Home Networking Setup: How Do You Connect Your Entire Home to the Internet?

Authored by Athena Nagel

Gone are the days when family members gather in front of the television to watch a program together. Now, everybody has their own gadget to watch streaming shows or play games on. One thing that a modern family will still share is the internet connection. It has now become important that a home has internet access in all of the rooms. You can ensure connectivity in every room with the help of a reliable home networking setup.

The Importance of Having a Connected Home

The advancement of technology has significantly changed how people go about their daily lives. Nowadays, people use just one or two gadgets to perform different tasks. You no longer need to have different devices and gadgets to take pictures, record videos and audio, communicate with others, and access immediate information. A single smartphone can perform these tasks already. Likewise, newer models of smart home appliances are integrated with smart technology so they can communicate with each other. You can also use your smartphone to communicate with these appliances. However, most of these gadgets will need an internet connection. Therefore, it is important that your home is connected to the internet and that each room has the same connectivity.

Types of Home Network

A home network is a communications network that connects all your home’s devices to the internet and to each other. With a home networking setup, you will be able to send and access family-shared files. You can also access printers even if they are connected to other computers. Likewise, your entire household can connect to services and programs. There are two ways to get internet connectivity in every corner of your home, and they are:

• Wired Home Network

Wired networks use cables to distribute internet connectivity to different parts of the house. A wired network is ideal for large homes with rooms that are divided by walls. One advantage of a wired network is that you will have a steady internet connection, especially if you use the right type of networking equipment and ethernet wires. For example, if you have fibre optic connections that can reach speeds of up to 10,000 Mbps, you will need to use cables that can handle those speeds. Cat 5 cables are limited only to speeds of up to 100 Mbps, while the latest standards, Cat 7 and the upcoming Cat 8 cables, can handle speeds of up to 10 Gbps and 25 Gbps, respectively. It is essential to match the right ethernet cables with your internet speeds to get optimal internet performance.

• Wireless Home Network

Wireless networks are the more popular way for families to connect to the internet. In this type of network, a wireless router is usually placed in the centre of the house. The data network is then extended to different areas of the house without using cables. Wireless networks have the advantage of easy connection for WiFi-enabled devices such as smartphones, smart TVs, and other smart devices inside your home. Wireless connections can also allow multiple users to connect to a wireless printer. However, the disadvantage of a wireless connection is that WiFi signals weaken as it passes through walls.

The best way to achieve a totally connected home is to use both wired and wireless connections for your home networking setup. You can use wired connections for non-mobile devices such as desktop computers and smart TVs while using wireless connections for mobile devices.