by Nicholos Gene Poma B.S.

Created on: October 09, 2008   Last Updated: September 06, 2009

It seems that these days just about everyone has a home network. Some people have their networks hard wired with CAT5 Ethernet cable, while others may rely solely on wireless access points. Either way it is important to set up your network correctly or you may find that your downtime is more than your uptime and that may lead to your downfall.

It is a fact, that when it comes to home networking many people have no clue how to set it up, or are too lazy to do it correctly, I must admit that I have been guilty of both offenses. Nevertheless, over the years I have learned a thing or two about networking and in this article I will share some very important information with you that might just get you out of a bind.

It is important that when you setup your home network that you assign IP addresses to each of your computers. An IP address will be in the format of four numbers separated by dots i.e. (192.168.2.1). Each of your computers should have the same first three numbers but the fourth number should be different on each PC. This configuration ensures that each computer has its own static address and alleviates any possibility of IP address conflict errors.

A wireless network requires the same attention; however, security is very different in this environment. Think of your wireless router as a radio transmitter, anyone that can receive a signal, say your neighbor, can get on your network and possibly even into your own computer. Every manufacturer has a different setup for their routers; however, they all have security modes known as WEP (Wireless Encryption Protocol).

WEP is the minimum security protocol that you should use on your wireless network, although, there are others, only Wardrivers would bother breaking into WEP. Wardrivers are people that drive their vehicles from place to place hacking into or even connecting to wireless networks. Usually, it is harmless, but sometimes they are being nefarious and may even be downloading illegal stuff through your network.

This Wardriving activity has actually led to some people being investigated by the authorities even though they were not involved nor had any knowledge of the events. Remember, it is important to secure your wireless network and keep other from gaing access.

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