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Home Computer Networking

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 Acronym (HCN)
Network Diagrams
with Flash Headings
Overview
Does everyone want to use the internet at the same time? Details
Quite often yes, well with a home network you can be surfing web pages, chatting to friends writing and checking emails with all networked computers all at the same time.

Do you want to play games against friends at home? Details
Certainly yes, playing against the computer is ok but once you have learnt some tactics in some of the great multiplayer games that are around today. You can invite your friends over for some serious multiplayer action on your home network with no latency or bandwidth worries.

Do you have an old computer that still works? Details
Many people have their old computers sitting in the closet or in the garage gathering dust. Due to the rapid advancements in technology much faster bigger computers are coming out all the time. Don't sell your old computer for peanuts or make a pot plant stand out of it, put it to use on your home network. If it browsed the Internet once it sure can again. Your old computer can be more powerful than it ever was utilizing the resources and speed of your new computer over your home network.

Want to share files and a printer between computers? Details
Yes, any file you have on your computer can be shared, transferred or downloaded to any other computer on your network. The possibilities for backing up, restoring, up dating and archiving are numerous and with the speed and reliability of your home computer network they can be performed quickly and effortlessly. Sharing of folders and files is an easy process and instruction on how to do this is included with your purchase of a home computer network.
Printers can easily be shared over your home computer network allowing you to print from any computer on the network.

Want to experience the power of computer networking?
Yes, the benefits of computer networking are being utilized by businesses of all types and sizes just as the Personnel Computer was first used predominately by business. Now you too can enjoy the benefits and enjoyment of a high speed computer network in your own home.

Prices (Installation and Materials)
 
Price
One computer to one computer (Two node network): Requires one crossover cable, two network cards, installation and instruction. diagram
  $90
Comment Basic LAN allowing both computers to simultanously browse the Internet and share files and resources.    
One computer to one computer (Two node network): Requires one normal cable, a crossover connection, two network cards, installation and instruction. diagram
   $100
Comment Basic LAN with the option of using the same cable when upgrading to a 3 computer network with a Hub or switch.    
     
One computer to one computer through a 5 port switch (Two node network): Requires two normal cables, two network cards, a 5 port switch, installation and instruction.
   $160
Comment Great starting computer network allowing you to connect friends computers or more of your own. Ideal for a first business network ready to expand.    
Three node network: Requires three normal cables, three network cards, a hub or switch, installation and instruction. diagram
   $190
Comment Three computers all sharing an Internet connection printer or printers, folders and files. Easily communicate between computers.    
Four node network: Requires four normal cables, four network cards, a hub or switch, installation and instruction.
   $230
Comment More computers more people can share the Internet connection and computer network resources simultaneously.    
 
Details
 

Does everyone want to use the internet at the same time?

With a computer network you can browse the internet from all computers on your LAN [(Local Area Network) Two or more computers connected and allowing the transference of data and the sharing of resources]. One computer connected to the Internet acts as a gateway for the other computers and normal web surfing has little impact on the speed of Website retrievals.
The bandwidth remains the same over your internet connection but web surfing or chatting uses bandwidth for only short periods so each computer generally has access to your maximum Internet speed. If you think of it like a water pipe when you turn on a tap you get full pressure, if you have three people in your house turning taps on at different times they all get full pressure. If you turn all three taps on and let them run the pressure is divided up between the taps, this would be similar to three computers on a LAN all downloading songs, movies or any other large files and your bandwidth will be affected accordingly. When your network icon in your system tray at the bottom right hand side of your screen is flashing it is equivalent of turning on your tap and letting the bandwidth flow through. When your network icon is not flashing your bandwidth tap is off allowing full bandwidth to other computers on your network.
 


This is a diagram of the available bandwidth difference between the 56 k dial-up connection and the ADSL broadband connection.
To see a diagram of the bandwidth of a (Home Network) Ethernet LAN of 100Mbps in relation to these two Internet Connections click.
Amazing!
 
Internet bandwidth can differ depending on several circumstances but I have found that if I am downloading a file with a 56kbps modem I expect to receive data on average at 5 KB per second. While downloading a file with a 512Kbps ADSL Broadband connection I expect to receive it on average of about 50KB per second.
 
For more info and to see a bits and bytes and a time to transmit table.
 
A Home Network with a dial up connection will allow multiple computers to easily browse websites depending on the size of the pages being viewed and the frequency that those pages are changed; the frequency that the bandwidth taps on the network are turned on and off. e.g. On a three node network (node meaning a computer attached to the LAN), Dad can be checking out what vegetables to plant for this time of year, Mum can be looking up a new recipe while chatting to her friend in New Zealand and the kids can be diligently searching the Internet for information about an upcoming assignment. Each computer periodically sending or receiving information with no difference in speed or response times to a single computer hooked up to the Internet.
With ADSL or high bandwidth Internet connections more options are available including the playing of online games, downloading movie clips and other relatively high bandwidth applications can be run simultaneously.
 

Do you want to play games against friends at home?

Games can be played against real players and friends over the Internet which can be very entertaining. But only one person can play online at a time, friends are in the background maybe giving advice or patiently waiting for their turn. Why not play at the same time against one another using your internal bandwidth which is higher and faster than you would ever get over the Internet and better still it doesn't cost you a cent. No more hours of tying up the phone or paying for high Internet usage per month. With a 56kbps modem connection most games will use all the bandwidth and still want more. A broadband connection is good but you are playing faceless opponents with no idea of who they are or what they are doing while playing.
There are few things like watching the expression on your mates face or hearing their horrified scream when you after building up your forces descend upon their unprotected base or breach their defences with the might of your army. (RTS) Real Time Strategy, Age of Empire Fans. Ye-Ha!
Sneaking up behind your foe and fragging (wiping out) them is also a feeling that is greatly intensified when it is coupled by shocked looks of surprise, groans of despair and exclamations like "how did you do that?" First Person Shooters like Quake, Unreal Tournament and many others. With the bandwidth of your 100Mbps Ethernet network you can be assured of no lagging problems while facing of against many opponents. If you have a LAN with a hub or switch with spare ports like in diagram 2 you can host LAN parties were your friends bring their computers fitted with network cards and a cable to your party and the games can begin. These are great and also give you an opportunity to learn and discover how to network your computer with the reward at the end being fun games for everyone.
 
Do you have an old computer that still works?

Computer Networking has been around since before the Personnel Computer. So if you own a PC you can network it. If your old computer is below a Pentium 100 MHz processor and running an OS (Operating System) before Windows 95 it might be time for it to permanently retire. Anything above this would make an acceptable client on your home network with an ideal client running Windows 98 or higher with a Pentium 200Mhz processor or higher. Many people have new computers with plenty of RAM high MHz processors and large hard drives. These computers are always the households favourite because it is the one connected to the Internet, allowing you to communicate to other countries send emails surf websites and research interests. Older computers are quite capable of browsing the Internet connected through a home network and can return to their useful state rather than serving as a dust collector. Their hard drives and other resources may be limited but using the power of the new computer through the network they can be more powerful than they ever were before. Often family members' time to use the computer or Internet coincides precisely with one another so instead of waiting around for someone to finish or getting off yourself you can all be surfing simultaneously. You are able to log into your account from your old computer and use all the features of the new computer remotely from the old computer but no one else can use the new computer while you are logged in remotely. Personnel Computer Operating Systems only allow one person to be logged in at a time so if you want to access your files on the main computer while some one is using it they must be shared by the main computer. This is an easy process and instruction on how to do this is included with your purchase of a computer network. The computer that is serving as your gateway computer must be turned on to allow you to connect to the Internet with a networked computer. Generally game software is the software that demands fast processors with lots of RAM and good video cards, so some games that run on your new computer may not run or not run very well on your old computer.
 
Want to share files and a printer between computers?

Before installing a computer network files could be shared via "Sneaker Net" this process involved copying files to a floppy then walking it over to another computer and transferring the files from the floppy to the desired computer. As long as the file could fit on a floppy, otherwise other processes involving archiving techniques must be employed to allow single files to be spread over multiple floppy disks. You also could use a CD-R (Compact Disc Recordable) or DVD-R which allows for a much greater transfer of information but still involves the use of the "Sneaker Net". Both processes are similar and several operations must be performed.
Now with a Home Computer Network you can transfer files that would take you thousands of trips with a floppy disk from one computer to another in a matter of minutes. Conversely you can receive files from a different computer on your network just as quick or just work on them and make adjustments leaving them at their original locations. You may need to install the program that opens that particular file type on the computer you want to work from but there is no need to fill up your small hard drive on your old computer with duplicate files that are already on your main computer.
 
You may have an important document or database that has taken many hours to construct and a backup on your old computer could very well be a good idea. Say you have spent months researching your family tree on the net and have put together a 40MB database (30 floppies) you can easily make backups to a folder on your old computer and update the data by overwriting the previous file. Click to go to the Bits and Bytes Table and see how fast a 40 MB file will transfer over your home network of 100Mbps Ethernet. Or do a budget and at the end of each month copy your completed budget to a shared folder for safe keeping. The possibilities with the sharing of folders and files over your home network are many and the speed files can be transferred between computers makes most file transfers seem instantaneous.
Printers can easily be shared on a home computer network allowing you to print to any printer attached to any computer from any computer on the network.
 

ADSL

We have recently upgraded to a 512 kbps ADSL connection and it is nice, fast and it is especially handy because you can use the phone while you are connected to the net. You no longer pay for a phone call every time you dial up, so you have no hesitation in utilizing the Internet for whatever reason. WebPages take seconds to load and large files may be downloaded in approximately one 10th of the time. For normal web surfing instead of waiting 20secs for a page to load it is there in 2. Apart from the combination of nearly instantaneous webpage viewing, fast downloads and being on the Internet and phone line at the same time for us the fact that you can access the internet at no extra charge quicker than you can access a CD-Rom makes ADSL a different computer experience. Chatting, searching the Internet writing and responding to emails my bandwidth tap is probably off at least 95% of the time. We are not affiliated with any ADSL providers but are always ready to help you connect or configure your ADSL Broadband or any other Internet connection.
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