DIY Computer Networks

Computer Networking Made Easy so you can Do It Yourself!

Even in the home or small office computer networks have become far more commonplace than they were even as little as ten years ago. Many households now own more than one computer and it is becoming common when parents upgrade to a newer PC to pass the old computer onto the younger members of the family. When this is combined with the incredible uptake of broadband internet which is often delivered by a modem or router that has the facility to allow access to more than one computer or device at a time, its plain to see why computer networking has become more widespread. In fact, many households and offices have a small and simple computer network but may not even be aware that this is the case.

Whether you are in the home or workplace creating a computer network is not as difficult as it would first appear and simple networking really is well within the realm of most computer literate individuals. All it takes is a little bit of patience and a little bit of guidance from websites such as this. DIY Networks contains all the essential theory you are required to know to configure your computers and devices for use on your own network. We specifically focus on TCP/IP networks as this is the most common networking protocol and the emphasis is on the practical application of this protocol rather than boring and dry theory, we shall show you how to use it without sending you to sleep teaching you how it actually works.

DIY Networks is divided into sections accessed by the menu on the left hand side of the page. The first four sections relate to the basics of networking and describe the fundamentals that you should endevour to read before moving onto actually setting up your network.

Basic Networking provides the fundamentals of basic TCP/IP networking. What is an IP address? What is a subnet mask? What is a gateway and what do nameservers do? All of these questions are answered in plain english so you can tackle your network with confidence.

Hardware takes a look at commonly used components and devices that are used to make a network. Pictures of commonly used networking hardware and a brief description of what they do make it easier to purchase the right device for the job and illustrate the different types of hardware that are available for creating a networking.

Ethernet Networks provides a look at the most simple and common type of network used in homes and businesses, the ethernet or wired network. Ethernet networks have been around for many decades and are the simplest type of network to set up. They also provide the fastest communication speeds between computers and devices and tend to be quite robust.

Wireless Networks are extremely useful for creating a network without running cables from one location to another within a larger site. They are also very handy for laptop users as they permit the user a degree of freedom to move around and still be connected to the network and use its resources. If lounging around the living room with your laptop is your goal then a wireless network may suit your needs perfectly.

Configuration Tutorials are provided to assist you in configuring your computers and devices. Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7 tutorials are included which provide a step by step guide to configuring your computer to use your network. We have also included tutorials on configuring the most commonly found networking devices such as access points and adsl modems to illustrate how devices of these types are configured.

DIY Networks makes computer networking easy so you can do it yourself!