The wikiHow Tech Team also followed the article's instructions and verified that they work. This article has been viewed , times. This wikiHow teaches how to create a LAN Local Area Network , which allows connected computers and devices to talk to each other and access the internet.
Set up your router. Connect a computer to an Ethernet port. Configure the router from that computer. Set up a DHCP server. Set up file and printer sharing. Set up the wireless network optional. Connect all other computers to the network. Did this summary help you?
Yes No. Log in Social login does not work in incognito and private browsers. Please log in with your username or email to continue. No account yet? Create an account. Edit this Article. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. By using our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Cookie Settings. Learn why people trust wikiHow. Download Article Explore this Article parts.
Related Articles. Article Summary. Part 1. Count the number of computers you need to hardwire. When setting up a LAN, you'll need to know how many computers will be connecting to the network via Ethernet. This will determine the number of ports you'll need. If you have four or less computers that you need to hardwire, you'll just need a router. If you have more than four, you'll likely need to get a switch to extend the number of ports available on your router. Decide if you want to create a wireless network.
If you want to allow devices to connect wirelessly, you'll need a router that can broadcast a wireless network. Most routers you'll find at the store or online have wireless capabilities. Network switches do not allow wireless devices to connect, and can only be used for hardwired LANs or to extend the number of ports available to the router. Determine if you want all network devices to have internet access. If you want all of the connected devices to have access to the internet, you'll need a router to handle the connections.
If you don't need the devices to have a network connection, you can just use a network switch. Measure the distances for all hardwired devices. This isn't much of an issue in most homes, but network cables cannot run longer than m ft. If you have to run cable farther than this, you'll need switches in between. Consider your future needs. If you're filling all of the ports on your hardware, consider future-proofing to allow for more devices in the future.
Part 2. Gather your network hardware. To create a LAN, you'll need a router or switch, which will act as the hub of your network. These devices route information to the correct computers. A router will automatically handle assigning IP addresses to each device on the network, and is necessary if you intend to share your internet connection with all the connected devices. It is highly recommended that you build your network with a router, even if you're not sharing an internet connection.
A network switch is like a simpler version of a router. It will allow connected devices to talk to each other, but will not automatically assign IP addresses and will not share an internet connection.
Switches are best used to expand the number of LAN ports available on the network, as they can be connected to the router. You don't need to do much to set up a router for a basic LAN. Just plug it into a power source, preferably close to your modem if you plan on sharing the internet connection through it. Connect your modem to your router if necessary. This is usually a different color from the other ports. Connect your switch to your router if necessary.
If you're using a switch to expand the number of ports available on the router, plug an Ethernet cable into any LAN port on the router and any LAN port on the switch.
This will expand the network to the rest of the LAN ports on the switch. Connect your computers to open LAN ports. Use Ethernet cables to connect each computer to an open LAN port on your router or switch. I have to work from home quite a bit, so as far as I know, I cannot set up a wireless router and static IP addresses. The server and Windows 10 computer 1 see each other and communicate easily without problems.
I have each hard wired into a netgear switch. I connected Windows 10 computer 2 to the same switch, but cannot connect to each of the other 2 units Windows and server User names and passwords match on each machine. Do you have any advice about how to get the Windows computer to talk to the other 2? Your advice is appreciated. Thanks, john. John for all computers to see each other they would need to connect to the hotspot on your phone. You can buy mobile wi-fi routers which would be a much better solution.
On my work pc. They are both set to automatic IP setting. Thanks, Hamis. I have a work computer and a home laptop. The work computer is wired to my router and a line to my wall.
I use wifi on my laptop. Is my connection for home use private or can my company access my interaction on my laptop since I know they can pop onto my screen to see what I do on the work computer.
What sort of networking would I need to have to prevent them from joining onto my personal laptop? I would assume that the company installed software on the work computer to allow them to access it remotely. If you have cable or fibre to the home then this is usually a coax cable.
Does that make sense? I have a wired Ethernet home network which was installed at least 10 years ago. We were able to share files, printers etc on 3 laptops around the home We had a very good internet service to manage the network. It identified any additional hardware and installed it into the system. However, it was bought out by Corel some years ago and closed down!
Nothing similar that I could find has appeared since. Now with Windows 10 eliminating Home Group we have so far been unable to set up a replacement network. Windows instructions for sharing on a home network are complex to say the least!
So what now? Do I need to uninstall the remnants of the old network and install some thing new? What is it? Perhaps there is a programme somewhere like the one described above? Going wireless is not an easy option because of interfering structures in the home. Thanks for any advice. On my home network I share printers and folders on different windows machines and Linux machines using Windows networking.
To make it easy you need to create a user account with the same name and password on each machine and if you can be as open as possible use everyone when sharing as it makes it easier.
The difficult part with sharing is security so just be careful what you share. Once you are setup and it is working then you can change it to make it more secure if you need to. Steve, Thank you for your good advice. A problem of age and memory! It is possible to plug the digital phone cord into a ethernet switch, will the phone signal and the internet signal work together?
I use two laptops, one a primary for everyday use, the other a secondary for backup purposes. Both have Ubuntu Linux as their operating system. I would like to synchronize files between the two but cannot at present do this. I have facilitated file sharing in the relevant folder of the secondary laptop.
The whole situation is confusing me. Can you help in any way? Thanks in advance for any response. You should be able to ping each machine from the other one. It should work. Let me know how you get on. Hi Steve, You have a great website. I like how you cover most important networking concepts and components in a clear and concise manner. I disagree with question 4 on the quiz. If your computer does not have at least one proper DNS IP address configured, it cannot connect to the internet.
Your email address will not be published. Skip to content Today almost every home and small office has a local network, and an Internet connection.
Early pre home networks were predominately wired networks. Not so easy and fast to setup as it requires running cables. However Homeplug or powerline adapters can be used instead. Not so easy for visitors and mobile devices laptops to connect to. Main Uses It Is best used for network backbone i.
Wireless Network Advantages Easy to setup from an end user perspective. Allows easy access to smart phones, Tablets and mobile devices. No cables to run. Wireless Network Dis-Advantages Not as Secure as wired networks without proper configuration, and easy to setup insecurely. Not as fast as wired networks. Not as reliable as wired networks. Main Uses Connecting peripheral devices like computers,smart phone,tablets etc. Most home networks will use a mixture of wired and wireless. Cable cat 5, cat5e or cat 6 with RJ45 connectors.
Telephone Cable with RJ 10 connectors. Broadband Filters. The home network diagram below shows the structure of a typical small home network For most home networks the Wireless Router or Hub which connects the network to the Internet will be the main component of the home or small home office network, and in many cases it will be the only component.
Video Notes: DSL Modem — converts digital signals into analogue signals that are suitable for sending over a telephone line. See How to Setup and Configure your Home Router Wireless Router Location The Wireless router will need to connect to the telephone line, cable or fibre network access point in your home.
Therefore most people locate the Wireless router near to the main telephone socket. You can extend your home network by: extending your Wi-Fi coverage by installing additional Wireless Access Points or a more powerful access point.
Multimode Fiber optical cables are typically used for short distances. It hs a larger core than SFM, typically 50 to microns in size. It can carry about Mbps in a typical short area. Typically used in installations up to meters in length. Cable connectors RJ Connector is commonly used as a telephone connection, the RJ11 connector is smaller than its older brother, the RJ Your telephone, answering machine, and modem all have RJ11 connectors.
RJ Connector is your common 10BaseT cable connector for networking. Your computer or laptop has a RJ connection if you have a network card. F-Type Connector is a threaded connection most often used to link coax cables to home electronics. Also used in the coax network. Your cable box at home? F-Type connector. ST Straight Tip Connector is a fiber optic cable connector.
IEEE Firewire Connector is created by Apple as a high speed cable connection, Firewire is becoming increasingly standard as it is used for fast external drives and digital video editing. Can transmit data up to Mbps. Fiber Local Connector is the fiber optic cable connector. MT-RJ Connector is the fiber optic cable connector. USB Connector is probably the most familiar one to you. Often used in computing for a variety of peripherals including mice, scanners, cameras, etc.
USB can transmit up to 12 Mbps and can connect up to peripherals on one port. USB 2. Cable installation guide When installing cable, the following a few simple rules need to be followed: 1. Always use more cable than you need and leave plenty of slack. Test every part of a network as you install it.
0コメント