Your First Home Office Network
Your First Home Office Network
"Telecommuting" - it's the only way to fly! Being able to work from home will change how you think about work. And setting up a home network is easier now than ever. Gone are the days when you had to study wheel vs. ring vs. serial diagrams - network capable devices today are made with multi-tasking capabilities built right in. This will be a snap.
You need:
* A Broadband or better Internet connection
* A wireless-capable router
* Perhaps a switch or a hub
* Your PCs, be they desktop, laptop, or mobile
* Printers and speakers, whatever peripherals you'll be using
* Possibly ethernet cable, with either the plastic clip connector or USB
* network cards and adapters
Instead of connecting the Internet directly to one computer, you'll be connecting it to a router. Most routers these days are gateways as well, with several ethernet ports (they look like large telephone cord jacks) and USB ports (they look like flat, rectangular holes with a bit of metal on one side), in addition to a wireless antenna.
Once you get Internet going to a router with an antenna up, that should be it. Get on your computer and use the software to see if it can find a wireless signal. You might need to configure it first - if so, connect one computer by ethernet to the router and open a web browser. In the address bar, type the IP address of your router - these vary by manufacturer, but should be one of http://192.168.0.1 (the last two digits may vary, but will usually be either .1.1, .1.0, .0.0, something like that). Find out the default user name and password for your router (should be listed in the instructions) - it will usually be 'admin' for username and either 'admin' or 'password' for the password. The first thing you will want to do is change that default setup so anybody in the neighborhood can't just sponge your connection!
In some cases, you might not want to go full wireless. An ethernet connection is recommended for scenarios with one desktop computer downstairs and the router upstairs, since wireless signals might not pass freely through the floor. Bluetooth gadgets plugged into USB ports will also assist for scenarios like speakers and printers, where you only need a direct connection from one machine. Other things like switches and hubs might be needed if you have several wired computers or printers going to one place which is inaccessible to WiFi.
You will want to turn on the highest l
evel of encryption you have available. WPA-2 at least is recommended. Your router and all concerned computers should be able to sort each other out through DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol). Give both your router and each computer on the network a unique name - this makes it easier to monitor what's going on, and also helps with security.
Some tips for a productive home office environment: Have the most reliable set-up you can get. Invest in a headset and speaker for those marathon conference calls. Have a comfortable chair and perhaps a couch handy for reading or for laptop work - don't live like a potted plant. Keep office space and pay space separate. Have an office with a door and be sure your housemates know when the door is shut, you're busy. Avoid the temptation to rank your office space last and end up in some dingy corner of the basement - pick a room with a nice, big window. Have a second storage device to store back-ups of important data. Oh, and don't forget to get out once in a while!
Filed Under: Education in Technology • Mobile Computing
