Computer Networking Explained
In order for you to connect your computer to the internet you need to use an Internet Service Provider or ISP. This company provides you with the equipment needed to connect a computer to the internet for a monthly fee. Every ISP will provide you with a modem for at least one computer to connect to the internet. They may provide you with other equipment as well, depending on what services you purchase through them.
If you want to connect more then one computer to the internet, you are going to need a router. Some ISP’s will provide you with a Modem, that has a router, and wireless router built in at no extra charge. There are many types of routers and they have a variety of services that they can perform. They will all route internet traffic to more then one computer, however they are not all created equal.
Some routers have wireless capabilities that let you connect wireless computers, tablets, smartphones, and other wireless devices to the internet. These types of routers are usually called, “Wireless Routers”. For most people a wireless Modem/ gateway with a wireless router built in is enough to connect several computers to the internet. Your ISP may provide you with this all in one Modem/ Gateway/ Router combo, and will set it up for you at installation. However this may not suit your particular needs, especially if you are a business, small office, or you have a medium, to large home. A router directs network traffic, and is used to segment large networks. In most large office environments you will most likely need more then one router.
If you own a large home and you are having wireless connection problems such as poor signal range, you most likely are in need of a range extender. Most medium to large homes and businesses benefit from wireless range extenders. A range extender increases the wireless signal range. There are also several types of range extenders some can also act as an access point that can provide wireless internet to remote areas of your computer network.
To connect to the internet your computer needs an address just like a house address. This is also commonly known as your “IP address”, and your ISP provides this address for you. If you want to connect more then one computer or device a router is needed to assign additional IP addresses to the devices, and computers on your network.
A router can also have advanced capabilities such as port forwarding which can be used to connect one or more devices, or computers on your network through the internet to another computer outside your local computer network. For example this is useful for connecting to remote file servers from more then one office. Port forwarding is necessary if you want to connect devices such as a gaming console, or security camera system to the internet for various purposes such as remote camera viewing.
Not all routers provide port forwarding, and you need to check the technical specifications of your router to see if yours does. Otherwise you need to purchase a different router with the services you need, and in most cases you can bridge two routers together. Port forwarding can get really tricky very quickly and is not easy to set up. This is a function that is usually best left to experienced technicians and your ISP may be able to help you set this up.
A switch is a network device that allows more computers to be added to a network by extending the physical ports of a router. It does not assign IP addresses to other computers on your network. It passes along the IP addresses that the router assigns your computers, or devices, and also helps manage network traffic in conjunction with the router. It also provides physical ports for other computers, and devices on your network to connect to the internet, that the router usually doesn’t have. All large-scale networks require the use of many switches.
Wireless networking myths. There are many types of range extenders, and wireless access points on the market today. Most of them require the use of a cable such as a Cat5 network cable to extend your wireless network. You may have been told, that you can purchase a range extender, also known as a repeater, and this will eliminate the need for network cabling. While there are some wireless repeaters that will extend a wireless network to one area within signal range, that is all most of them can do period. There are some on the market that claim you can daisy chain multiple range extenders together without using wires across a large area. Although these devices do exist they are not usually the type that you can buy in most retail stores.
There are ways to extend wireless networks across long distances without cabling them together, however they are usually expensive, and are large towers, or antennas that require a solid knowledge of wireless networking to make them work reliably. Unfortunately there will usually be some type cables involved with this type of equipment and it may be quite noticeable.
In most home or business environments, you will need to install Cat5, Cat5e, Cat 6, and / or COAX network cables and network drops. This is the best solution to extend any computer network locally. When done right, you will only notice a wall jack in the area needed and cables should not be stapled along baseboards and exposed.
In Summary:
• A modem, or gateway is a device that lets you connect to the internet.
• A router is a device that lets multiple computers, or devices connect to the internet.
• A switch helps connect multiple, computers or devices to a router.
• A wireless access point helps wireless devices connect to the internet by extending the wireless routers range.
When it comes to computer networking there are many books you can read, and all kinds of classes that you can take to understand it in greater detail. I hope that I have given you a better understanding of the basics of computer networking, and the basic functions of various network equipment. I also hope that you may also understand what you may need to connect several computers to the internet, or to each other.
