Re: Wish to network my home computers but don't know Jack about it
> I kept waiting for someone to answer this who actually knows what
> they're doing, but I haven't seen a reply, so I'll take a stab at it.
>
> --- router ---
snip
Kent - great job! You hit it exactly.
Router: a device that connects your home network to other networks. It knows
the way (the route) to networks outside your own. You would use a router
when you have more than one home network, or when you connect to the outside
world.
Hub: you got that one, too! It's a device that connects PCs on the same
local network. Bandwidth is shared, and every PC "sees" every packet on the
network. It's suitable for smaller networks.
(note for sneaky-type guys: if you have a hub and run Etherpeak, you can see
every packet on the network destined for every PC. Reading and understanding
those packets is an entirely different thing.)
Switch: also connects devices on the same local area network, but can also
support virtual LANS with the help of a router. Each PC only sees the
packets destined for itself.
WAP: this is a wireless access point. It has 2 connections. One is typically
a wired ethernet connection, the other is wireless. You use it to allow
wireless devices to connect to your LAN. Wireless devices can be wireless
PCs or wireless bridges. You can also get wireless game cards for your PS2!
To confuse the matter, some routers have built in switches or hubs. Some
routers have built in WAPS. Linksys has a book out 'splaining the various
products in THEIR product set. If you don't mind being vendor-specific, that
might be a good start.
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