If you are planning to run your own home based business then you will need to set up a home network. You will need a computer, a printer, then a copier and as your business grows you will find out that you need more and more sophisticated equipment to automate and make your home based business not only easier to manage but also a pleasant experience, something that you enjoy to do.
So what is a home network?
It is simply the computer network that you have in your home. In other words the computers, equipments and all the accessories that you connect together form your home network.
For your home based business network, you will need cables or radio beams to make the connection from one computer or equipment to another. These two basic options make up the difference between what is called a cabled or wired network versus a wireless network.
Cable connection used to be the primary way of connecting your network but with advances in technology it is now cheaper and less clumsy to create a wireless network.
When using cable connections, there are junctions called nodes that can be in the form of computers, switches or routers.
Switches.
They provide a place to plug the cables and therefore allow physical connections between communicating computers and other equipments.
Routers.
Routers on the other hand perform a similar purpose but with more functions and capabilities. For instance routers have the ability to connect multiple networks together and at the same time route traffic intelligently between them, something that the switches can not be able to perform.
Computers.
Computers have become very sophisticated as time passes by. Most computers now days perform these functions by themselves without the need of using external switches and routers.
Software within the computer system can use the network cards in each computer, with a simple switch in between, to allow communication between them. If your needs are fairly simple then computers by themselves can be the cheapest and easiest way to create a Home based business network.
Home Based Business Network System.
But again if on the other hand you home based business network is fairly advanced and requires more complicated connection then definitely you will need routers and some switches.
Let me also point out here that there are also other possible components you will need in order to fully set up your home network. Familiar devices that go under the general name of peripherals are often part of the home network, for instance you might need a printer, fax or scanner among multiple computers.
Also for your home based business network you will need to include a firewall. This is a software/hardware that allows the passage of information sent by trusted sources, but blocks other types of data from being send or received from other non trusted sources.
It is essential that you home based business network system stay protected by using a firewall. The good thing is that most routers if not all typically contain some inherent firewall functions.
Lesson 2 on home networking continues tomorrow.
By: Joseph Nyamache
Posts Tagged ‘Computer System’
Home Based Business Network System – Lesson 1
February 10th, 2010Tackling Computer Worms That Reside on Your Network
January 2nd, 2010
Now if you have noticed your computer slowing down with some really mean things happening when you are trying to work its possible that you have been hit by computer worms. Almost every second computer in the world is infected with a computer virus worm. Many people don’t even know that they are infected till its two late.
You need to understand exactly what performance issues your computer has in order to determine that you do indeed have computer worms on your system. Many people seem to think that computer virus worms and other viruses are one in the same thing when in fact they are not. Many people even those who are pretty good at understanding computers are confused and find it hard to tell the difference when their system has been hit.
Computer worms and viruses are similar in a number of ways but they are also different. Their infection is different and they cause different problems. A computer worm is a program that is self replicating, and self propagating which is designed in a way to harm your and well as other’s computers on a network.
Now what self replicating means is that the program makes many copies of itself and then send themselves though the computer network to computers which are not protected.
Computer worms have the ability to work on their own and they don’t have to be linked to a particular program. A virus too is self replicating which is a similar characteristic to a computer worm. The difference is that a virus needs to be attached to a program or software or even a file in order for it to go live. On the other hand computer worms can spread on their own and don’t need to be associated with a program.
One of the biggest problems that computer worms cause is they wreak havoc with a computer network. Now because they are pretty much self propagating they spread like wild fire as they are able to find and get into unprotected computers on a network. They search for holes and get into a computer via that hole. So as a rule of thumb the more safe your network is the better protected you are from computer worms.
Viruses tend to get into files and corrupt them. They also infiltrate into computers posing as harmless files that when executed go live. This is why many people advise that you scan your email before you open them and never executive an Exe file without knowing who the sender is and what the program is supposed to do.
Now one of the best ways to prevent your computer getting infected by a worm is to protect your network. Get a good firewall software which will help you hold back programs that try to get in. You should also install a good anti virus program on your system that is regularly updated and which also can scan for computer worms as well as viruses.
The more you understand what these things are the better you can protect and defend yourself. So make sure that you use a good program and everything should be ok.
By: Adrian Keating
