A home network is a set of devices in your home that allow you to communicate with other devices in your home and the world over the internet. While you don’t need to understand exactly how your home network functions to enjoy it, spending some time under the hood will both give you an appreciation for the tech and make troubleshooting problems that come along easier.
Your Home Network Is a Mini Internet
The internet is a global network of interconnected LANs that includes web servers, streaming and cloud services, gaming servers, and much more.
Your home network is like a mini internet. If you want to know more about how your home network is like a mini internet, check out Who Owns the Internet? Web Architecture Explained for a straightforward explanation of the complex machine that is the internet. ..
Your Home Network Speaks a Special Language
Both your home network and the internet use the same universal network protocol, TCP/IP. This protocol is essential for transferring data between devices on a network, and it’s the same language both systems use. ..
When a computer sends data over a TCP/IP network, it breaks it up into packets. Imagine turning a picture into a jigsaw puzzle with thousands of pieces. Then take each piece and put it in an envelope individually. On the envelope, write the address of the sender and the receiver. The sender also includes information in each packet describing where that piece goes to reconstruct the original image. ..
Mail a package to the recipient and they will rebuild it on their end. If any pieces go missing, you will receive letters asking for new copies of the missing pieces. ..
Basic Home Network Topography
A typical home network today includes a modem, router, and TV. The modem connects to the ISP and provides internet access to the home. The router is used to connect different parts of the home, such as the TV and computer. The TV can be connected to one or more antennas, which receive signals from different providers and send them to your house.
- Your network is made up of people who have something in common with you.
- You can use your network to get what you want.
- You can use your network to find new opportunities. ..
A modem connects you to the internet. A router manages traffic between devices on the LAN and between those devices and the internet. Network hardware connections, usually ethernet cables or Wi-Fi radio transmitters and receivers, connect client devices, like computers or Android and iOS smartphones, to the network. Server devices, which can also be equipment like computers and smartphones, connect to the network. Optional network extenders, which help spread your network’s physical footprint through your home, include wireless access points, Powerline extenders, and Wi-Fi repeaters. ..
A home network is a collection of devices that are connected to each other to share information or make connections. Devices can be computers, printers, phones, or other devices that are connected to the internet. A home network can be used for many different purposes, such as sharing files, connecting to the internet, and finding friends.
In this article, we will explore the different types of home networks, their purposes, and the different devices that can connect to them. We’ll also look at some tips for setting up a home network and some common problems to watch out for. ..
The Modem Lets You Talk to the Internet
Before modern broadband internet, people accessed the internet through a modem (modulator/demodulator) which sent and received high- or low- pitched audio signals over copper voice lines, representing binary code. ..
The modem you are using is an obsolete device that does not provide much bandwidth. It is still used in a few rare cases, but most people now use more modern devices that provide more bandwidth.
A digital-to-digital conversion is a process of converting a digital signal into an electrical signal. This can be done in many ways, but the most common is through a fiber optic cable. DSL modems use the same copper wire as phone lines, but they use a different frequency band than voice calls. Cellular modems connect to cell phone towers via radio waves—satellite modems beam information to and from orbit.
In some networks, the modem is a separate device, and in others, it’s combined with your wireless router. Our next stop is your home network.
The Router Sits at the Heart of Your Network
- It connects your devices to the internet.
- It helps you share files and printers between your devices.
- It keeps your home network secure by encrypting data and protecting your privacy.
A routing network is a network of devices that communicate with each other using a communication protocol, such as Ethernet or TCP/IP. A routing network can be used to send traffic between different devices on an internal or external network. A DNS (Domain Name Service) server can be used to detect and route traffic to the correct destination. Some routers can run applications that allow users to assign and manage IP addresses on the LAN using DHCP.
A router is a device that helps you connect to the internet. It has a core function of routing between different types of networks, and it can also be used to connect to other devices on your home network.
The router assigns IP addresses to internal network devices, ensuring that there are no conflicts. It keeps track of which device makes which request of devices on the internet in a table known as a NAT (Network Address Table), since servers on the internet can only see the router itself and its “public” IP address. ..
Some routers that cost a lot of money can come with features that allow you to run custom applications as network storage or streaming servers. Even if your router doesn’t have this ability, you may be able to install custom firmware to add this feature.
Your Local Servers
A server is a computer that provides a service, such as hosting content or providing network-based applications. When you visit a website or download a file from the internet, the service is provided by a server in some other location. When you use cloud apps like Google Docs, the software and data live on a server.
Your local network has at least one router, and that’s your router. Every router has a basic web server that acts as an interface to change settings. When you’re connected to the router and type in its IP address in a browser, you’re taken to a website that’s hosted by the router itself.
If you have a Wi-Fi printer, that’s also a print server that handles print requests. Many people have NAS (Network-attached storage devices) or media servers (such as Plex) running on their network. Some things you might not think of as servers also qualify. Your IP camera is also a server. It’s a video streaming server!
Networked Peripherals
A recent trend in home computing is to have many different computers connected to the internet, so that everyone can access the same printer. This allows you to share printers on the local network, and makes it easier for everyone to print things.
Sharing printers is a great way to save on printing costs. You can use a normal printer connected to a computer as a shared printer, but these days it’s easy to simply buy a printer, scanner, or multifunction device (MFD) with Wi-Fi or Ethernet and have it act as a standalone shared resource on the network. ..
Network Clients in Your Home
-A computer on your home network -A computer at work -A computer in a remote office
Computers, consoles, and mobile devices are becoming increasingly connected to the internet of things (IoT) devices such as smart fridges and robot vacuum cleaners. This trend is likely to continue as more people adopt these technologies in their everyday lives. ..
A client is any device that receives data from a server device.
Computers, Consoles, and Mobile Devices
Wired and Wireless Connections
Ethernet is the traditional connection type, used in most homes. It’s a fast, reliable way to share files and connect to the internet. Wi-Fi is a new connection type that’s growing in popularity. It’s a great way to stay connected when you’re out of range of your home network or when you need to be more mobile.
Don’t Get Your Wires Crossed: Ethernet
Ethernet is a standard connection that allows you to connect your computer to the internet. The connector (RJ45) looks like an upsized telephone line connection (RJ11) and carries several copper wires that vary depending on the category of Ethernet network cable you’re using.
Cable types can be classified into three categories based on their maximum speed: Category 6, Category 5, and Category 4. Category 6 cables are the most common and offer the fastest speeds. They are rated at 10Gbps. Category 5e cables offer gigabit speeds and are usually used for high-speed internet connections. They are rated at 100 Mbps. Category 4 cables offer a slower speed than either of the other two categories but still offer a full 10Gbps connection. They are usually used for low-speed internet connections or for connecting devices that don’t need the highest speeds available like digital cameras or gaming consoles.
If you’ve chosen the right Ethernet cables, adapters, and router, you’ll enjoy high-speed, low-latency, ultra-reliable network speeds as long as you’re okay with the hassle of installing ethernet connections. ..
Wires? Where We’re Going, We Don’t Need Wires: Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi is a way to allow wireless devices to connect to the network without having to drill holes in walls or plug them in every time we need network features.
Wi-Fi uses radio waves to send digital pulses of information. There are two frequency bands used in Wi-Fi: 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz. The lower frequency band can’t send data at high speeds, but it’s got great range and wall-penetrating power. High-frequency 5Ghz Wi-Fi is ultra-fast but is easily blocked by objects like walls.
Most routers these days are dual-band, meaning they offer connections on both frequency bands. This is a good thing because it means you can use your Wi-Fi connection at home or office without having to worry about which band your router is using. The problem is that some routers only offer one band, and that’s the one you’re using right now. To make things worse, some routers only support one type of Wi-Fi connection, like 802.11n or 802.11ac. To make matters worse still, there are new Wi-Fi standards being developed all the time that might not be compatible with older routers. So if you want to use your current router with a new Wi-Fi standard, you’ll have to buy a new one.
If your older Wi-Fi device can only connect to 2.4Ghz Wi-Fi and the router in question only offers 5Ghz, you may not be able to connect to it.
Extending Your Network’s Reach
One way to make sure your home network is strong and reliable is to use a mesh network. A mesh network uses multiple nodes, or devices, to create a larger network. This allows the network to cover more ground and reach farther into a home than a single node could. ..
There are many products on the market to help you increase your network footprint so that you don’t have any spots in your home that can’t get connected.
Wi-Fi Repeaters and Extenders
Repeaters are devices that are put onto the edge of an existing Wi-Fi network in order to extend the signal. Repeaters listen to packets coming in and out of the core Wi-Fi network and then simply repeat them. This is a slow solution, but it can be a simple way to extend WiFi coverage to specific spots without having to modify your network. ..
PowerLine Extenders
This system uses your existing electrical wiring to send network signals. It’s easy to plug in a PowerLine adapter near your router and in the room where you want to extend your network. ..
Wireless mesh routers completely replace your existing router. They act as one big, distributed router, with a primary mesh unit connected to your modem and then each satellite unit having its own dedicated wireless or wired connection. This means that you can cover more area with fewer devices, making your home network faster and more reliable. ..
One Big Networked Family
This technology is changing the way we live and work. It’s making it easier for us to connect with friends and family, and it’s giving us a new way to see the world. There are many potential uses for millimeter-wave 5G cellular networks, and there are no guarantees that they will be successful. But if they are, they could have a huge impact on our lives.
