Why have a home network?

The idea of building a computer network might sound like the sort of thing that's best left to experienced IT technicians. In fact, building a home network isn't as difficult or as expensive as you might think - and it has plenty of benefits for even a small household.

Technically speaking, a network is a system that connects multiple computers together, so that they can swap information back and forth.

These days, many homes have more than one computer - you might have a desktop computer for the study and a family laptop PC to share around the home perhaps, or maybe you have a new computer as well as an older model that wasn't thrown away when you upgraded.

Share and share alike

You can share all kinds of data over a network - like documents, emails, music, photos and video. And, if you have a broadband internet connection, this can be shared as well so all the computers in your household can access the web at the same time.

It isn't only computers that are getting in on the networking act either. More and more network-friendly devices are appearing on the market. Products such as printers, storage devices, music players, games consoles and other types of home-entertainment equipment are all part of the home networking boom. You could, for example, be doing a spot of online banking in the home office, while the kids play an online game or use a laptop to help with their homework.

The wireless home

Thanks to wireless technology, networking is now more home-friendly than it used to be, not least because it means you no longer have to trail yards of ugly cabling from room to room in order to get connected.

Setting up a network - whether it's wired or wireless - isn't as tough as you might think. We'll show you what you need to consider, what kind of equipment you'll need, and how to put it all together.

Network other devices

Networking doesn't have to be limited to just linking the PCs and laptops in your household. With the right equipment you can also connect your TV, so you can view photos or videos streaming from your computer, or link your stereo so you can listen to your computer's library of music (see Media on tap for more about this).

If you have a Wi-Fi capable phone (such as an iPhone) this can also be added to your network.