Networks: Wired Ethernet and Wireless Networking - Wireless Routers and Other Types of Networking - Page 3

Using a wireless router to create a network and share an Internet broadband connection over it

Three main types of network technology are currently being used for home networks - 1. - wireless networking (Wi-Fi) that uses the 802.11b, 802.11g and 802.11n wireless networking standards in the UK - 2. - wired networking that uses Ethernet technology and cables - 3. - Powerline (aka, HomePlug) networking that uses the building's mains electricity cables and plug points to connect the computers via special adapters that plug into the mains electricity supply. All three types of networking are compatible with each other, so a combination of them can create a reliable network extending throughout a large home.

For example, by using the router's LAN ports, to which Ethernet cables are connected, which most routers have four of, you could have a desktop PC in an office or study in your home connected by Ethernet cables to the wireless router and the router connected by Ethernet cables to a HomePlug adapter and a Network Attached Storage NAS) device. You could have a HomePlug adapter in the lounge/sitting room that is connected by Ethernet cable to a TV and a media streamer. You could access the network from anywhere in the house wirelessly by using a smartphone or laptop that has a built in wireless adapter or a wireless USB dongle.

A wireless router provides everything required to set up a wired and/or a wireless home network consisting of a mixture of desktop, laptop and tablet computers, because it provides both wireless and Ethernet-cable connectivity. Ethernet technology, available in 10/100 (Mbit/s) and Gigabit (1000Mbit/s) versions, is bi-directional. That is, it transmits and receives data on the same frequency (speed) simultaneously, which provides twice the bandwidth (the amount of data that can be transmitted and received per second) as a Wi-Fi connection.

Note that to take advantage of the speed of 500Mbit/s Powerline networking kits, which make use of the electrical cabling in a building to communicate, a router that provides (1000Mbit/s) Gigabit Ethernet ports is required, because a standard Ethernet 10/100 port has a maximum data transfer rate of 100Mbit/s and tests of 500Mbit/s Powerline adapters show that data is transmitted at up to 130Mbit/s (real-time transfer rates are always much slower than the theoretical rates). By December 2011, very few routers provide Gigabit Ethernet ports. The Belkin Play Max N600 HD (£90) is a router that provides Gigabit Ethernet. Note, however, that the data throughput drops to around 50Mbit/s at distances of more than about 10m, so Gigabit Ethernet is not required for such a range.

Note that for a cable fibre-optic network that uses fibre-optic cables (the area has be be cabled), such as BT Infinity and Virgin Media's services in the UK, a standard wireless router that does not have an inbuilt ADSL modem and which provides a Wireless Area Network (WAN) port is required. An ADSL modem router, which has an inbuilt ADSL modem, is used to provide a broadband connection over a telephone line. AN ADSL modem router cannot be used to connect to a cable network.

Every wireless router has a built-in Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server that provides any computer connecting wirelessly or by network cables to the network an IP address automatically, making it unnecessary to do so by manual configuration. Every device connected to a network must have an internal IP address in this form - 192.168.0.1 - that is within a known range of IP addresses supported by the router. By changing the last number, the 198.168.0.x range of addresses can provide 255 IP addresses, from 198.168.0.0 to 198.168.0.254. The last number cannot exceed 254 because a maximum of 255 addresses can be provided - 0 to 254. The router itself usually takes the first address, which, in this range, is 198.168.0.1. An assigned dynamic IP address can be changed to a different one within the range, but a fixed IP address remains the same and cannot be changed by the DHCP server. Note that a device that is shared on the network, such as a printer or a network attached storage (NAS) device, requires a fixed IP address that is assigned to it manually.

The range of IP addresses supported by a router can be discovered by bringing up its webpage configuration page by entering the router's own IP address in a web browser plus the login user name and password. That information is provided in the router's instruction manual or by the Internet Service Provider (ISP) that provided the router. The router connects to the ISP itself by using an external IP address assigned by the ISP, which the router is set to access. Network Address Translation (NAT) technology allows all the computers on the network that have their own internal IP address to share the single external IP address. This means that no computer on the network is connected directly to the Internet; it has to connect via the router, which gives the network devices a measure of security.

IP addresses are dealt with in detail further down in this article.

The routers' Port forwarding feature has to be configured to access services on the network from the anywhere else on the Internet, such as accessing the FTP files server on a Network Attached Storage (NAS) device that would allow a user to download files from it from an Internet connection at a different location, which could be in another country. Most users use an FTP program, such as FileZilla, to transfer files to and from a website host. An FTP server built into a NAS device works in the same way.

The latest ratified wireless networking standard is called the 802.11n standard. Every router that conforms to that standard will also be compatible with earlier standards, such as the 801.11b and the 802.11g standards, and, as such, will work with networking equipment that uses those two earlier wireless standards. In other words, if your laptop computer has a built-in 802.11g wireless adapter, you can use it with a 802.11n router.

Using a router with a built-in ADSL modem is the best method of sharing a broadband Internet connection across a network. If you buy a router that does not have an ADSL modem, you have to add a separate ADSL modem, which is not an ideal setup. An ADSL modem-router is by far the best option.

Routers that connect to both wired and wireless networks are available.

Shown in the image above is the back view of the Cisco Linksys E4200 Maximum Performance Wireless-N Router. Its four Ethernet ports for wired connections are labelled 1 to 4 in blue. The landline telephone connection is in the middle (yellow) and the single USB port for a shared storage drive is next to its power connector.

The small hole beside the power connector on the far right with the red writing under it is the Reset button. If, say, you took the router over from someone else and the default login details (usually on a sticker under the router) don't work and you don't know the previous user's customised login details, you would have to poke a pin into that hole to engage the button and reset the router to its factory settings. When that is done the router's configuration information is deleted and has to be re-entered in order to use a network configured around the router and access the web via any of the computers on the network.

Therefore, you must have the router's correct ADSL settings, which your Internet Service Provider (ISP) can provide over the telephone if necessary. You can bring up the router's configuration webpage that provides all of the customisable settings by entering its IP address (usually http://192.168.0.1 or an address in that range with the last figure going from 1 up to 254) in a web browser (Internet Explorer, Firefox, etc.). Web access is not required to do that because it is the router itself that brings up its configuration webpage. You will have to have the login details of ISP and connect to that ISP via a wired Ethernet connection to begin with. When you have created your own wireless encryption key (SSID) on the router's configuration webpage, you can add wireless connections from computers on the network that have wireless adapter cards (built into most laptop PCs) or wireless USB dongles.

Note that if you are accessing the router's settings from a wireless connection and you enable a setting that blocks a wireless connection, you'll have to log on to the router via an Ethernet wired connection to put the settings right. For example, I was just looking through the router's wireless connections via a wireless connection. To see what would happen, I changed a setting called New stations are allowed (automatically) to New stations are not allowed. I thought that since my laptop was not a new wireless station it would be allowed to access the network. Unfortunately it was blocked from the network and the web immediately and the connection could not be repaired. I couldn't even bring up the router's configuration webpage. The only way I could get back to the former setting was to log on to the router using its logon username and password from my desktop PC that is connected to the router via an Ethernet cable.

If you wanted to buy a fancy router instead of using the bog-standard one supplied by your ISP, you would have to set it up in the same way.

A wireless router allows you to share a broadband connection with as many computers with wireless adapters installed as are supported by the operating system, which is usually a version of Windows.

No more than 10 other workstations can connect to your computer at one time if you are using Windows XP Professional. The limit is 5 workstations for Windows XP Home Edition. For more details, see the following MS Knowledge Base Article.

Inbound Connections Limit in Windows XP -

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;314882

With Windows Vista the limit is 5 for Home Basic edition; all other versions are 10. This only applies to peer-to-peer networking, not the number of TCP/IP connections, and it's simultaneous connections, meaning that if you are connected to a Windows network with more than 10 computers, only 10 computers can be sharing your resources at the same time, which is not much of a limitation in the majority of cases.

According to Paul Thurrott's Super Site for Windows, the limit is 20 inbound SMB connections for all of the editions of Windows 7.

There are two main types of wireless ADSL router: those that have integrated ADSL modems and those that do not. If you have a broadband Internet connection that is delivered over a phone line, you should use an ADSL modem router, which is a superior option to using a wireless router and an ADSL modem. A normal, non-ADSL router is used if you connect to the web via a cable modem that connects to one of the router's Ethernet ports, or if you use any other kind of Ethernet modem.

Wireless routers usually have an inbuilt Wireless Access Point (WAP) so that a separate WAP doesn't have to be used. Most current routers can be connected to by Ethernet cables via Ethernet ports on a PCI card or built into the computer's motherboard, and/or can be connected to wirelessly via the router's WAP.

The wireless router's currently available use the fully ratified 802.11b, 802.11g and 802.11n wireless standards. 802.11g routers also support 802.11b wireless equipment. 802.11n routers support both the 802.11g and 802.11b standards. But 802.11b wireless equipment (routers, desktop and laptop adapter cards, WAPs) do not support 802.11n or 802.11g wireless equipment.

The 802.11n wireless networking standard has at long last been ratified, so if you are buying wireless equipment it is now the best standard to use. To make use of the new improved 802.11n wireless standard, all of your networking equipment (routers, adapter cards, USB dongles) must support the 802.11n standard, otherwise it will fall back to using the 802.11g standard. You should not buy the Draft N and Draft 2.0 wireless equipment that was made available while the 802.11n standard was going through its very lengthy process of ratification.

New 802.11b equipment is becoming difficult to find. Both of these standards (802.11b and 802.11g) use the 2.4GHz radio band, as does most 802.11n wireless equipment, some of which can switch between using the 2.4GHz and the 5.0GHz radio bands. In any case, 802.11n wireless equipment (routers, PCI/PCI Express adapter cards, wireless USB dongles, etc.) is the best choice for range and immunity from interference. To make use of the new improved 802.11n wireless standard, all of your networking equipment (routers, adapter cards, USB dongles) must support the 802.11n standard, otherwise it will fall back to using the 802.11g standard.

Other 802.11b/g/n wireless networks, baby monitors, microwave ovens, wireless Bluetooth headsets, DECT cordless phones and other wireless devices all use the 2.4GHz section of the radio spectrum, which makes it prone to interference. A dual-band 802.11n router can operate on the 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz radio bands. The 5.0GHz band is far less congested than the 2.4GHz band and its 19 channels, not all of which are available on all 802.11n routers, do not overlap, as do most of the 13 channels of the 2.4GHz radio band, of which only channels 1, 6 and 11 do not overlap. However, note that not all 802.11n wireless equipment supports the 5.0GHz frequency, which provides less range than the 2.4GHz frequency. (The higher the frequency, the less the range.)

An 802.11n router should support a feature called Wide Channel for the radio bands that it uses, which makes use of an additional wireless channel, using a process called channel-bonding, to double throughput. You can cause interference problems by enabling it for the 2.4GHz overlapping band, but if your router supports the 5.0GHz band, it will probably be worthwhile enabling it due to the fact that there is no channel-overlapping on that frequency.

If you want to share a USB printer on your network, you need a router with a built-in USB print server, or you can buy a dedicated wireless print server that connects to the router in the same way as a desktop or laptop computer that has a wireless adapter whose wireless standard the router supports.

If you want to make voice calls over the Internet, you need a router with built-in VoIP support and phone sockets. A router with that capability can save you a lot of money in phone calls, particularly if you make many international phone calls.

If your wireless signal is not consistent or you need faster transfer speeds for wireless video streaming, a dual-band router that uses both the 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz bands might solve the problem. If not, you can try using a hi-gain antenna, which would boost signal strength, thereby improving the range of the signal throughout your house. A hi-gain antenna can also be added to a PC's network adapter, which is installed in a PCI or PCI Express slot on the motherboard of a desktop PC. It is a simple matter now to buy a wireless USB adapter (dongle) for a laptop PC. By using a USB cable the antenna/device can be located in the best position. Some of them have built-in antennas that either readily accept antennas, or can be modified to connect antennas.

http://www.nodomainname.co.uk/cantenna/cantenna.htm

Or a mini-USB wireless adapter can be mounted to a reflector or be placed inside a can to improve the range of the signal.

Many routers now provide one or more USB ports that allow the connection of an external USB hard disk drive, thereby allowing the router to be used as a network storage device.

The following link provides the specifications and key features of an 801.11n router called the Linksys WRT160NL, also known as the Linksys Wireless-N Broadband Router with Storage Link: http://www.linksysbycisco.com/UK/en/products/WRT160NL

To give you a good idea what you need to look out for before buying a router, here is a recent review (26 May 2010) of a good and inexpensive 802.11n router that was priced at £62 at the time of the review:

D-Link DSL-2740R review -

"Perfect for home users who just want something that works, this inexpensive router finds the sweet spot between price and performance." -

http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/wireless-routers/278572/...

Note that you can buy cheaper, reduced-specification N-Lite 802.11n routers, such as the one reviewed on the following webpage:

Example - 5/7/10: TP-Link TD-W8950ND review -

"Although it's one of the cheapest ADSL routers we've ever reviewed [Price when reviewed: L27], the TD-W8950ND is easy to use and has decent performance...To clarify, it's only an N-Lite router, lacking the twin antennas required by the full 802.11n standard, so its theoretical maximum speed is just 150Mbit/s rather than a full 300Mbit/s." -

http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/wireless-routers/279061/...

Full-specification 802.11n-compliant routers have multiple–input–multiple–output (MIMO), which gives it the ability to use multiple antennas to improve reception. Some 802.11n routers have multi-streaming capabilities, such as the ability to use both the 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz bands that allow the user to check e-mail on the low band while streaming a video on the high band. However, such advanced routers are expensive. A good example is the D-link DGL-4500 Xtreme N Gaming Router that costs $300.

A router's configuration settings are almost always accessed via a web browser by entering its specific IP address in number form ( e.g., http://192.168.1.1) in the address bar from where they can be set manually. However, some router now have a feature called Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) or Quick Security Setup (QSS) that automates the setup process.

What is Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) or NETGEAR's Push 'n' Connect? -

http://kb.netgear.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/96/...

How to connect any WPS-enabled wireless device to a wireless modem, router or access point [Video] - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pa0iAyh9rZQ

For your information the feature of a router called SPI (Stateful Packet Inspection) inspects all of the traffic entering a network from the Internet. Any harmful traffic is blocked. Before you purchase a router, make sure that it provides an SPI firewall, which keeps track of the TCP and UDP data streams coming and going through the router's network. SPI transfers only the data packets that match known connections. Rogue or unknown packets of data are blocked automatically.

Installing the free DD-WRT router firmware can add plenty of additional options to a router

"DD-WRT is a Linux based alternative OpenSource firmware suitable for a great variety of WLAN routers and embedded systems. The main emphasis lies on providing the easiest possible handling while at the same time supporting a great number of functionalities within the framework of the respective hardware platform used." - http://www.dd-wrt.com/

This page tells you which routers are supported by DD-WRT firmware:

http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Supported_Devices

If a particular router is listed, the firmware installation overview is provided on this page:

http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Installation

DD-WRT firmware provides some impressive options that may not have been made available by the router-manufacturer's firmware, such as the ability to tweak the WiFi transmission power and antenna gain in order to increase the network's range, set up Internet access restrictions, create multiple virtual WiFi networks with different SSIDs and security settings, use a router as a commercial WiFi hotspot and tweak the Quality of Service (QoS) option.

The 802.11n wireless networking standard has at last been ratified

September 14, 2009. - Seven years after it was proposed, the 802.11n wireless networking standard has been ratified. The ratification by the IEEE standards body means that wireless equipment manufacturers do not have to describe their products as Draft-N. The owners of existing Draft-N products should not have to worry about compatibility, because the manufacturers have guessed what the final standard would be and have tailored their products to fit it, making products that comply with Draft 2.0 of the 802.11n wireless standard. Therefore, if a wireless N product has been purchased within the last three years, such as a router, it probably already complies with the 802.11n standard. However, you should make sure that your Draft-N router is up to date, by visiting its manufacturer's support site to find out if there is new firmware available to download. The standard was only ratified on 14 September, 2009, so any updates could take a few weeks to appear.

Note: It is advisable to do some research on a firmware update for router. A firmware upgrade is risky because there is a small chance that installing it will kill the router. Moreover, you will probably have to reconfigure the router when the upgrade is installed, which is why you should only upgrade firmware (or the system BIOS, which is a similar sort of program) if doing so will provide some definite benefit, such as fixing a bug or adding functions. Reconfiguring a router after a firmware update is definitely a hassle. Some routers have a "back up configuration" option, but you should not rely on it to restore the router to its former state.

Whether a firmware upgrade preserves your current configuration or not depends on the router and on the version of the firmware. A minor upgrade, say, from version 1.0.1 to 1.0.2 will probably keep your custom settings, but a major upgrade, say, from version 1.0.1 to 2.0.3 might reset the router to its default configuration, so it's a good idea to open the configuration-settings' web pages and save them to a flash drive. Then you can use the back-up-configuration option, if one is available. You should check your settings and compare them to the existing ones after you have installed the new firmware.

IEEE Ratifies 802.11n, Wireless LAN Specification to Provide Significantly Improved Data Throughput and Range -

http://www.ieee.org/web/aboutus/news/2009/

802.11n finally due to be an official standard in September -

http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/news/267013/...

Wireless Networking: Nine 802.11n Routers Rounded Up -

"Now that the 802.11n specification has been published [ratified], it's time to round up routers supporting the standard. We have products from Asus, Belkin, D-Link, Linksys, Netgear, Ruckus, TP-Link, TRENDnet, and ZyXEL vying for the best performance and features." - http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/...

The WiFi Alliance is a good website to visit for information on ratified WiFi products and standards.

WiFi Alliance - http://www.wi-fi.org/

Create a personal wi-fi hotspot and stay connected -

"New technologies are now bringing the solution to people who need to be contactable around the clock." -

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/click_online/8408409.stm

Draft N (and ratified 802.11) routers are backward-compatible with 802.11g wireless adapters commonly found in most current laptop/notebook and desktop PCs. Draft N (and ratified 802.11) routers are usually faster than 802.11g routers when connected to 802.11g adapters. Moreover, they also usually have significantly longer range when connected to 802.11g equipment.

At present, there is little benefit to be gained from using a pre-n router to connect to the Internet wirelessly, because 8Mbit/s is as fast as most current broadband connections get, and equipment using the current 802.11g standard can easily access the Internet at that speed. However, if you want to transfer large files between the computers on a network wirelessly, even the unfinalised 802.11n wireless equipment is much faster and less prone to interference than 802.11g equipment, so it will save you quite a bit of data-transfer time.

Ratified 802.11n routers have multiple antennas for multiple data streams, support Quality of Service (QoS), which is dealt with further down this page, and are able to operate a "good neighbour" policy by being able to switch to a channel that is not being used by neighbouring networks.

For some time, wireless equipment was available called pre-n and Draft-N, which supports the first draft 802.11n standard. Then wireless equipment called Draft 2.0 that supports the second draft of the 802.11n standard also became available.

"The Wi-Fi Alliance will not change the basic requirements of its IEEE 802.11n certification process when the current draft specification gives way to a formal standard later this year [2009]. The industry group's decision ensures that hundreds of already approved products will be interoperable with gear based on the final standard, avoiding integration headaches that might have plagued users trying to add to their networks." -

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9135825/...

The WiFi Alliance is a good website to visit for information on ratified WiFi products and standards.

WiFi Alliance - http://www.wi-fi.org/

7 Wireless Router Problems And How To Solve Them -

"Slow data speeds, dead spots, Wi-Fi that's AWOL -- don't replace that router yet -- first try these tips to overcome your 802.11x router headaches." -

http://www.informationweek.com/news/mobility/802.11x/...

When reviews of ratified 802.11n routers become available, I will include an example. Here is a review of a Draft 2.0 router:

Linksys Dual-Band Wireless-N Gigabit Router with Storage Link WRT600N -

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2704,2236097,00.asp

The following article provides the pros and cons of deploying 802.11n equipment now:

802.11n Wireless: Is Now The Time To Deploy? -

http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/showArticle...

NAT Router Security Solutions Tips & Tricks You Haven't Seen Before -

http://www.grc.com/nat/nat.htm

Beamforming: The Best WiFi You've Never Seen : Open-Mouthed Amazement -

"Forget 802.11n Draft 2.0. The future of video-capable WiFi depends on a signal-boosting technique called 'beamforming'. We put the pioneers in this frontier through some real-world testing to find out which technology is going to change the wireless world." -

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/beamforming-wifi-ruckus,review-31657.html

A router with a display

The Belkin N1 Vision draft 802.11n router is the first to have a display, which is very useful if you change settings frequently, because you can access settings and information via the router without having to use the traditional web-browser interface. It also makes it easy to see which devices are connected at any time, thereby allowing the user to know if any unauthorised devices are connected. The other router manufacturers are sure to add displays to their products.

Extend the range and signal strength of a wireless router or another wireless device by using high-gain antennas and repeaters

Click here! to go directly to the information on high-gain antennas and repeaters on Page 2 of this article.

Troubleshooting router problems

7 Wireless Router Problems And How To Solve Them -

"Slow data speeds, dead spots, Wi-Fi that's AWOL -- don't replace that router yet -- first try these tips to overcome your 802.11x router headaches." -

http://www.informationweek.com/news/mobility/802.11x/...

Visit the end of this article for links to some excellent networking websites that provide troubleshooting information.

If you want to use a router to share an ADSL Internet connection, buying one that has an inbuilt ADSL modem is a better option that connecting an ADSL modem to a router, because it cuts down on wiring and guarantees that the modem will function with the router.

The kind of wireless network equipment you require depends on the kind of Internet access you have. For an ADSL broadband connection, if you have ADSL modem that connects to the computer via a USB cable, you should replace it with a wireless ADSL router that has an inbuilt modem.

Note that if you have an 8Mbit/s or faster ADSL connection, you should find out if it requires a router that supports ADSL2+. Most of the latest routers support ADSL2+, but a few still do not.

For a cable Internet connection or an ADSL modem that uses an Ethernet cable, all that is required is a wireless router that doesn't have a built-in modem.

Some routers have a turbo mode that is supposed to improve wireless data transfers, but using it can be problematic, because the turbo mode only works with network adapters made by the same manufacturer that supports that mode. In other words, if you have a laptop PC that uses Intel Centrino Mobile Technology and you have a Linksys router that supports turbo mode, you will probably have to buy a Linksys wireless adapter PC card for the laptop instead of using the laptop's built-in wireless adapter.

The best solution for Internet sharing over a wired network would be to use an external hardware router on a broadband (cable or ADSL) connection. Most routers have an Ethernet connection port that is cabled to the gateway computer, but routers with a USB connector are available for use with USB broadband modems. A router with a built-in ADSL modem is preferable to connecting a separate modem to the router, because there is less wiring involved and the modem is guaranteed to work with the router. If you use a cable modem, you will have to connect it to the router unless you can find a router that has a suitable built-in cable modem.

Note that it is possible to buy routers that can make use of a standard 56K dial-up connection, but they're difficult to obtain. USB broadband modems and routers with a USB connection port are available, but USB routers usually only support a limited list of modems. The reason that some Internet Service Providers provide a USB modem is because they don't want the connection to be shared across a network or with neighbours, and they do everything they can to make doing that as difficult as possible.

Alternatively, there are now several ADSL modems available with a built-in hardware router, such as the excellent SMC 7401BRA ADSL Barricade Router. This device has both Ethernet and USB ports so that two computers can be connected to the Internet at the the same time without being networked. Other ADSL modem/routers with four Ethernet ports are available for around £120/$200.

The router connects to your cable/ADSL modem, and uses DHCP (the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) to connect all of the networked computers. This means that it can configure network settings, such as setting IP addresses in the networked computers, automatically. All current routers have the internal setting that makes it function as a DHCP server.

Most routers provide four or more standard Ethernet ports that can be used to create a wired network. There are also usually LED lights on the unit that light up if an Internet connection is active, the wireless network is configured and working, and if an Ethernet port is active (each port has its own light).

Some routers provide an antenna socket that allows you to fit a large antenna that provides improved long-range reception. Some routers support what is know as the Wireless Distribution System (WDS), which allows the use of other wireless routers and access points to extend a particular router's range.

Most routers support Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) that Windows provides. If this feature is enabled in Windows XP, to access the configuration page of most current routers, you just have to click the router's icon in My Network Places.

This is what the Help and Support in Windows XP says about UPnP:

"Using the UPnP framework to control devices - UPnP technology allows Windows to discover and control UPnP devices. When connected to a network, these devices immediately provide their services and make use of other services on the network. For example, when you plug in any Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) or laptop, you are immediately able to use printers and other resources on the network. The UPnP framework has very little in common with Plug and Play or non-Plug and Play devices. Windows detects existing UPnP devices as well as new devices when they are added. In both cases, an indicator is displayed in the notification area to alert you when devices are detected. Also, UPnP devices are displayed in the My Network Places folder. To open My Network Places, click Start, and then click My Computer. Under Other Places, click My Network Places. You can control a UPnP device by double-clicking its icon, or view its properties by right-clicking the icon and then clicking Properties. Notes The UPnP framework is not automatically installed when you install Windows. For more information, click Related Topics. The UPnP framework must be installed on all computers on which you want to view and control devices."

Enter Install the UPnP framework in the Search box provided by Help and Support to find out how to do that.

Quality of Service (QoS) capability

Having a router with Quality of Service (QoS) capability is becoming ever more essential as more services make use of an Internet connection. Certain types of traffic, such as voice over IP (VoIP), which is used for telephone connections over the Internet, are extremely sensitive to the amount of available bandwidth. The quality of telephone calls can quickly become unintelligible if another service, such as a large file download, is taking up all of a broadband connection's bandwidth. Quality of Service avoids that happening by giving priority to the traffic that needs bandwidth. With QoS, traffic that would suffer from interruptions can be assigned more than one data stream in order to reduce delays, whereas less important traffic, such as standard web browsing, can be assigned a single stream.

The following article deals with how to set the QoS settings provided by most recent 802.11g and 802.11n routers manually.

Home networking: How to avoid traffic jams -

"Configure your Wi-Fi router for optimal data-transfer and media-streaming performance." -

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9140561/...

Adding extra wired (Ethernet) ports to a router

Read this Q&A on this site: How can I add extra wired (Ethernet) ports to my wireless router?

Wireless network security: WEP, WPA, and WPA2 encryption

Wireless routers that support wired connections (usually providing 4 Ethernet ports) are the main piece of networking equipment around which a home network is created. Router manufacturers continue providing support for the older security encryption standards in order to make it possible to continue using the older equipment that supports them. WPA2-AES is the latest standard (in April 2012), which is the best to use, but not all networking hardware supports it, so WPA2-TKIP may have to be used instead. If your equipment only supports WEP, you should update it, because it is easily cracked, but the original WPA can still be used.

Visit the Q&A article on this site called How can a wireless network be made secure? to find out about data encryption and other methods of keeping a wireless network secure. Use your browser's Back button to return to this point on this page. Then watch this video on how to set up a router's security:

Episode 1 - Wireless router security [WEP and WPA and WPA-PSK]-

http://www.veoh.com/videos/v228005fD2HxAkq&source=embedVideo

Cracking Wireless Networks [and how to prevent your wireless network from being cracked] - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ep3CRtzAM_E&feature=related

Long-range, multiple antenna MIMO technology

Routers that have the furthest range use MIMO technology, which uses multiple antennas - usually three, but between two and seven - to produce at least 100Mbps of raw throughput that is more likely to be 200Mbps. The multiple antennas of MIMO routers use multiple data streams. The net throughput, or real data transferred, will be much higher than the 50% of raw data transmitted by existing wireless networks. Due to atmospheric conditions, interference, and other factors, some of the antennas receive a better signal than others. MIMO technology works out which of the antennas is receiving the best signal and switches to using them. In tests it has also been established that MIMO routers have a much greater range than non-MIMO routers. Special wireless adapters installed in the connected computers are not necessary to take advantage of a MIMO router's increased range.

If you don't have a MIMO router, but the one that you do have has antennae sockets, you can use a third-party high-gain antenna. Moreover, some wireless routers support the Wireless Distribution System (WDS), which allows you to add further routers and wireless access points that can extend the range of your network.

The Linksys WRT54GX2 router shown and described at the top of this page uses MIMO technology.

Using a router with USB ADSL or cable modems

If you currently connect to the Internet via a USB ADSL or cable modem, if your Internet service provider doesn't provide the information, you can probably locate routers that support those modems by making use of a search engine.

For more information about this topic on this site, read Why can't I find a router for my USB DSL modem? - Use your browser's Back button to return to this point on this page.

At the time of writing this, I didn't know of any routers that support USB cable modems.

Using a router as a switch makes it easy to set up the network while also allowing any of the network's computers to connect to the Internet at any time via a shared broadband connection. The router can also act as a hardware firewall to protect your home network from Internet hackers.

An excellent example of an Ethernet router is the very affordable Linksys BEFSR41 Etherfast Cable/DSL Router. This particular router uses network cables not wireless technology. It can be used with a cable or ADSL modem.

Here are some relevant quotes from Usenet reviews:

"Setup is a breeze. I had an existing network, but simply running the "Run me first" CD that comes with the router sorted everything out. The setup changed all the IP's [IP addresses],etc., as necessary, and also picked up my existing MAC without any manual intervention at all. I also have a VPN [Virtual Private Networking] connection for work, and it took 5 minutes to get that going. In all complete setup took 30 minutes from opening the box."

"The web-based user interface is very easy to use; from opening the box to up and running takes about 10 - 15 minutes. The unit allows MAC address spoofing, which means you can get started without having to wait until your ISP changes your registered [MAC] address. Firmware upgrades are very easy; the latest firmware also allows integrated use with antivirus and firewall software. This router is also one of the most secure available. Its full use of NAT (Network Address Translation) which separates your LAN and WAN IP addresses, makes external hacking into your PCs nigh on impossible."

If you want to read the wide-ranging reviews that people write for the same router, visit the following link:

Etherfast Cable/DSL Firewall Router with 4-Port Switch/VPN Endpoint -

http://www.practicallynetworked.com/opinions/show_oppinion.asp?pid=484

Note that you can always check a broadband connection's settings at the broadband ISP's site.

Common networking problems and How-to articles covered by the MS Knowledge Base

View the section called Networking How-to articles and problems in the Microsoft Knowledge Base on the first Networking Problems page on this site.

Port Forwarding

"Generally forwarding is done so the outside world can connect to some type of server that is located behind your router/firewall. Web servers, ftp servers, mail servers, computers running telnet, ssh, remote desktop, sql, and mysql are all examples where forwarding would be needed. If you are trying to forward the same application to two different ip addresses, you may have problems. There may be a way around it, refer to the software manufacture's homepage for more information. Click here for more information on Forwarding." - http://www.portforward.com/

Windows 95/98/Me has networking information in its Help files, and Windows XP/Vista and Windows 7 have a wizard for configuring a network, but most network interface cards (NICs) are provided with their own configuration software.

Most routers require a broadband connection, but it is possible to find wired and wireless routers with a serial COM connector for use with an external 56K dial-up modem. An example is the US Robotics USR8000A wireless router, which is used with a wireless Access Point (AP), such as the Linksys WAP11. An external 56 modem with a COM port that can be used is the Sitecom DC-003.

Alternatively, if the wireless router has an inbuilt AP, all you have to do is connect the external 56K modem to its COM port, and it can connect to the computers of a wireless network. A good example of such a router is the Zoomair IG4165. After a wireless connection has been made, one of the router's web-style setup pages is configured with the ISP's information, such as the phone number, user name, and password. Then, when any of the computers that are connected to the Zoomair router tries to access the Internet, it triggers a dial-up connection.

Some broadband operators, configure their connections to be able to link to only one computer. They identify the computer by its MAC address. Every network device in existence - a network card, a router, etc. - has a unique MAC address. MAC addresses take the form of eight hexadecimal numbers separated by colons, such as 00:E0:18:B1:62:B3.

The broadband provider lists the MAC addresses it expects a registered connection to have. But when you install the router it will have its own MAC address, not the ones that the provider has listed, so the connection won't work. But if the router can spoof MAC addresses, which the Linksys BEFSR41 Etherfast Cable/DSL Router can, all you have to do is enable the relevant setting in the router's setup page that runs via a browser such as Internet Explorer. Doing this will make the router spoof its MAC address to one of the MAC addresses registered with the broadband provider.

Note that if you are networking two or more computers (even a mixture of desktop computers and laptops), and you can't get the computers to network and share a connection properly, make sure that all of the computers are using the same kind of network technology - Ethernet cards or USB. Don't use a mixture of the two types.

You can also have a dial-up modem connection and a broadband connection installed. You would need a dial-up modem connection for connecting a notebook via a mobile phone, and a broadband connection when you return to the office. With the software for both connections installed, just make sure that you enable the option called "Dial whenever a network connection is not present" under the Connections tab of Internet Properties in the Control Panel. If only a broadband connection is installed, the "Never dial a connection" setting must be enabled. The "Always dial my default connection" setting is used if only a dial-up connection is installed.

For an ISP, creating each DSL circuit takes time, and it can be problematic setting up several thousand connections at one time. It could take even longer to get connected if you buy your service from any other service than your local phone company, because all of the other DSL service providers have to buy their service from your local phone company. In the UK this is usually BT. There are large banks of special modems for DSL at each local telephone exchange. Wherever a person buys a DSL service, access to the modems is leased from the local phone company. However, not all customer telephone lines are physically fit to carry a DSL signal. They have to be upgraded if this is the case, and the local phone company won't upgrade an exchange unless it is economically viable. Moreover, unless you are buying the commercial or business DSL service, the telephone company usually won't guarantee that you will have continuous service in the event of a problem in the system.

Bearing that in mind, with a cable or DSL connection, a broadband router will allow you to share a connection between two or more computers (depending on the number of ports it has) via the TCP/IP protocol. The specific configuration will vary slightly depending on the model of router, but the usual setup involves connecting your ISP's cable or DSL modem to the router's WAN port, with two or more computers connecting to the router's switched LAN ports instead of to each other via a crossover cable, hub, or switch.

When properly configured, the router will obtain an IP address from your ISP, and it will in turn assign internal or private IP addresses to your two computers allowing them to access the Internet and each other (i.e. for file-sharing or playing network games). Make sure that both machines are running the TCP/IP protocol, and are set to obtain an IP address automatically. You can remove the IPX and NetBEUI protocols, because TCP/IP is the only protocol needed.

If you're using a dial-up modem to connect to the Internet, you can still share it by using the Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) feature that comes with Windows 98 Second Edition and higher versions of Windows. In this case, two computers connected to each other via a standard network cable run ICS on the computer with the modem. A setup diskette created on the first computer by the ICS wizard is then run on the other computer to make it able to use ICS.

As mentioned earlier, some routers allow a dial-up modem to be connected to them. Another good example is the SMC7004AWBR - Barricade 4-Port 11Mbps Wireless Broadband Router. For added functionality, the Barricade router also has a RS232 COM port that allows you to connect an external dial-up modem. Once connected, you can configure the Barricade to use that modem as an automatic fail-over device if your broadband connection goes down. For network printing the Barricade also has a built-in parallel printer port. To configure the print server, simply plug the printer into the Barricade, install the SMC Printer Port software drivers, and configure the printer in Windows.

Where from two to five computers are accessing the Internet simultaneously, users are unlikely to notice any difference from having the whole ADSL connection to themselves. This is because on a broadband connection, the users spend most of the time reading webpages, so it is unlikely that two users will be requesting to download a page at the same time. But the users will notice delays when one user is downloading a large file, even though the page requests will be slotted in between the file's data packets. However, the speed of the shared connection will ultimately depend on the speed of the remote server.

Router firmware

Note that routers have firmware that can be updated as well as its drivers. Indeed, if you have connection problems with a router, updating its firmware can often provide the solution. In any case, it's good security advice to make sure that the firmware for a router is kept up-to-date.

The router might revert to using the default password when its firmware is updated, so logon using it and then change the password to what you want it to be. You'll have to read the documentation that came with the router to find out what it is if the default password isn't left blank so that you can use the router by just pressing the Enter key.

There is more information on wireless networks further down this page.

Network protocols

There cannot be any communication between computers over a network or on the Internet (a huge network) unless they use the same communication protocols (use the same digital language to communicate).

These are three main network protocols in use. -

TCP/IP, which can be used on a network (internal LAN), is the main protocol used for Internet access.

IPX/SPX and NetBIOS, go together, can also be used on a network, and can also be used to access the Internet - mainly for online gaming.

NetBEUI, which is non-routable, and, as such, cannot be used for Internet access, can be used as a network protocol. Indeed, it is the safest protocol to set for printer and file sharing on a network because it cannot be routed. It is easy to install in Windows 9.x systems via Network in the Control Panel, but in Windows XP it is well hidden.

The following MS Knowledge Base article deals with the matter. Click on the Reference Number to go to it.

See the next sub-article on NetBEUI.

All of the above network protocols can have their printer and file-sharing settings enabled or disabled.

The NetBEUI protocol and file sharing

If you have a mixed network that runs several versions of Windows (95, 98, XP), you may experience connection and other problems. Installing the NetBEUI protocol for file sharing can often add stability to such a network. Windows XP does not install it by default, but it is hidden on the XP CD. Moreover, Microsoft has said that the Windows 2000 version of NetBEUI may well function better in this regard than the version that is on the XP CD.

Network file sharing

Click here! to go to a useful "sticky" on file sharing on the Practically Networked site.

Click here! to read a thread called: Setting up NetBIOS over TCP/IP.

USB direct-connect networking

To network in this way, you purchase a USB Direct Connect kit (supplier: Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk) that allows two or more computers to be networked. Just buy an additional kit for every computer you want to network. You will need to be using an operating system and BIOS that supports USB. Proper USB support was first available for Windows 98, and all subsequent versions of Windows support it. You will know if your BIOS supports USB if it has the BIOS settings show under the heading The USB and FireWire BIOS Settings in the USB page on this site. If your motherboard does not have any USB ports, you can add them in several ways, such as via a USB hub or PCI adapter card.

Always check that the operating system you are using supports any device you plan to buy. In most cases, this would mean checking that your version of Windows supports the device. You can usually find out from the manufacturer's website, or from the information on the device's packaging.

For instance, the device (networking or otherwise) might not support, say Windows 98, but does support Windows 98 SE, and you might purchase a USB 2.0 device and only have USB 1.1 ports on the motherboard. If you have Windows 98, you would have to upgrade to Windows 98 SE, or a later version such as Windows XP, and if you need a USB 2.0 port, you'll have to purchase a USB 2.0 PCI adapter card, examples of which are shown at the bottom of the USB page of this site.

Note that network adapters that only support USB 1.1 will be very slow compared to those that support USB 2.0, which is much faster. USB 1.1 can transfer data at 12Mbit/s maximum, but USB 2.0 can transfer data at 480Mbit/s, so if you only have USB 1.1 ports on the motherboard, you should only use 802.11b USB adapters - or purchase a PCI USB 2.0 adapter card to use 802.11g USB adapters.

This site contains good information on USB networking, and on how to use a USB cable to transfer files, or a master image of an entire system to another computer: http://www.windowsnetworking.com/.

Virtual Private Networking (VPN)

Virtual Private Networking (VPN), is an encrypted hardware or software implementation of a shared private connection across a network, or the Internet for the cost of a local call.

VPN is a technology that allows computers to communicate over the Internet as if they were on a private, local network.

Normally, in order to connect to a private network from a remote access point using a telephone connection would require paying for either a national or international call, depending on the distance involved. But now if you have computers using Windows 98 and Windows Me, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Linux, or Unix at both ends, it is possible to set up a VPN that is either software or hardware driven, and which can be used for the cost of local Internet calls. A VPN router is used to implement a hardware connection. Instead of a software VPN adapter, the router handles the VPN packet transmission of encrypted data. If Windows, Linux, or Unix is used to set up a software VPN, this is achieved by installing a Virtual Private Networking Adapter. Windows installs this in the Device Manager under the Network adapters heading.

Press the Windows and F1 keys to bring up Help and search for VPN for information on how to install it in a Windows system.

There are two networking protocols that can be used - Point-to-Point Tunnelling Protocol (PPTP) and Layer Two Tunnelling Protocol over IP Security (L2TP over IPsec).

PPTP is the older and more simple of the two protocols. It is easy to set up and is supported by older operating systems such as Windows 98 without having to install any updates. PPTP doesn't slow down the network as much as the more complex L2TP, but it isn't nearly as secure. L2TP should be used if you want to implement really tight security. In addition to the user name and password that PPTP requires to log on to a VPN server, remote users have to possess a pre-shared key that can be a word or a string of letters and numbers. It is used to generate an encrypted value that is sent by the client computer to the VPN server to establish its right to use that VPN server. The person using the client computer must know the key beforehand because it can't be obtained from the VPN server.

Windows Virtual Private Networking only allows one connection at a time per network interface card (NIC). You can set up the same number of connections as the client computer has network cards.

If multiple connections are required, a router can be set up as a hardware VPN server. An example of a VPN-capable router that allows up to sixteen connections at once is the Draytec Vigor 2600VG, which is a router and ADSL modem. For more information on it, enter the make and model in a search engine. Alternatively, use a search query such as vpn + router.

For information on how to set up a VPN connection in Windows 98 and Me, using L2TP encryption, read this MS Knowledge Base article - Using the Microsoft L2TP/IPSec VPN Client with Windows 98, Windows Me, and Windows NT 4.0. Click 325032 to go to it.

See How Routers Work for more information on the subject.

The VPN communication can take place between single computers at both ends, a single computer and a network, or between two networks.

Both ends of the VPN have to have a fixed IP address, otherwise it won't be possible to establish a connection, since the software or hardware involved has to forward and receive encrypted packets of information to known addresses. Most ISPs provide only a dynamic IP address for an Internet connection, which means that you are allocated a different IP address from a pool of available IP addresses every time you log on. Some ISPs, such as Demon, allocate each user a fixed IP address, so if you want to communicate via VPN you would have to sign up with such a provider.

For more information on this subject, visit the following website -

How Virtual Private Networking Works - http://computer.howstuffworks.com/vpn.htm

To find other articles, enter virtual private networking in a search engine.

Medium and large companies are using VPN software to enable secure connections over the Internet for remote or mobile users. Small businesses and even some home users are using VPN software to establish secure peer-to-peer connections across routers and firewalls. Here is a provider of third-party VPN software:

Hamachi - http://www.hamachi.cc/

Using the Remote Desktop feature provided by Windows XP Professional via a VPN or by using port forwarding

Only Windows XP Professional works as a host for Remote Desktop, which allows the computer that is hosting it to be accessed from a remote location on the web.

The client computers can use any version of Windows from Windows 95 up, but you must download and install the client software, which is called Remote Desktop Client (RDC) - http://tinyurl.com/3vb8u. Windows XP Professional already has the RDC.

Hamachi provides a Remote Desktop over Hamachi VPN discussion forum - http://forums.hamachi.cc/viewtopic.php?t=4078.

Remote Desktop is a very powerful program that has security implications. This article explains how to use it without compromising security:

http://www.informationweek.com/showArticle.jhtml;?articleID=164300008

You can use port forwarding with Remote Desktop instead of using it via a VPN. Both routers are set to forward the Remote Desktop port to the appropriate computer behind the router. The default port is Port 3389. This article provides information including how to change the default port assignment:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/mobility/rdfaq.mspx

HPNA telephone networks

If you have a telephone connection point in every room, you can create an HPNA 2.0 network.

HPNA stands for Home Phone Network Alliance, and makes use of your home's telephone connection points to connect the network computers. Like Ethernet, it uses either a USB or PCI NIC. You can create an HPNA network of two computers for under £60/$100 if you install internal PCI cards. A USB setup, which does not require opening the computers' cases, just USB cables, is another option.

How Stuff Works - Phone Line Networking:

http://computer.howstuffworks.com/phone-network.htm

Video senders

By using a video sender it is possible to watch TV in another room from where a Freeview box or Sky receiver is located without running cables between them. You can share sound and images from any audio/video source - Freeview box, satellite receiver, cable box, camcorder, DVD player onto a TV, monitor or Hi-Fi located elsewhere in a house.

If you have satellite or cable TV in one room and you want to watch it elsewhere in the house without laying cables everywhere, a video sender makes that possible.

The equipment consists of a wireless transmitter and one or more receivers connected to the additional TVs, etc. You can buy video-sender equipment that has a remote-contol extender that allows the use of a remote control with any TV. You can also connect the following: link a Nicam stereo VCR with a hi-fi, link a satellite receiver with a television set in another room, and link a security video camera to a video recorder in another room. The signals pass through walls, floors, and ceilings because the system uses wideband FM transmissions, which minimises interference between other wireless transmitters, such as a wireless computer network.

I currently have a Rimax 5.8GHz Wireless TV Audio Video Sender & Receiver purchased for £80. It is attached to the spare SCART socket in the back of my Sky+ box and to a TV upstairs. The transmitter is plugged into the output port on the source device and the receiver is plugged into an input socket of the TV. I can take the Sky+ remote control upstairs and have complete control. It's just as if I am sitting in front of the TV in my lounge. The signal passes about 20m through two walls and a ceiling. Picture and sound quality is excellent.

You can find out more information about these wireless devices by entering video senders as the search query in a search engine, which most web browsers provide from their taskbar.

Media streamers

A media streamer can be used to view digital images, listen to MP3 music files or watch video from anywhere in a house. Many new TVs have an inbuilt media streamer, or the separate product can be purchased that can connect to any TV. A wireless product is the best choice, because it can be moved anywhere within range of the network to which it is connected - even outside. You can find out more information about these devices by entering media streamers as the search query in a web search engine.

Powerline networking

Powerline (Power Line, power-line, HomePlug) networking uses the electrical wiring in a building to create a local area network using Windows computers, Macs, Linux computers, or other network-enabled devices, such as Microsoft's Xbox.

Special electrical-socket adapters that are as safe to use as any other electrical plugs convert standard Ethernet network data into very high frequency signals that travel across the standard electrical wiring. This doesn't in any way affect the electrical wiring's ability to carry power to other devices connected to it. Powerline networking allows an electrical system to deliver power and data over the same wiring simultaneously by transmitting the data at a higher frequency than the standard frequency of 50Hz used in the UK.

Powerline networking devices have been available for several years, but have not become a mainstream networking choice until now because of connection problems, and the high cost. But recent standardisation and price cuts have made powerline networking a viable and affordable alternative to wired networks.

Powerline networking combines the best features of wired and wireless networks. As with wireless networking, a powerline network allows portability from room to room or floor to floor: You can access a powerline network from any standard electrical outlet just by plugging into it. As with conventional wired networks, but unlike with wireless networks, the data isn't broadcast into the surrounding area where anyone can detect and try to hack into it.

Both USB and Ethernet Powerline adapters plug directly into the mains supply and require software to be installed that makes them function as network adapters. The installation is a simple matter of plugging the adapter into a mains power socket and then plugging its cable into either a USB port on the computer, or into an Ethernet NIC, depending on which version is being used.

Note that to take advantage of the speed of 500Mbit/s Powerline networking kits a router that provides 1000Mbit/s Gigabit Ethernet ports is required, because a standard Ethernet 10/100 port has a maximum data transfer rate of 100Mbit/s and tests of 500Mbit/s Powerline adapters show that data is transmitted at up to 130Mbit/s (real-time transfer rates are always much slower than the theoretical rates). By December 2011, very few routers provide Gigabit Ethernet ports. The Belkin Play Max N600 HD (£90) is a router that provides Gigabit Ethernet. Note, however, that the data throughput drops to around 50Mbit/s at distances of more than about 10m, so Gigabit Ethernet is not required for such a range.

When the system starts up after the hardware has been installed, the Windows Networking wizard is used to configure IP addresses or make the network use a DHCP server. Password protection must be offered, since neighbours using the same system could feasibly log into an unprotected network.

Connection speeds are typically around 5Mbit/s, which is slow in networking terms but is easily fast enough to share a broadband Internet connection, for playing MP3 music from another computer on the network, or for playing network games between workstations. But if a user needs to access or transfer particularly large files across the network, the use of a conventional wired network is the best option, because even the faster wireless networks aren't fast enough.

The Siemens SpeedStream SS2502 powerline Ethernet adapter is one of the best. It is roughly the size of a packet of cigarettes, and plugs directly into one of your home's standard power outlets. It connects to your computer's Ethernet adapter via an RJ-45 cable, and can be used with a router to share a broadband Internet connection.

A complete review of the SpeedStream SS2502 powerline Ethernet adapter can be found at:

http://www.practicallynetworked.com/review.asp?pid=508

Solwise NET-PL-200AV-PIGGY -

"Solwise calls this SimpleConnect, and it aims to make powerline networking even easier." -

http://www.pcpro.co.uk/shopper/reviews/189810/solwise-netpl-200avpiggy.html

How Stuff Works - Power Line Networking -

http://computer.howstuffworks.com/power-network.htm

Powerline adapters: Home networking without rewiring -

"Three major powerline networking technologies offer high-speed connections simply by plugging small devices into electrical outlets..." -

http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?...

KVM switches

How to use two or more computers with one keyboard, monitor, and mouse

If you want to access more than one computer but don't need to network them, there is a little-known device called a KVM switch that allows the operation of two or more computers from one set of keyboard - monitor - and mouse. The letters KVM stand for keyboard video and mouse, I suppose because KVM sounds better than KMM. Some of these switches can allow thousands of computers to be accessed in this way, and some of them even allow the use of one sound card and one set of speakers. The computers and the one set of keyboard, monitor and mouse are linked to the KVM switch, and key toggles are used to switch from one computer to another. All of the computers are tricked into thinking that they have sole use of the keyboard, monitor, and mouse. This is an invaluable aid if you need to use more than one computer but you don't need to have them networked.

You can purchase KVM switches from all of the larger online electronics and computer businesses. A four-computer model is typically priced from £36/$60 to £75/$125, and a two-computer unit is about half that price. Note that the more expensive units usually have superior cables and shielding from electronic interference than the less expensive units.

KVM Switches that do DVI from Aten -

"Using a KVM switch to work on two or more computers with a single keyboard, mouse and monitor can certainly make life easier. However, we had to wait a long time for KVM switchboxes to catch up with modern technology, such as the all-digital visual interface (DVI) connectors for flat panel displays. Until recently, users had no choice but to use only D-15 analog VGA connectors with KVMs - a relic of the bygone CRT era. But such devices now not only enable switching among multiple sound and USB sources, they can even switch between systems with two monitors attached." -

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/...review-1370.html

Clutter Rescue: 2 Port KVM Switches -

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/clutter-rescue,review-935.html

Belkin - http://www.belkin.co.uk/ - make a good line of KVM Switches that make use of the PS/2 or USB computer ports.

Networking websites

The websites at the top of the list provide illustrated tutorials on how to set up Windows networks and troubleshoot problems. Some of them also do the same for non-Windows networks, such as Linux networks.

Setting up a Windows 9x/Windows 2000/Windows XP/Vista/7 network is not particularly difficult. It is just a matter of knowing what information to insert on the set-up screens on each of the computers in the network. This is provided comprehensively by most web tutorials.

Networking in Windows 98 is obviously less advanced than networking in Windows Vista and Windows 7, particularly wireless networking, because wireless networking was in its infancy when Windows 98 was the current version of Windows. That said, you can still connect a computer running Windows 98 to a wireless network fairly easily, but not as easily as with Windows Vista and Windows 7.

You can have a different version of Windows 9x/Windows 2000/Windows XP/Vista/7 on each computer, but, if possible, to avoid possible compatibility issues, it is best to have the same version installed on all of them.

Note that the Windows Help files, and the Resource Kit that is usually on the Windows CD, provide useful networking information, but, depending on your knowledge, it might not be in the most user-friendly form.

Windows Vista and Windows 7 : Networking and Internet options from the Start menu and in the Control Panel

In Windows XP, the networking settings are accessed via Network Connections in the Control Panel.

In Windows Vista, you can access a window that provides access to the Network and Sharing Center and an option called Add a wireless device from the Start (button) => Network. You can also access it under Network and Internet in the Control Panel the gives you access to all of the Windows networking and Internet options.

Introducing Vista's Network Center -

"If you've been working with Windows for a long time, you probably remember the Network Neighborhood from Windows 95. The Network Neighborhood eventually evolved into My Network Places. Vista changes the name once again. The new name is simply Network. The Network option is available directly from Vista's Start menu..." -

http://www.windowsnetworking.com/.../Introducing-Vistas-Network-Center.html

Windows 7: Understanding Network Administration and Configuration -

"At first glance there aren't too many differences between configuring Windows 7 networking and configuring Windows Vista networking. However, there are important differences once you start using Windows 7. Let us find them out." -

http://www.windowsnetworking.com/articles_tutorials/...

Windows 7 HomeGroup -

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/features/homegroup.aspx

[Windows Vista] Networking -

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/.../networking.mspx

Windows Vista in a Nutshell: Networking -

http://www.computerworld.com/action/...viewArticleBasic&articleId=9010483

Windows Peer-to-Peer Networking -

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/network/p2p/default.mspx

Network Location Types in Windows Vista -

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/community/columns/cableguy/cg0906.mspx

Practically Networked - http://www.practicallynetworked.com/

Practically Networked Forums:

http://forums.practicallynetworked.com/

WindowsNetworking.com - http://www.windowsnetworking.com/

USB networking - The site listed above contains good information on USB networking, and on how to use a USB cable to transfer files, or a master image of an entire system to another computer.

The Cable Guy - Windows XP Wireless Auto Configuration -

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/community/.../cg1102.mspx

The Cable Guy - June 2004 - The New Wireless Network Setup Wizard in Windows XP Service Pack 2 - http://www.microsoft.com/technet/community...cg0604.mspx

Windows Wi-Fi Web site - http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/network/bb530679.aspx

Line stats for modem/routers

Getting Line Stats from your Modem/Router -

http://www.kitz.co.uk/adsl/frogstats.htm

Excellent network tweaking tools

The Broadbandreports.com site provides an excellent, free, connection-tweaking tool called DrTCP. Using it, their online tweak tester, and the information in their online forums, you can adjust the internal Windows settings to fit an ADSL connection optimally. After a computer is set to receive data with exactly the same settings that a particular ADSL Internet Service Provider (ISP) is using to send it, the connection speed should see a marked improvement if it wasn't optimally set up in the first place. -

http://www.broadbandreports.com/tools

The impressive tools called TCP/IP Analyzer and TCP/IP Optimizer are available free from http://www.speedguide.net/.

10 great free downloads for your network -

"Got a small network, home network, medium-size network -- even an enterprise network -- and want to get the most out of it? Then I've got good news for you: 10 free pieces of software that can make your network easier to use, troubleshoot and maintain. These freebies will help everyone from networking pros to networking newbies and everyone in between." -

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9058842/10_great_free_downloads_for_your_network

How to use the throttling mechanism to control network performance in Windows Vista - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/948066

Free networking security tools

DNSstuff.com - "This site has many DNS and networking tools for network administrators, domain owners, users of DNS hosting services, etc. There is no cost for using this site." -

http://www.dnsstuff.com/

Sysinternals TCPView allows the user to identify and locate which applications have open ports on a system. Sysinternals free TCPView allows the user to identify and locate which applications have open ports on a system. - Sysinternals was an independent organisation but it is now owned by Microsoft.

Visit http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/default.mspx for the great free utilities.

****

Network drivers - Network-Drivers.com - This site maintains listings of network drivers available on the web, organized by company. Includes links to useful resources. -

http://www.network-drivers.com/

Network Topologies - provides illustrated articles on the different kinds of network. There are computer forums on the site: http://www.firewall.cx/topologies.php

Linksys networking Knowledge Base - http://kb.linksys.com/

HomeNetHelp - http://www.homenethelp.com/

Introduction to HomePlug Powerline Networking:

http://www.lindy.com/uk/tips/uk/HomePlug_Powerline_Networking/index.php

Wi-Fi Networking News - http://80211b.weblogger.com/

FireWire networking - http://www.unibrain.com/

How Home Networks Work -

http://computer.howstuffworks.com/home-network.htm

How Ethernet Works - http://computer.howstuffworks.com/ethernet.htm

How Wireless Networks Work -

http://computer.howstuffworks.com/wireless-network.htm

How Phone Line Networks Work -

http://computer.howstuffworks.com/phone-network.htm

How Power Line Networks Work -

http://computer.howstuffworks.com/power-network.htm

How LAN Switches Work - http://computer.howstuffworks.com/lan-switch.htm

How Routers Work - http://computer.howstuffworks.com/router.htm

How Network Address Translation (NAT) Works -

http://computer.howstuffworks.com/nat.htm

How Virtual Private Networking Works - http://computer.howstuffworks.com/vpn.htm

Networkcomputing.com - good article -

http://www.networkcomputing.com/1222/1222f2.html

Home Networking and the Internet -

http://www.everythingcomputers.com/home_network.htm

Troubleshooting Resources - http://www.everythingcomputers.com/troubler.htm

SOHOInter.net - http://www.sohointer.net/

Home Networking - PCNineOneOne.com - http://www.pcnineoneone.com/

Web searches

You'll also be able to find plenty more sources of information by entering search terms, such as: wireless networks, file and printer sharing, 802.11g, 802.11n, windows networking, peer-to-peer networks and home networking in a search engine.

Searches for internet connection sharing, ics, etc., should turn up just as many informative sources. Note that you don't have to use capital letters in a search term, because the search engines only use lower-case letters. If you want to make a specific search for a term, enclose it within double quotation marks. The search will only return pages that use that specific term. You can also use the + sign to link terms: internet + connection + sharing. There are many other tricks that can be used to refine a search. All of the search engines provide tutorials on how best to make use of them.

GO BACK TO PAGE 1