April 16, 2004

Networks and Routers

Networking has always been a great way to share files between computers and also a great way to share modems for Internet connections.  Now, with high speed, or sometimes referred to as broadband service available, a router is a great way to have some security from the outside world while also being able to have the benefit of all your computers sharing one high speed connection.  As far as hooking the computers together, it has always been fairly inexpensive to get what is to referred to as a hub to connect the computers together.  Each computer needs to have a network adapter ( a plug in card or an external adapter which plugs into a USB port) and then a cable is run from each computer to the hub. Most computers for the last couple of years have network adapters on the mother board.

After you install all the software necessary, you then tell each computer what directories, printers, etc., you want to share, then all the computers which are hooked up to the hub can access each others files, drives, printers, etc.  With the advent of high speed Internet access, you have to pay for each computer which is used on the connection.  If you have cable service and the network is setup using a hub, you can only use one computer for Internet, or you can pay extra for additional computers.  The cable company can tell how many computers you have hooked up and only allows the number you are paying for. 

The major issue with cable Internet service is security.  You can have as many as 500 other users on your cable node.  To explain this, just think of the cable service as one big hub which allows up to 500 people to share the Internet connection.  The disadvantage to this is very bad security issues.  For example, if someone on your node gets a network capable virus, they will send you the virus through the cable modem.  Your antivirus program will clean the virus, only to have it come right back each time your computer and the infected computer are on at the same time. 

When your cable modem hooks up through a router, the cable network only sees the router and thinks it is a computer.  All the computers hooked up to the router have Internet access through the router, and can also network to each other, completely isolated from the Internet.  You are more secure from hackers because they, like the cable company, can only see one connection, the router, and it is not accessible to them. 

Now let's discuss routers. A router basically provides the same features as a hub.  It allows you to connect multiple computers together using Windows file sharing and protocols.  It also allows all the computers hooked up to it to also have access to the Internet.  This is because your cable modem is hooked up to the router, the computers are plugged into the router.  The cable system only sees the router, not the individual computers.  This makes the router to act as a hardware firewall since anything out on the Internet can't see the computers connected to the router.  This creates a more secure environment so that hackers can't get into the individual computers connected to the router.  If you don't use a router, you MUST use a software firewall, such as Zone Alarm in order to keep your computer safe.  It is almost guaranteed you will have problems if you don't have a firewall.  If you have more than one computer, another great thing about networking is you don't need a printer for each computer.  You can just share your printer and the other computers can then use it when they need to print.  Routers basically come in two varieties, wired, and wireless.  Wireless routers are more expensive and require each computer to also have a wireless adapter in order to access the router.  There are usually four plug-in ports available on the wireless routers so you can also plug computers into it.  The advantage of wireless is you don't need to run cables from each computer to the router, and in theory, you can hook up to 256 computers into one router.  Don't even consider this since the speed would be so reduced it wouldn't be worth the effort.

There are some drawbacks you need to be aware of when it comes to selecting the wireless path.  One is speed.  According to which wireless router you use, the speed is only a fraction of what a wired network will run at.  It is still well above the speed of the cable modem, but be aware, some of the applications you use may run noticeably slower on a wireless system and the performance might not be satisfactory.  Another big factor is the layout of the building where you plan to use the router.  When you look at the specifications for distance the router will work at, you can be impressed.  After you buy the equipment and take it home, you may find that the wiring inside the walls, the sheathing on the roof, the house layout, and many other factors may cause you to have problems trying to make the system work in your home or office.

My advice is, use a wired network, unless running the wiring is just not feasible, then go wireless.  By the time you get the adapters, etc. you need for the wireless, you may end up with an substantial investment in a system which may not work at your location.  Try to purchase the wireless system from a retailer who will allow you to return it if it doesn't work in your location.  A wired router only has four input jacks.  If you need to hook up more computers, this limitation can be overcome by using a hub along with the router. The advantage of this type of setup is your system can run at 100mbs (megabits per second), whereas a wireless system will be much slower, for instance the wireless may be rated at 54 mps (mega bits per second), but in the real world, you may only get 12 to 15 mps.  Don't go by the specifications.  The 802.11b type router is rated for 11mbs, but the actual speed will be around 3 to 4 and will drop as the distance increases. The 802.11g systems are rated at 54mps, but again, real world is 12 to 20mps.  All the newer standards hype up the speeds but you will still be disappointed using file sharing with them.  If you have a database which has large files, wireless performance probably won't be acceptable. 

Choosing the type of router to get is like choosing the type of computer to buy.  You need to get what will best serve your needs.  Just make sure to know all the facts before you jump in.  Also discuss the situation with a professional since there are other things we can recommend to assist with making the networking work at your location.

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