Not long ago, setting up a home network was a job left up to a professional because it involved a lot of technicalities. Thanks to Windows’ integration and easy interface, users can now set up their own home networks at their convenience. You can set up a home network for use with two or more computers. You need a broadband router which is used as a wireless hub. The router can be connected to a power line adapter by use of the
Ethernet cable, allowing extension of the home network all over the house. With the wiring or wireless setup complete, all the users included in the home network need to do is select their sharing ability from the control panel network settings. After that, users are free to enjoy all of the benefits of home network sharing.
File sharing
The first use of a home network is file sharing among selected computers. File sharing between computers over a home network is more convenient than traditional methods such as floppy disks or zip drives. This is mainly because the latter is likely to be infected by malware, resulting in the destruction of files or even the complete loss of files. Other than file sharing, a home network can be used to store similar files or information on different computers so as to act as a backup facility in case of any malfunction of the original computer.
Internet Use
A home network is also used in sharing the internet connection among the home computers. It is relatively cheap for family members to access the internet by using one account of an Internet Service Provider (ISP) rather than multiple accounts. However, it should be noted that the greater the number of internet users sharing a home network, the slower the connection gets.
Printer Sharing
Peripheral or printer sharing is also another use of the home network. It is possible to set up several computers to share a printer and reduce the in-house movement from one computer to another just to access the printer. Other peripherals that can be shared over the home network include webcams which are used for video chats and compact discs (CD) burners.
Gaming and Entertainment
Home networks are also important when it comes to entertainment purposes. Members of connected computers can freely enjoy multiplayer games over the network. Many of these games actually support the Local Area Network (LAN) mode to use. Additionally, connected computers are able to watch videos online from the network and also participate in online gaming since the video games consoles are supported too. VoIP Yet another exceptionally important aspect of a home network is the ability of users to make a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) call. This comes in handy, especially when compared to the costs that would be similarly incurred when making the calls offline.
