Over the course of the past two years, it may seem like everyone’s neighbour, cousin, or barkeep has just installed a network at home. While previously almost the exclusive domain or companies and the seriously tech-savvy, more and more home users are recognizing the advantages of installing networks in their homes.
Microsoft operating systems since Windows 95 have provided networking capabilities built-in. However, the explosive growth of the Internet, the availability of inexpensive high-speed connections, and a variety of do-it-yourself home networking hardware are the key factors that have driven networks into the home. Although simple in principle (and often equally easy in practice), installing and configuring a network correctly involves a solid foundation of knowledge in order to be done correctly. It’s simply too easy to overlook some important element that will leave you stuck later, such an improper cabling or some serious security holes. In this series we’re going to concentrate on doing things correctly, building your knowledge base issue-by-issue.
This series begins with a look at the concept of a network and some of the basics. As the series progresses we’ll delve into important concepts like cabling, wireless networks, configuring servers, sharing Internet connections, properly securing a network, and more. Instead of providing an overview, this series aims to provide you with practical real-world advice on installing and configuring your network correctly – the first time.
