Networking

For most households, networking relates to Internet connection sharing, file sharing, and printer sharing but that's only the beginning.

If you simply want to transfer files between 2 computers, then a basic USB-to-USB cable connection could suffice, taking it a step further, you could opt for a simple peer-to-peer connection.

The term’ SOHO’ is something you might have seen banded about in the computer press recently. It stands for small office/home office. With the price of new PC’s being what they are, many households now own more than one computer. The price of wireless networking products is now also very reasonable, thus allowing those working from home or those with larger families to join in the global networking revolution. Connect Computer Services believes within 10 years, most homes will have some sort of IT network infrastructure in place.

100Mbps Ethernet Wired Networks

Still the most popular home and small business wired networking solution, at 100 megabits per second (Mbps), it's easily fast enough to handle a broadband Internet connection, share email and still move plenty of local data through the network.

Wireless Networking

Entry-level wireless networking denoted 802.11b is rated at 11 Mbps speeds, however, what you typically get is a 2.5-4 Mbps range. Whilst fine for a broadband connection, sharing printers and transferring files it's too slow for watching DVDs over the network. It does however, operates at 2.4GHz, which can cause interference with cordless phones. Upgrading to 802.11g gives x5 the speed at 54 Mbps and it operates at 5 GHz.

Connect Computer Services recommends Netgear products (supplied with 3 year warranty); use their online Network Configuration - to help you plan your network.