Network file sharing between computers is a much faster and convenient way to gather information, music, movies, and photos. Once a home network is installed, sharing one printer is much easier. No longer will you need to load files onto a USB drive to print. Also, multiple family members will be able to access the Internet simultaneously without needing to pay for multiple ISP (Internet Service Provider) accounts.

As there are pros and cons of any system, home networks are no different. A completely hardwired network gives you a faster more reliable setup, but limits mobility and (in a retrofit solution) may not allow you to have network locations where you need them.

A completely wireless solution gives you maximum mobility but is not as fast or reliable as a hardwired set-up. You might have areas where signal strength drops off which will restrict speed and likely prevent laptop use in that area. Most home networks are a combination of both wired and wireless solutions and this is what we will focus on here.

Things to Consider
When you are first considering installing a home network, there are some questions you should ask yourself.

• How many PCs will be connected to the network?
• Where will laptops be used in the home?
• Which computers will share a printer?
• Can I get the proper cable to the fixed locations?
• Where will my network live?

For most homes, a 4 port wireless router will be more than sufficient. This type of router allows you to have 4 hardwired locations, i.e. home office, kitchen message center, kids’ homework area, and a printer, but it also allows wireless access for laptops, game systems, and home entertainment devices such as DVRs (digital video recorders).

Getting Started
Once you have decided on which locations will be wired and all cabling is done, the wiring of the router is next. All your data (Internet) cabling should be brought to one location in the home. This is typically the home office or the mechanical room low voltage panel.

Most routers have easy to use wizards that will guide you through plugging in, setting up and connecting to your ISPs modem. Once you have completed the router setup, check your network and make sure every device is online. You can do this by going to the start menu and clicking on “Network.” (We’ll be using terminology from Microsoft’s Windows Vista for the sake of this article) This will bring up a window that will display all the network connected devices. Please note that devices need to be powered on in order to view them.

Next you need to create a network for your home by following these steps:

• Go to Start Menu
• Select Networking and Sharing Center
• Select a Network

Next you need to select or add a network. A very user friendly wizard will walk you through the steps of setting up a private home network. At the end of the wizard you’ll be asked you to create a disc that you will need to run on each device on the network.

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About the Author:
Graig Stephens - Executive Partner, Visually Sound

Visually Sound is a dynamic group of professionals who incorporate the most up-to-date audio, video, lighting, communications, and automation equipment into both new and existing residential and commercial construction. With over a decade of professional experience, we have been faced with many challenges and have always exceeded our client's expectations, in quality, ingenuity, and timeliness.