wireless home networks

CIS 103 — Applied Computer Technology

Last Edited: September 17, 2010by C.Herbert

Wireless Home Networks

CIS 103 Applied Computer Technology Data Communications 2

Wireless home networks are becoming increasingly popular because they: • allow users to connect to the Internet,

peripheral devices, and other computers from throughout the home

• are less expensive than wired networks• are easier to setup than wired networks

They make the most of portable devices at home such as laptops, wireless printers, and game consoles.

Wireless Home Networks

CIS 103 Applied Computer Technology

Broadband Access

Home computer networks are connected to an Internet service provider’s broadband network.

A broadband network is a high speed networks that has special hardware allowing data to move across the network more quickly.

Data Communications 3


Broadband Access

Broadband Internet connections, offered by companies like Verizon and Comcast, are usually: • a telephone company’s DSL connection• a telephone company’s fiber optic connection• A cable television company’s coaxial cable

connection


Broadband Access

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 20100%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Broadband and Dial-up Internet Access in American Homes, 2000-2010

Dial-up Broadband



Wireless Networking Standards

The most important standards for wireless home networks are the IEEE’s 802.11 standards for wireless telecommunication.


Standard Max. Data Rate Indoor Range Outdoor Range

802.11 b 11 Mbps 125 ft 460 ft 802.11 g 54 Mbps 125 ft 460 ft 802.11 n 150 Mbps 230 ft 820 ft


Wireless Home Network Hardware

Almost all home computer networks use Ethernet technology.

Ethernet, defined by IEEE standard 802.3, is a networking standard defining cables, connections and protocols for low cost local area networks.

In a wireless network, a few components must still be wired together, so, you will need at least two Ethernet cables, even though it’s called a wireless home network.




Wireless home network hardware includes:

• a broadband modem

• a wireless router

• wireless network adapters for each computer or device connected to the network




Internet service through a broadband DSL, coaxial cable, or fiber optic line is connected to a home network using an Ethernet broadband modem.

An Ethernet broadband modem changes high speed broadband signals into Ethernet signals compatible with hardware for home computers.

It changes both the speed of the signal and the transmission media – for example, from a Verizon coaxial cable to copper wiring in the home.




A router is an electronic device that routes data moving across a network and between two networks, making sure that data is on its way to the correct destination.

It is the electronic gateway between the Internet service provider’s network and your home network.

A wireless router moves data between a wired network and a wireless broadcast network.




Here are two views of a Linksys E1000 wireless router from Cisco.

It has a port with a yellow label for the connection to the broadband modem, and four numbered ports with blue labels for connections to devices in the home.




The ports on wireless routers use RJ-45 connectors.

RJ-45 is a wiring standard for 8 contact connectors in a telephone system. The same connectors are used in Ethernet technology, but wired differently.




The cables used for the wired connections in a home network are standard Ethernet Category 5 or Category 6 cables, called cat-5 or cat-6 cables.

They have 8 wires with RJ-45 connectors on each end of the cable.




Each device with a wireless connections to the router needs a wireless network adapter.

A wireless network adapter transmits and receives data over a wireless network. In essence, it is a specialized digital radio.

Inexpensive USB wireless adapters are available for devices without built-in adapters.



Setting up a Wireless Home Network

Setting up a wireless home network is easier than you might think it is. You need to make sure that you have the right equipment, that it is connected properly, and that it is properly initialized. Your Internet Service Provider should install and set up a broadband modem for you. You only need to set up the router, and the wireless adapters in each computer.



Setting up a Wireless Router

Setting up a wireless router requires you to connect the router directly to the broadband modem using an Ethernet cable.

You will also need to connect a computer directly to the router so that you can use the computer to initialize the router.


modem

router

computer



Routers have a control panel accessed through an Internet browser, such as Internet Explorer or Firefox.




After you connect the router, you must enter the router’s IP address in the browser, and the control panel will appear. You will use the control panel to name the network and set up network security, etc.




Step by step details about IP addresses and router setup are covered in the next section – Securing a Wireless Network.

Only a few items need to be changed to initialize the router.



Connecting a PC to a Wireless Network

To connect a PC to a wireless router:1. Open the windows

Control Panel.

This can be done from the Windows start menu.




2. When the Control Panel opens, select Connect to the Internet under the Network and Internet heading.




3. A Connect to the Internet window will appear. Select Wireless and a menu of the wireless routers your computer can detect will appear.




4. Select your network and a Connect automatically check box will appear, allowing you to make future connections automatic, whenever the computer is in range of the wireless router.

For now, you need to click the Connect button to connect to the network.




That’s it. It may take a minute or two for your router to connect, but once that’s done you are ready to use your home network.

Setting up network security, including a network security key, is addressed in the next section.


wireless home networks

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