Understanding Home Networking

"These days, broadband internet is just about everywhere. Hospitals, restaurants, hotels, and of course homes are all connected with these nice, fast pipes. The problem is that your internet provider likely just gives you a single connection with a single address, no matter how many people or devices plan to use that internet connection. Here, we enter the world of home networking.

"Often, just the words "computer network" are enough to draw up images of some complicated mess of cables and boxes with blinking lights. People see acronyms like LAN, WAN, TCP/IP and a host of others, and think this whole network thing must be the domain of pocket-protector wielding geeks. The truth is, once you get the basic idea of how it all fits together, you'll find that it's really not that complicated, and home networking can be done by just about anyone."

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