Internet 101

Home networking

If you have multiple computers at home and want to use all of them to access the Internet, you'll probably want to create a home network. In a home network, all of your devices connect to your router, which is connected to the modem. This means everyone in your family can use the Internet at the same time, and you don't have to purchase a separate Internet service for each computer.

How is a home network used?

Using multiple computers on a home network

Each computer on a network doesn't just connect to the Internet—it also connects to the other computers and devices on the network. This means you can easily share files with other computers. Some programs even let you stream music and movies from one computer to another. One example of this is the Home Sharing feature in iTunes. These types of features are easy to set up, but it's up to you whether you want to use them.

Home networks aren't just for families! Even if you live alone, you may have multiple devices that can connect to a network. Many phones, printers, MP3 players, video game consoles, and digital video recorders (DVRs) are equipped with wireless cards and often require very little setup to connect them to your home network.

Wireless security

A router with Ethernet cables attached

A home network can be wired (using Ethernet cables) or wireless (using Wi-Fi). It may also be a mixture of the two, with some devices connecting with Ethernet and others connecting wirelessly. Wireless is generally more convenient; however, you'll need to think about wireless security. Below are some important security terms you'll need to know:

• SSID: A service set identifier, commonly called the SSID, is the name of a wireless network. You should change the default SSID to something unique that you'll remember. You may not want to use your actual name, but you can use a hobby or other interest (for example, rockclimbing1).
• Encryption password: An encryption password is a series of characters that is used to control access to the network. For even greater security, some people use a passphrase, which is longer (and therefore more secure) than a password. You should choose a password or passphrase that's easy for you to remember but difficult for others to guess.
• Encryption: Encryption prevents unauthorized people from reading data that is transmitted over your wireless network. The data is coded into an unreadable form, and it can only be decoded by a computer that has the correct password (or passphrase). The most common types of encryption for wireless networks are WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) and WPA2.

Although it's possible to create a wireless network that doesn't have a password, it is very risky. You should always create a password or passphrase to protect it from unauthorized access.