5 Tips for Setting Up Your Home Network

We're a completely connected family.  We have a business from home, homeschool our kids, and center much of our entertainment around digital and web-based content.  Not only does staying "online" keep us current on what's going on around us, it has helped keep some of the best resources affordable to our remotely-located rural family.  So what does it take to set up an effective home network for work and entertainment in your household? These 5 tips and not much else!

Go with a High-Quality Wireless Router

Gone are the days when you need to connect all the computers in your home with cumbersome Cat 5 cables and cover the evidence with strategically-placed throw rugs.  Today's family can get a "home network in a box" simply by choosing the right wireless router. While several brands lead the forefront, the best models are those that are updated and upgraded all the time. To get a better idea of the perks and pitfalls of each product, check out websites like Amazon for their user reviews, or do a quick Google search for "troubleshooting" and the name of the router you're looking at buying. The results will be eye opening (and could save you money and trouble on a consistently buggy model.) Expect to pay at least $50 for one that will last and can provide free updates as needed. [Image credit: alexsl]

Set Up Your Network Safely

It's always a fun exercise to drive down a residential street with my smartphone set to wireless mode. I'm suddenly presented with numerous wireless networks to choose from - all originating from people's homes (and some with very revealing network names). The smart families will have their signal protected (meaning I can't connect using their signal and conduct my online activities.) The others keep it open to everyone.

In addition to making sure that your signal is yours (and yours alone), Edwin Colmanares from Cisco Systems, suggests you take it one step further. "To make it unique, people give it their own quirky name instead of the default name -- names like, 'My precious' or 'lovable giraffe'", he advises. To keep it even more private, he recommends families avoid names that will give anyone an idea of where you live. "A bad name would be 'Smith family network' or '13 a street.'"

Enhance Collaboration

Working together as a family can occur both offline and online. Thankfully, many of the best tools that allow members to team up within a home network are absolutely free. In addition to some of the favorites we have recommended for working on the road, we can't live without the extras suggested by Lorenz Lammens of Online Design Bureau:

• Need to communicate when you are not in the same house? Use the Show My PC's free remote desktop sharing solution to communicate and present to each other.

• Accounting tasks can be done effectively with Quickbooks via their free license for small businesses.

• Make affordable calls using Skype.  Account holders can use it for free, and it makes international calling cheap. [Image credit: aphrodite74] 

Go Wireless Where You Can

It's simply not enough to have your PC's, laptops, and Macs free from troublesome hard connections. For many families, the more components you can keep from having to be "plugged in," the more freedom you'll have with your network - and ultimately, the more fun you can have! Families should plan to replace any worn-out computing components or gaming systems with models that can hook on to their wireless home network. [Image credit: Jim Jurica]

Features of a completely wireless home network may include: wireless printers/scanners/fax machines, an iPod playing Pandora stations on a passive speaker system, or a Netflix Roku box streaming movies and TV via a wireless internet connection. With so many consumer products offering to give you excellent connectivity without the clutter of cables, it's worth investing in the extra money and research time to get the job done right.

Understand Your Usage Needs

As you continue to add more and more types of entertainment on to your home network, the demand for bandwidth will also increase.  Many families don't have options for how they access the internet.  (Rural families, for example, may be limited to one provider.) Others will have the flexibility to choose between cable, DSL, satellite, or cellular networks to come up with the best solution for their high-speed needs. [Image credit: DSGpro]

If you already have service with a provider that you like, make a call soon after setting up your network, and explain to the technician how you plan on using your service. Many can make suggestions or can tweak your service package to provide you with the right amount of speed for your needs. Expect to pay more if you're finding yourself consuming a significant amount more than you used to, and be aware of components in your home that use the most bandwidth. (You may decide that streaming movies in two rooms while another family member is sharing large files may not be handled well by your home network.) Schedule activities accordingly so that everyone gets a chance to work and play!

Home networks can be as diverse as the families that use them, but one thing will be consistent in every home. A protected network optimized to give you the best experience possible can bring any families closer together!  

Headline Photo Credit:  Joshua Hodge

What are some ways you would use a home network to do fun activities with your family?

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Linsey Knerl is the Community Manager for Wise Bread, a community dedicated to helping folks live large on a small budget. She loves savvy tech solutions that help her share the world with her children.