming freshmen at my recent alma mater.

As for wireless, there are several connection 'standards'. The main one right now is 802.11g, but the 'N' standard (which you should not yet buy) will eventually be a major upgrade.

The "g" standard supports up to 125 Mbps. I would stick with the "g" standard, as the 'N' "standard" is actually not yet decided on by the governing body, so it could change quickly and make your equipment obsolete and unable to run. However, the 'N' technology will prove to eventually be a major innovation, with a much greater range (in the thousands of feet) and faster transmission speeds. The "g" standard will still work and be interoperable with any new equipment/standards that come out, and is much cheaper and more prevalent than any 'N' test equipment. Tiger Direct frequently runs such deals on "g" routers; it's where I bought mine.

Right now, if you are trying to decide between a USB wireless adapter and a PCI adapter, I would base it mostly on price. USB adapters can potentially give you a better connection, as you can normally connect them to your front USB drive on your PC versus having them stuck sandwiched between your computer case and the wall; also they give you the ability to use them on your laptop if you ever need to. PCI cards do have the advantage of being inside the case and out of your way. I'd say it's mostly a personal preference.

When looking for a wireless router, make sure it's a router. Some companies also sell wireless "access points" which will connect many PCs, but solely via wireless. That means even if your computer is 2 feet away from your modem, you'd still have to connect wirelessly! Make sure to examine Tiger Direct's Product pictures for multiple Ethernet jacks (an Ethernet jack looks like a larger telephone connection).

A thing that differs most with wireless networking versus wired networking is security. The basic recommendation is, if practical, to wire your computers together to connect to the Internet, due to speed and security issues. Security can be encoded up to 256-bits (the most secure), but slows down connection speeds dramatically. This article from IBM explains the security protocol for wireless networking (known as WEP) and some of its shortcomings. However, as the article emphasizes, some security is better than none. I run 64-bit WEP, to provide a basic security for my network, as anything higher will simply slow down the network without adding much, if anything, to security as the article entails.

For more in-depth wireless networking help, check out Practically Networked.

Here are my complete recommendations for building a computer with a great Network setup at a low price!

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