A home networking primer discusses setting up a home network, including the benefits, necessary equipment, and security considerations. Key benefits include being able to access the internet from anywhere in the home without wires, added protection from online threats, and easy access for visitors. Necessary equipment includes a router, network adapters for each computer, and cables. The document discusses whether a wired or wireless network is best and provides steps for setting up the network and securing it, including securing individual computers, the router, and wireless connections through encryption and access controls.
1. A Home Networking Primer
Ewing Seniornet
David Shinkfield
November 2006
2. What are MY benefits of a
Home network?
I can use my laptop anywhere in my home
without any wires – in the Family Room
while watching TV or in the kitchen to
check a recipe
I have given myself an additional (and
strong) level of protection against the
“nasties of the web”
My children can easily access the internet
when they visit
4. Our discussion today
What is a Home network?
What are the benefits of a Home
network?
What equipment is needed to build a
Home Network?
Buying any additional equipment you
need
Which technology (wired or wireless) is
best for my Home Network
Setting up your Home Network
How can a wireless network be secured?
9. Our discussion today
What is a Home network?
What are the benefits of a Home
network?
What equipment is needed to build a
Home Network?
Buying any additional equipment you
need
Which technology (wired or wireless) is
best for my Home Network
Setting up your Home Network
How can a wireless network be secured?
10. What are the benefits of a
Home network?
With home networking, you can:
Share one Internet connection with all of
the computers on the network.
Share printers with all of the computers on
the network.
Work on files stored on any computer on
the network.
Use one computer to secure your entire
network and protect your Internet
connection.
Play multiplayer games.
11. What are MY benefits of a
Home network?
With home networking:
I can use my laptop anywhere in my home
without any wires – in the Family Room while
watching TV or in the kitchen to check a recipe
I have given myself an additional (and strong)
level of protection against the “nasties of the
web”.
My children can easily access the internet when
they visit
12. Our discussion today
What is a Home network?
What are the benefits of a Home
network?
What equipment is needed to build a
Home Network?
Buying any additional equipment you
need
Which technology (wired or wireless) is
best for my Home Network
Setting up your Home Network
How can a wireless network be secured?
14. What equipment is needed
to build a Home Network?
Router
Network
Adapters
Cables Modem
15. What equipment is needed
to build a Home Network?
Sketch out your network, showing each
computer and printer.
Next to each computer, note the hardware,
such as modems and network adapters,
installed on each computer.
Determine the type of network adapters, if
any, you need for your network
Make a list of hardware that you need to
buy.
16. What equipment is needed
to build a Home Network?
If you have a dial up connection, you will
already have the modem installed in your
computer
All recent computers will have Network
Adapters already installed
If you have broadband (Verizon or
Comcast), you will already have a modem
Also, Verizon provides the router and
cables with their DSL or FIOS broadband
connection
17. Our discussion today
What is a Home network?
What are the benefits of a Home
network?
What equipment is needed to build a
Home Network?
Buying any additional equipment you
need
Which technology (wired or wireless) is
best for my Home Network
Setting up your Home Network
How can a wireless network be secured?
18. Buying any additional
equipment you need
Routers cost between $35 and
$100. This is a Linksys Router
for wired connection. A
Wireless Router is slightly
more expensive than a wired
one.
Cables are about $10-20
depending on the length you
need. They are called CAT5
cables
19. Routers
Wireless routers have different “speeds” –
B, G or A
– B is an older specification. It is slow and
routers with wireless B are very
inexpensive
– G is the current specification.
– A is primarily for business
Match your router to your laptop
21. Our discussion today
What is a Home network?
What are the benefits of a Home
network?
What equipment is needed to build a
Home Network?
Buying any additional equipment you
need
Which technology (wired or wireless) is
best for my Home Network
Setting up your Home Network
How can a wireless network be secured?
22. Wired or wireless
Wired Pluses Wireless Pluses
Easier to set up Works all over the
Perhaps more
house
Friends can easily
secure?
connect – with
Routers less your permission
expensive Wireless Minuses
Wired Minuses Needs more
The cabling security settings
23. Our discussion today
What is a Home network?
What are the benefits of a Home
network?
What equipment is needed to build a
Home Network?
Buying any additional equipment you
need
Which technology (wired or wireless) is
best for my Home Network
Setting up your Home Network
How can a wireless network be secured?
25. Setting up your Home Network
Connect ONLY the first wired
computer to the Router and the
Router to the Modem
Access the Router and set the
connection method.
– Verizon DSL uses PPPOE. You will need
your user ID and password
27. Setting up your Home Network
Next,
Click “Start” and “My Network
Places”
Under Network Tasks on the left,
select “Set up a home or small office
network”
Follow the Wizard, and write down
the settings
36. Setting up your Home Network
When the first computer connects to the
Internet, connect the second computer,
and run the appropriate Wizard
– For wired computers - “Set up a home or small
office network”
– For wireless computers – “Set up a wireless
network for home or small office”
When both computers connect to the
Internet, set up Security Settings and File
and Printer Sharing
37. Our discussion today
What is a Home network?
What are the benefits of a Home
network?
What equipment is needed to build a
Home Network?
Buying any additional equipment you
need
Which technology (wired or wireless) is
best for my Home Network
Setting up your Home Network
How can a wireless network be secured?
38. How can a wireless network
be secured?
Computer security
Router security
Wireless Security
Sharing printers and files
39. Computer security
Make sure that you have all the latest
Microsoft patches installed.
Make sure that your Virus protection
is installed and that it is regularly
updated
Install a good software firewall
Check status with Windows Security
Center
41. Computer security
Make sure that you have all the latest
Microsoft patches installed.
Make sure that your Virus protection is
installed and that it is regularly updated
Install a good software firewall
Check status with Windows Security
Center
Regularly run Spyware removal programs
If you use Microsoft Office or any of its
components, such as Word or Excel, make
sure that you update that as well
43. Router security
Therouter comes with a set up screen,
which you access using 192.168.1.1 in the
address bar of your browser, and then
entering a password
44. Router security
Thedefault passwords for routers are well
known - mine was Admin. You need to
change this to something that will prevent
someone accessing your network from
gaining access to the settings.
46. Router security
You can only set up the Router through a
computer that is connected to the Router
by a wire.
Once the Router is set, the computer can
be unplugged and used wirelessly if
necessary.
47. Wireless Security
The key requirement for wireless security is to
stop others from accessing your network.
Have a hardware firewall in addition to your
software firewall
Encrypt all data traffic between the wireless
computer and the router
Protect that encryption with network names
and passwords
Prevent the network broadcasting its name to
the world
Only authorize access to named computers
48. Wireless Security
Your Router should include an SPI and
NAT firewall.
Make sure that it is turned on
50. Wireless Security
Set the Security Mode to WPA or better yet,
WPA2.
Set WPA Algorithms to TKIP
Set the WPA Shared Key.
51. Wireless Security
Finally, only authorize access to named
computers
Set a MAC Filter for all computers using
the wireless network.
Each computer has a unique identification
number called the MAC Address.
You only need to enter the MAC Addresses for
computers accessing the network wirelessly.
You do not need to include computers that are
wired to the router.
52. Wireless Security
Finding the MAC Address
Goto Start, and
then Run.
53. Wireless Security
Finding the MAC Address
Type CMD in the box and a window will open.
54. Wireless Security
Finding the MAC Address
At the flashing cursor, type ipconfig/all and
hit Enter.
You will see information including Physical
Address in the form of 00-01-AX-B3-DY-71
58. Wireless Security
The final step in the process is to make
sure that you set up identical settings on
the laptop or wireless computer
– the same Mode,
– the same SSID and
– the same shared key
59. Sharing printers and files
Ifyou plan to access files or a printer
between computers, you will need to allow
Sharing for the Printer and the appropriate
folders
60. Sharing printers and files
Check “Share the
printer”
Give the shared
printer a descriptive
name
62. Sharing printers and files
Ifyou share
folders, you
will need to tell
Zone Alarm
that to allow
the access.
Open the Zone
Alarm Control
Center, and
select Firewall
on the left.
63. Sharing printers and files
Select the Zone
tab at the top.
Click Add
Select IP Range.
Enter a range
such as
192.168.1.100 to
192.168.1.103