Networking is the linking of two or more computers together. Many people have found networks to be extremely helpful. They can allow the sharing of an internet connection as well as the sharing of files across networked computers. Wireless networks allow access for laptops or other computers throughout your home or business without being tied down by wires.
We can handle any all kinds of network configurations and troubleshoot network problems. We excel at installing and configuring networks in homes and offices, including wireless setups, and all necessary hardware and software configuration for file sharing and network adapter settings.
Benefits
Many of the benefits have already been outlined above. The primary reason for networking is to share an internet connection between computers. Today's broadband cable and DSL connections are usually plenty fast enough to privide internet access to several computers. Why pay for the price of two modems when one is likely more than you will ever need? Even a dial-up connection could be split for multiple computers, but the speeds may be lacking if more than one person is using it as the same time.
Having a network also allows fast sharing of files between computers. You can drag and drop files between networked computers as easily as dragging and dropping between folders. If one computer has an enormous drive that is not being used to its full potential, other computers in the building can use some of that computer's space for storage. This is especially useful for laptops which generally have smaller drives than typical desktop systems.
Wireless Networking
Wireless networking is great if you have a laptop or PDA. Having a wireless network allows any system in your home or office with a wireless networking card to have access to your network, but without the wires. It is also great for computers in areas where running cables would be inconvenient. Wireless networks integrate seamlessly with your wired network, providing access without the need for plugging in. Once a wirless network is set up, adding additional connections is as easy as plugging in a wireless network card to the device in quetion, and changing a few settings one time. After that, you are connected whenever you are in range. Many people have already set up their own wireless networks, but have overlooked very important security considerations which will be described in detail in the next section.
Networking Security
Having a secure network is a very important, yet often overlooked aspect of having a network. You may think that your network would not be a target or attacks, or that there is nothing valuable enough in your systems to make it worthwhile for an attacker to target you. This is a common misconception. Even greater threats are unsecured wireless networks, which are near constant targets of attackers.
Let's start with a normal wired network. What are the risks associated with having a network? The risks of having an unsecured home network are actually less than the risks of a direct unsecured connection to your computer, but there are still things to be careful of. If the right ports are not blocked, you risk serious infection by viruses, trojans, and other malware. You also leave yourself open to direct connections to the file shares on your system. If you have no password when you log on or a weak password (dictionary words, common password, etc) then it is very little work to get in to your computer and have access to any files and data, including credit card numbers, bank account numbers, private conversations, or any other kind of information that is stored on your computer. Your computer could be put under complete control by an attacker once your password is comprimised. It is important to block such connections from even reaching your system, and ensuring that even if it were to happen, your passwords would be secure.
Wireless networks are a huge risk as far as security is concerned; especially with the settings that come out of the box on most wireless setups. If you have a wireless card and a laptop, take a drive around your neighborhood and see how many wireless networks you see. Most of these are completely unsecured. You could connect your laptop right to their netowork and use their connection, attempt to gain access to their systems, and otherwise comprimise their privacy and security. That could be your network. In fact, there are tons of people who do just this. They are called war drivers. Some just try to find as many open access points as they can for the sake of finding them, but many people also look for these connections in order to exploit them. They use other people's connections for malicious things like hacking and attacking websites and other networks, so that it cannot be traced back to them. You are responsible for this if someone is using your connection to do it, because you are responsible for securing your own network. There are many steps to securing and encypting a wireless network. We can handle this for you so you do not have to worry about losing sensitive information or getting in trouble with your ISP.