A Short Guide On Setting up Your Home Network.

Building your first home network setup shouldn't be complicated or tedious in the slightest. Creating a strong foundation for the setup will provide you with the speed and security needed for your devices to operate with internet access everywhere from your home, transfer data and files, and keep secure from external threats and malware.

Step by step guide:

1. How it works

2. Wired vs Wireless

3. The Cables You Need

How it Works

The main several components needed for a home network are as follows: a modem, a router, extensions that are necessary, Ethernet cables, and of course the devices for connection (duh).

The foundation is the modem which is what connects your network to the phone line and gives access to the internet. They are supplied by internet services providers and usually connected into routers.

When the router is connected to the modem it acts as a hub for all wired and wireless devices connected to the network all while providing security by requiring your connection to be accessed via a password or firewalls to block unwanted network traffic.

Devices such as PC's, laptops, video game consoles, TV's, and mobile devices can be connected wired or wireless via ethernet cable. Using a USB adapter to add ports for devices without ethernet connections provides a variety of options to get every device connected to your home network.

Wi-Fi extending devices such as repeaters and mesh networks can provide the router with boosted range and coverage for better performance.

The Debate: Wired vs Wireless

While routers offer both wireless and wired connections, what you use typically depends on the devices you own and their connection types.

Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) has a bandwidth capacity of 9.6Gbps, which is nearly as fast as ethernet connections, despite the fact that it will reach such speeds consistently with the amount of network traffic.

Although, Wi-Fi 6 is limited to new and high end routers, with few devices being able to support it. Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) is more customary and has a maximum speed capacity of 3.5Gbps (compared to 9.6Gbps), showing less capability when handling multiple network channels.

Meanwhile wired connections are more reliable and consistent with no congestion issues and have access to maximum network capabilities with little to no limitation. The only issues that erupt are the limitations of the speed of network interfaces and the types of ethernet cables used.

Unlike wireless connections, ethernet connections don't undergo signal degradation. While providing the fastest connections, they are not as flexible as wireless connection, needing to find a solution for hiding the cables such as routing them through walls.

The Cables to Make the Magic Happen

Today's most popular ethernet cables are Cat5e or Cat 6 which offer 1GB and 10GB connections. Cat 6 provides better shielding if routing is needed in electrical environments to prevent background noise for the signal.

If it piques your interest, ethernet cables can also be made at home! If hundreds of feet of cabling is needed, a possible investment is buying a spool of ethernet cabling and RJ45 end plugs.