1. Creating a home network
Ian Ramsey
C of E School
GCSE ICT
Entertain me
Creating a home network

2. Starter:
Jamie’s house now has a broadband connection. There is one computer connected to it. What problems do you think this might cause for him and his family?
Type your answer here: They might fight over the computer.

3. Lesson Objectives: By the end of this lesson you will be able to:
list the advantages of creating a network
describe the differences between cable and WiFi networks
explain the advantages of cable and WiFi networks
explain the role played by a router in a network.

4. Five advantages for the family of home networking
Advantages of a home network
Jamie has carried out some research and has discovered that his family needs to set up a Local area network (LAN). This will connect all the computers in the house so that everyone will be able to share the same Internet (broadband) connection.
You need to find out about the advantages of networking so Jamie can convince his family. Use one of these two websites to help you
Benefits of networking or Building a home network
Five advantages for the family of home networking
File Sharing
Multi-Player
Games
Home
Entertainment
Printer Sharing
Internet
Telephone
Service

5. Ethernet
Ethernet (sometimes called IEEE 802.3) is a set of software and hardware rules or protocols for linking computers together to form a LAN.
It was first developed in 1973 and has been modified and improved many times.
Ethernet defines the ways in which computers ‘talk’ to each other, but they can be connected together in two ways: cable and wireless.
Ethernet cables plugged into an internet switch

6. Ethernet cable
Ethernet cable is the original method for connecting computers. Modern cable is often referred to as Cat5 or Cat5e – these are the standards that show it is high-quality cable. The cable is connected to the computer’s network interface cards (NICs) by plugs like those that connect telephones. In the past these would be separate ethernet cards, but nowadays they are built into the computer’s motherboard.
Ethernet cards provide the following transmission speeds:
Basic – up to 10 Mb (10 megabits per second) – not really used now
Fast – up to 100 Mb
Gigabit – 1000 Mb (1billion bits per second).
Ethernet cable and port

7. Ethernet Wi-Fi
Wireless networks allow computers to communicate by radio or microwaves if they have wireless network cards installed.
The speeds of transmission vary, depending on the types of cards, from 11MB to 54 Mb.
Wireless transmission can be affected by household appliances such as microwave ovens and cordless phones, and even walls and ceilings. Wi-Fi performance is distance-sensitive, so speeds drop the further a computer is from the transmitter. It is also greatly affected by the number of devices using the wireless LAN.
WiFi router

8. IP addresses
Whichever method is used, a router is needed to connect to the ADSL or cable modem.
The ISP has issued Jamie’s family with an IP address that can be used externally on the Internet, but the computers in the house will each need an internal IP address so that they can communicate with each other. The router assigns each computer with an internal IP address, so it ‘knows’ where to send the web pages they are each looking at.
Most routers on sale have both wireless and cable connection, so it is possible to have a mixed cable/wireless network.
An example of a mixed cable/wireless network

9. Advantages of cabled network Advantages of wireless network
Advantages and disadvantages
What are the advantages and disadvantages of cabled and wireless networks?
Use etask 3.12 as a class to learn more, then complete the table below.
Advantages of cabled network
Advantages of wireless network
Better Security
Easy to use
10Mb-100Mb (Faster)
Cheaper
No interference
Can use anywhere within range of the router.
Better for playing online games
Doesn’t have wires all over the place
Jamie is determined that he wants a cabled network as this is better for playing games over the internet. The speed of the connection is better and there is less chance of the connection being lost in the middle of a game.

10. Recommendations
What type of network would you recommend for Jamie and his family?
The choice is:
Fully cabled
Fully wireless
Mixed cabled and wireless
For Jamie and his family I would recommend mixed cables and wireless.
My reasons for this are, Jamie would be better off with cabled, as he plays games so they won’t lag and have no interference. The rest of his family could use the Wi-Fi, and it wouldn’t make Jamie’s computer lag, as he has cable. Also, if all the family had cable, it would be quite expensive, so with only one room having cable, it won’t be. Wi-Fi isn’t expensive so the family will be ok.

11. Jamie’s family has decided on a compromise of a mixed network
Jamie’s family has decided on a compromise of a mixed network. Jamie will have the router in his bedroom and use a cabled connection, while the rest of the family will use WiFi access around the house.

12. Security
Wireless networks are less secure than cabled ones. When you try to connect to your own wireless network you can probably see all of the others in your street.
Encryption – for security, data is translated into a secret code according to a set of rules in a special ‘key’. To convert the data back into plain text, the receiver must also have the key.
Likewise, others will be able to see your network and, if its not secure, they will be able to use your Internet connection for playing games and downloading files. Some Internet sites have lists of so-called ‘hot spots’ where there are unsecured networks in homes and offices, where you can get free Internet access.
The most important thing is to change the default password on your router. Most of them come with ‘admin’ as the default one. It is then then easy for anyone to connect to it and change the settings.
You should also set up some encryption which scrambles the data on your network. This is usually one of the settings on your router.
The commonest type is WEP (Wired Equivalent Protection) which uses a 62 or 128-bit encryption, but the more secure WAR-PSK (Wireless Application Protocol –Pre-Shared Key) and WAP2 are becoming more widely used.

13. Exam Question
Bandwidth determines the volume of the data flowing through the connection and latency determines the speed of flow. Gaming involves the transmission of large amounts (volumes) of data, making the bandwidth important. Gaming also requires a high speed of flow, making latency important. For a good gaming experience wide bandwidth and low latency are vital.
“The bandwidth and latency of the Internet connection are both important factors when playing online games.
Explain why both are important.
Note:
Latency measures the speed of the connection and is expressed in milliseconds. (The less time it takes, the greater the speed of the connection).

14. Knowledge check
Carry out eknowledge check 3.6 to test your knowledge of networks.
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Programs
ICT
Edexcel GCSE Active Teach – Student
Click on the pair of Binoculars at the top of the page
Click on the select – find a resource drop down menu
Select – Unit
Unit 1
Chapter 3
Eknowledge check 3.6
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