What you need to set a network when Computers are in same and different rooms

To help determine which network technology best suits your needs answer these questions:

• How many computers do you have?
• Where are they located—are they in the same room or different rooms?
• Are any of your computers laptops?
• Do any of your computers have network adapters installed? If so, what are their types (Ethernet, HPNA, or wireless)?

Apply your answers to the following examples of home network layouts and configurations. These suggest how to use the different hardware choices available and can guide you in deciding which hardware you need to buy.

In this example, you have a couple of computers in the same room, computers in your children's rooms, a laptop, and perhaps one other computer in the kitchen. One of the two computers located in the same room is running Windows XP and has an external DSL or cable modem attached to an Ethernet network adapter.This computer is the ICS host. The other computer in this room also has an Ethernet network adapter. For these two computers, purchase:

• One Ethernet network adapter for the ICS host computer (in addition to the Ethernet adapter this computer already contains).
• One Ethernet network hub.
• RJ-45 network cables to connect each computer to the hub.

For the computers in your children's rooms and the kitchen that do not have network adapters, purchase:

• External USB HPNA network adapters for each computer.
• One HPNA network adapter for the ICS host computer.

Purchasing HPNA adapters assumes the computers are located near telephone jacks. If they are not, or as an alternative, purchase:

• Wireless network adapters for each computer, including the ICS host.

Finally, for the laptop—let's assume it contains a wireless network adapter—purchase:

• One wireless network adapter for the ICS host computer, unless it already contains one.

Notice that in this example the ICS host computer must contain four separate network adapters! A simpler solution for such a complex network setup would be to install wireless network adapters on all computers.