Connected: Your Complete Guide To Home Networking

by Matt Smith

Setting up your home network, but don't know where to start? Start here, with "Connected: Your Complete Guide To Home Networking". By MakeUseOf author Matt Smith, this guide outlines everything you need to know to manage your own home network.

Just five years ago the home network was rare. Most people had only one or two network capable devices and wireless connectivity was just starting to find a footing with the widespread adoption of the fast and reliable 802.11g standard.

Today a home network might consist of many devices including computers, smartphones and set-top boxes. Wireless routers are common and many support the newest 802.11n standard. Some Internet Service Providers now distribute wireless routers to customers of wired modems.

The proliferation of home networking is great for consumers, but it comes with some downsides. Home networking doesn’t always work as simply as it should, and while every company is making efforts to simplify it, not all attempts have been successful. This guide will help de-mystify home networking for you.

This guide outlines:
-The difference between modems, routers and adapters
-Choosing between wired and wireless networking
-The basics of Windows 7 file sharing
-Sharing between Windows 7 and iOS
-Sharing between Windows 7 and Android
-Setting up your printer for networked printing
-Why you should buy a Network Attached Storage (NAS) device
-The basics of home network security

43 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 1, 2012

About the author

A product of the American midwest, Matt grew up with interests in gaming, computer hardware and writing. After some trial and error, he discovered how to combine these three into a career, and now works as a full time freelance writer based in Portland, Oregon.

Matt has written for numerous publications in the past, including gaming sites such as Thunderbolt, The Escapist and Games Radar. Today he contributes to MakeUseOf as a staff writer, news writer and the assistant editor of MakeUseOf Answers. His love for hardware shows itself in his work for PC Perspective and Digital Trends, where he is responsible for reviewing laptops, tablets and smartphones. If you need buying advice about mobile hardware, he’s your guy.

Besides these professional interests, Matt runs two blogs. One is SmidgenPC, a blog about mobile hardware that he uses to channel his theories, advice and rants. The other is SWTOR Class Guides, which provides tips and advice centered on the character classes in Star Wars: The Old Republic.