Buying Guide - Network Equipment

Generally your computer comes with networking capability built in, either wired or wireless. If you have one computer attaching to the Internet you just run an Ethernet cable from the modem to the computer and you are done. However if you have more than one computer and wish to share files between them or share an Internet connection you will need some additional hardware. There are two basic pieces of networking equipment, routers and switches. Here is a brief discussion of each and what to look for.

Routers

There are two types of routers, wired and wireless. The function of a router is to be the point at which all of the connections to the various computers on the network come together and the signals are then routed to the appropriate place, either another computer or out to the internet and back. Wired routers have some number of ports on that allowing for up to that number of connections to be made. Wireless routers have the necessary radio to allow wireless connections to be made. They frequently will have a small number of wired connections available. Most, but not all, routers are 'Broadband' routers, that is they have one wired port on the device specifically used for a broadband internet connection.

Wired Routers

The things to look for in a wired router are the number of ports it has (generally 4 but higher numbers are available), whether or not it has a broadband port and the speed of the connections. A router is a smart device which can assign addresses to all of the devices on a network and keep track of which is which so that internet packets or files are delivered to the right place. A router is sort of like an old fashioned phone switchboard where the operator plugs the cable from one user to another to complete a call.

Once upon a time Ethernet ran at 10 Mb per second. This means that a computer could transmit or receive at that speed. Speed was bumped a few years later to 100 Mb per second and we now have transfer rates of 1 Gb per second. This is probably about as high as it will go using copper wire, higher speeds will require fiber optic cable. Most routers on the market run at 100 Mbps. That is really sufficient for most people because there primary use for it is for internet connection. Even if you have a super fast internet connection it probably tops out at less than 20 Mbps. The only reason for a higher speed transfer rate is within an internal network where either large files or lots of files are being moved across the network. The rated speed is what is available in total. If you get a 100 Mbps router and have five computers using it simultaneously each one will get less than 20 Mbps each since there is some loss of speed due to system overhead. Also, if the speed of your computers Ethernet adapter is rated at 100 Mbps it can't take advantage of any higher speed offered by the router although with a 1000 Mbps router 5 computers could each run near 100 Mbps.

Wireless Routers

Wireless routers do the same thing as wired routers but add the ability to connect wirelessly as well as wired. Most of them will have several wired ports as well as wireless capabilities. The important features in a wireless router are number of ports, wired speed, broadband port and wireless type.

There are several standards for wireless type known as 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g and 802.11n. the A standard is not compatible with the other three but b, g, and n will work together. Each successively higher letter represents a later generation with improved speed and distance capabilities. To fully utilize the capabilities of each standard you must have matching standards on both ends of the connection. If you attach a computer with 802.11b wireless to an 802.11n router you will get b speed. Similarly if you attach a computer with 802.11n to an 802.11b router you will get b speed. Attaching an 802.11n computer to an 802.11n router will allow n speed. While it is still possible to get g devices most wireless routers now support n.

The speed ratings for 802.11 devices are 802.11 a - 54 Mbps, 802.11b - 11 Mbps, 802.11g - 54 Mbps and 802.11n - potentially as high as 600 Mbps. All listed speeds are theoretical best case scenario. In actual fact you will get less than that under most circumstances due to distance between the devices and interference from other devices such as microwave ovens and wireless phones as well as building construction. Mounting your device higher up can help with signal strength.

Additionally with wireless it is important to set up the system correctly with a password to allow you to access your network but not the neighbors.

Other Wireless Devices

Sometimes due to distance or building construction it just isn't possible to get a signal where you need it. There are several devices that can help with this.

Wireless Access points. If you can get a wired connection to a location closer to the point that you want to connect at you can get a wireless access point. This is a device which has a single wired connection going back to your router and wireless capabilities. The same 802.11 standards apply as for wireless routers.

Wireless Repeater. If you can't get a wire close to where you need it you can get a wireless repeater. This device sits closer to the wireless router and gets a signal from it which it then retransmits giving you extra range. Again, you want to match or exceed the capabilities of the devices it is attaching to.

Power Line Networking

Power line networking allows the electrical wires in your house to be used in lieu of network cable. It can be used where trying to run cable is not a good option. A power line adapter uses a small box that has a network connector on one side and a power connector on the other. It requires 2 of them to function. Simply plug one end into a power outlet near you router and a second one into a power outlet near the device you want to connect. plug a network cable into each and plug the other end into the router at one end and into the device at the other end. The quality of wiring in your house may affect its use.

Switches

When your router doesn't have enough ports or you have several devices in an area without enough cable ports you can use a switch. A switch is simply a box where a number of cables come together. It isn't smart (smart managed switches are available but they are primarily used in large organizations), it knows just enough to send signals to the right place. The things to look for in a switch are number of ports and speed. At the low end they come in 4-5 ports and go up to 32 ports, generally 4, 8, 12, 24 and 32 port connectors. They can be bridged so an 8 port switch could be plugged into another 8 port switch giving you a total of 14 devices attached since the bridging will take one port on each switch.

Cables

If you are using wired connections you will need cables. Generally the maximum length for a single Ethernet run is 100 yards (the total distance between the 2 end points no matter how many cables make up the total. The greater the length of the cable the more likelihood of signal loss. Cable comes in several grades. If you are using a 10 Mbps network what is known as cat 5 cable is sufficient. if you are using a 100 Mbps network cat 5e wire is preferred and if you are using a 1000 Mbit network you should use cat 6. If you are having a building wired it is advisable to use cat 6 even if you aren't using the higher speeds yet.

Networking Adapters

Most computers come with some type of network capability built in, either wire, wireless or both. Sometimes however the device fails or you want an upgrade to better capabilities. In this case you can add an adapter to your machine.

Ethernet adapters. If you have a desktop computer you can get an internal adapter to install inside of the machine. There are several types of connectors inside computers so it is important to get one that will match your machine. Your user manual (probably on a disc from the manufacturer) should tell you what type of connector your machine has.  Also if you have one of the smaller machines you need to be sure that the adapter will fit in a half height slot. Choose an adapter that has the speed you need, generally either 100 or 1000 Mbps.

You can also get an external USB adapter for either a desktop or notebook computer. These plug into your computer via USB and have a dongle on the other end with a network connection that you can plug into your network. Choose one with the speed you want to have. 

Wireless adapters. For a desktop machine you can get an internal wireless adapter which plugs in to one of the slots inside your computer. The same considerations exist as with a wired adapter.

USB wireless adapters are also available. These can be used with either a desktop or laptop system. They use a USB port on your computer and give you wireless capabilities. Choose one with the appropriate speed you want, generally 802.11n is best even if your current wireless router is 802.11 b or g.