Network knowhow

Understanding how a network can benefit you.

Wireless Digital Home

A vision of the future

Most of us have probably seen science fiction shows or movies which feature futuristic homes where entertainment is accessible at the touch of button. No matter where you are in your home or garden you are never far from TV, music, information and public information networks.

For those of us who think that sounds pretty cool you will be pleased to know that what we once thought of as science fiction is now becoming science fact – enter the Digital Home!

What is the Digital Home?

The term ‘Digital Home’ has been bandied around techie circles for a number of years now. However, it’s only recently that it has started to become mentioned in the general media

So what is the Digital Home? In a nutshell it’s a catch-all term for a wide range of computerised devices located around your home, a broadband Internet connection and a wireless network to link everything up.

In the digital home you can access your music collection in the kitchen, watch your recorded TV in the bedroom. Your kids can pit their wits against other players at their favourite games with others around the world.

Fancy working from home? No problem! Sit in the garden with your notebook and access your emails and the web using your WiFi network. You can even print that important report on the printer in your study without leaving the sunshine.

There are more and more devices being released every week which means that the potential for expanding your Digital Home is virtually limitless.

Wireless Hotspots

Wireless freedom has a dark side

Wi-Fi (wireless networking) is pretty cool! It allows you freedom to access the Internet anywhere in your home or office. But did you know that you can also use public wireless zones known as Hotspots?

A Hotspot is basically a wireless network in a public space run by a provider such as BT or T Mobile. For a fee you get broadband access to the Internet using the wireless network card in your notebook or PDA. You’ll find Hotspots in airports, hotels, train stations, even your local McDonalds.

However, as with anything that connects to another device over a network or Internet connection – you need to make sure you are safe. Identity theft has become a favourite pass time of criminal elements because of the public nature of Hotspots.

Armed with a little knowledge and a laptop these people can sit in a wireless zone and use their notebook to impersonate the WiFi access point. The un-suspecting user is hijacked and presented with a genuine looking payment screen. Credit card details are entered and stored on the hijacker’s notebook ready to use at a later date.

Sounds scary? It is – because it’s so easy to be fooled.

Some tips to secure your notebook on the move

Making sure your notebook is as secure as possible is very important. We have included a few tips to help you secure your notebook while you access a public Hotspot:

• Make sure you access a legitimate access point – check with the provider if you are unsure.
• Install Internet Security Software (Antivirus, Firewall and Spyware).
• Make sure you install the latest Windows® Updates.
• Be aware of the people around you – is anyone acting suspiciously?
• Turn off file sharing to make it harder for people to access your files.
• Password protect your computer and files.
• Disable the feature that allows your notebook to automatically connect to any available network. TechGuy do it for you!

Access your network files

So you’ve got your shiny new wireless network and you’re sharing all your folders and printers ready to use. But how do you access files on another computer? Use the steps below to learn more.

1. Click Start > My Network Places. You will then see the network places screen.
2. On the left hand side menu click the View Workgroup Computers option.
3. You should now see icons for all the computers and devices connected to your network. Double-click the icon for the computer you want to access.
4. After a few seconds you’ll see shared folders on that computer. Double-click the folder to access it. You can now open, delete, copy or move files as you would normally.

Time to go wireless

Freedom to Share

The concept behind the Digital Home is the ability to share your digital media, broadband Internet and even printers with other users and devices in your home. In the past this meant long trails of network cable snaking around your home – not a pretty sight.

The Digital Home uses wireless technology to give you the freedom to experience entertainment when you want, where you want. The hub of this digital revolution is your Wireless Network, which forms the back bone for all your devices to connect to and share information.

What about all these standards?

There are 3 main flavours of wireless networks (also known as standards). These are represented by the letters a, b and g. We recommend that you buy equipment that meets the wireless 802.11g standard. This gives you the best balance of speed, compatibility and cost. Most wireless devices on the market will work with an 802.11g network.

 

What hardware do you need to buy?

To create a basic wireless network we advise that you have the following items:

• A broadband Internet connection (ADSL or Cable)
• A wireless broadband router.
• A wireless capable notebook or PC
• A wireless network card for your desktop PC

How do you connect the hardware?

Connecting hardware differs slightly depending on what you buy. Each item should come with instructions on how to install and configure it correctly. However, you may want to take advantage of our Wireless Network Installation Service. Pop into your local PC World store for more details.

Share more that just your Internet connection wirelessly

Overview

Whenever we hear the term Wi-Fi or wireless networks most people tend to focus on the Internet sharing aspect of the technology. After all, most of us like to be able to access the Internet, and in a home where there may be more than one computer it’s not practical to have a dedicated Internet connection for each PC.

The fact of the matter is that you can do so much more with your wireless network. How many times have you copied files to a CD or USB memory stick to use them on another PC, or wished you could print from a PC that has no printer?

What resources can I share?

If you configure your network correctly you can share:

• Folders
• HardDrive
• Printers

This means you can copy files from one PC to another quickly and easily, no need for discs or memory sticks. It also makes backing up a PC easy – you simply copy your files to another hard drive on your network. You can then re-install Windows® on your computer and then copy the files back.

A wireless network also allows you to share printers between computers. Once set up you just use the Print command in your software as you would normally and the document is sent to the printer on the network ready for you to collect.

Sharing on a network also means you can stream your music and videos to another PC, or even to a dedicated media box attached to your TV or stereo.