Devices for Setting up a Home Networking System

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If you are using one or more computers in your home and thinking of setting up a network, there are some factors that need to be considered. Learning about the devices and understanding how they can facilitate data sharing are essential for establishing a functional computer network.

Creating a computer network in your home is not difficult, and only a few devices are required. Whether you have only two computers or more than five, you need to have devices like hubs, switches or routers to establish the connections amongst them. These devices not only connect the computers to one another, but also to the Internet. When you have only one Internet connection, you can use one of these devices and access the net from all the computers at the same time. There are some other benefits of setting up a home network:

* Print to any printer from any computer on the network.

* Conveniently play games that require more than one player.

* All users can access the Internet connection by establishing a network between the computers.

* File sharing is easier, as you don’t have to transfer data to and from portable storage devices.

* You can easily access files on other network computers while using your own.

Hubs

One of the oldest network devices, a hub transmits data to all the devices that it is connected to. For years, this has been a common option for connecting various devices in a small network. A drawback of a hub is that it subdivides the bandwidth among the devices. If you have 54Mbps connection and three computers, the bandwidth drops to 18Mbps for each one. Another downside of connecting through a hub is that it distributes the data amongst all the connected devices. For example, there’s a network of four computers named A, B, C and D. If computer A needs some information from computer C, the request goes to all three devices. However, only computer C responds whereas others ignore it.

Switches

Switches are quite similar to hubs but have better efficiency. The main advantage is that bandwidth is not subdivided. Each computer connected with a switch gets the full connection bandwidth. Unlike hubs that can either receive or transmit data one device at a time, switches have the ability to do both. Another great benefit of a switch is that it keeps the track of the devices that are connected to its various ports. If it receives data from computer A through port 1, it remembers for the next time, when data is needed to be sent to computer A, it knows that computer A is connected through port 1. Considered the ‘smart hubs’, switches direct the traffic to the required computers. In a network, computers connected to a switch don’t receive unnecessary files.

Routers

Routers are the most intelligent ones in the lot. A router is equipped with a storage device known as rounding table which configures and maintains the IP addresses and other relevant info of the devices. A router filters both incoming as well as outgoing traffic, making the data flow much easier in big networks. The router is very effective when it comes to dealing with two separate networks. Joining both the networks, it shares information with both without overflowing the traffic of one onto another. For large networks, routers are vital, as they prevent the computers from clogging with unnecessary traffic.

The Need for Hubs and Switches

If the router is the most efficient one, why need a hub or a switch? When you have more devices than the number of ports on the router, it is better to add a hub or a switch than another router. Hubs and switches are a cost effective way for adding more computers to a network. Connecting a switch or a hub to a router is an easy task. You need to connect the uplink port of these to any unused port of router and connect a number of computers.

With the help of hubs and switches, you can easily increase the number of devices on your home network. You don’t even have to worry about the setup as it’s easy and requires little effort to maintain. You can conveniently shop for these over the Internet where you will find some online stores that offer all kinds of networking accessories. From hubs, switches and routers, to networking cables, you will find a large variety at reasonable prices ranges. At such stores, you can also find a variety of printer supplies, AC/DC adapters, power cords, monitor mounts and much more.

This article has been written by an expert associated with Computer Network Accessories, a premier online store that supplies all kinds of computer accessories including network testers, modems, power strips, USB cable extension and more.

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