Everyone knows how rapidly information technologies are developing today. Each apartment now has at least one computer, and some have two or more. You should not forget about the mass of devices that have the same capabilities as computers, for example, tablets, various gadgets and more. These devices need to form a single information network in which data exchange will be implemented. And here many may ask a question: how to connect a local network? Next, we will talk about this and how to design it, select the necessary equipment and optimal technology, as well as the rest.
How to connect a local network: preliminary stage
It is worth mentioning immediately that the situation of combining various devices within the same apartment will be described below. If you have more than one device at home, there is a constant need for the exchange of information. When it becomes necessary to copy large volumes of data from one device to another, you can use an external hard drive, but this is not always convenient, since a hard drive of the right size may not be at hand. The next significant moment is the need to use certain external devices, which include media players, network attached storage, printers and more. You may need to set up Internet sharing. Most often, it is this reason that is the main reason forcing such a connection.
How to connect a local network: planning stage
Many people can guess how important it is to plan your home network. This affects safety and reliability, as well as the speed of data exchange and the final financial costs. You can highlight these key points at the planning stage. First you need to decide on the appropriate network technology, that is, it will be a wired or wireless network. It is possible to use a mixed version. In any case, this must be resolved. Now it is important to determine the number and purpose of network devices. And last, but not least, should be your cable plan, network equipment locations, and the rest.
How to connect a local network: stage of creation
So, to connect the network, you need to connect computers to the switch using patch cords. It is necessary to connect all computers to the switch using network cables, then connect the switch to a socket, turn it on. After that, you need to check the physical presence and correctness of the connections. To do this, you need to see the network connections on each computer. If you have a connection, you can proceed to the settings.
How to set up a LAN connection
Enter the local connection properties and select the Connection Protocol (TCP / IP) item. In general, all settings are made in automatic mode, however, for our case, everything needs to be done by hand. After selecting manual settings, you can fill in the fields. To do this, enter the IP address - 192.168.1. * (* - number in the numerical range 1-255). It is worth using the numbers in order, which will significantly speed up the subsequent search for a computer located in the created network. Leave the subnet mask field as suggested. The remaining fields do not need to be filled out if you are using a home network. Close the window by clicking on “OK”. Now you can make the same settings on all other machines. For each computer, you must specify its name and the name of the workgroup in the properties. There is only one condition for this - the workgroup must be the same, otherwise it will not work to create a connection. After all the settings, it remains only to restart all the machines. Next, you can configure sharing and other settings.
If you are interested in the question of how to connect a local area network to Windows 7, then everything is similar.