subject: Understanding Your Computer Network Equipment [print this page] A computer network can be a great asset to a company or individual. Whether it's set up in your house or down at the office, a computer network will require a few basic parts in order to work properly. This article will guide you through these parts and how they actually work.
You will need one main piece of equipment to link your computers together. For a wired network you will need a hub, switch, or a broadband router. Either of these will get your network up and running. However, they all work a little differently and are priced differently as well.
If you wish to have these computers linked to the internet it will may require another connection or a network adapter. A hub or switch will need two network adapters, one for the computer network (LAN) and one for the internet (WAN.)
With a wired or broadband router, you don't need any additional adapters. Both computer network (LAN) and internet (WAN) can run through this same device. This makes it much more convenient and saves you a lot of time in set up.
Routers give you the ability to hook up to other networks as well. If you need more than one computer network you can simply connect a hub or switch to the router and those computers will also be connected to the internet. Lots of large businesses use this tool to connect between offices.
A network hub is a box like shape with multiple cable connections in the back to link computers to it. A hub is the least expensive option for a network, but also has a major drawback. When information is being sent through the computer network, a hub can get backed up or jammed when too much is sent at one time.
If there is a lot of information being sent through your network, you may want to consider getting a network switch instead. A switch looks similar to a hub and has the same basic functions, but works slightly differently allowing information to be sent freely without jamming the system.
Make sure you get the proper equipment when setting up your computer network. If you want internet, you will have to take this into consideration. A computer network is a great asset for anyone wishing to link more than one computer together.
