The basics to setting up an office or home network

Networks have become a very important part of our lives as people try to make communication much easier in a bid to save the time and costs for the purpose of exchanging information. Image by dcmorton.

With the use of networks, people have managed to run businesses from distant places without necessarily having to make physical appearances to conduct administrative duties.

In today’s post, let’s have a glance into the basics of networking in order to comprehend what is actually happening in within a network.

Networks are meant to link more than one computer together either over the internet, virtual private networks or within the office without an internet link.

For an organization with many employees working in different rooms within the company’s compound, communication between two employees may consume too much man hours if they have to walk to and from each other’s offices every time.

As such their computers can be networked and authorized to communicate by creating a network group within the company’s computers.

Let us now have a look at the basic requirements for networks to operate.

If the network is expected to include an internet link, the first item to come into mind should be the router either wired or wireless. This is of course with the assumption that computers are already in place. If you opt to go for a wireless network, it will be vital to get a wireless network adapters for each of the devices you want to link to the network.

Wireless Router Photo by Ben Mason

Wireless Adapter Photo by Ben Mason

At this point let me take this chance to state that it is not only computers that can be added to the network, other peripherals such as shared printers or fax machines and phones can also be added. Electronics tax registers (ETR) are commonly added to the network to make it easy for different accountants to pull their sales and tax records together through the use of a single register.

After getting network adaptors for every machine destined to be added to the network, the next item on the list should be a working modem for broadband Internet connection. Once this is added, it is time to setup wireless connectivity to at least one of the machines on the network if not all.

It is also important to note that in the absence of wireless adaptors and a wireless router, the use of Ethernet cables preferably CAT 6 can come in handy as a method of linking the various machines in the network together. This however may be time consuming since the art of laying network cable and the crimping of the same can be quite time consuming and expensive, however if you are in a position to do it, properly crimped cable connections guarantee better network connections as opposed to wireless adaptors which may be affected by adverse distance and its ability to pass through the various types of walls.

Once all this is done, all that is left is just the creation of a network group and the setting up of security features to protect your network from unwanted users.

Like what you just read? Subscribe to Wareprise.com today. It is free.

Psst! Did you know that with just 20 minutes a day, you can improve your IT management skills and you will boost your career.

Check out the 20 Minute IT Manager.

Free eBook

Found what you were looking for? If not, try searching for it below.