Create a home network using a router. Home wifi network

To unite several computer devices into a common network for data exchange, a router is used, which can also be connected to a modem to provide free access to the Internet for all participants in the local network. Creating and setting up a home network will not take much time.

Before you start setting up your network, you must turn off your modem and firewall (network packet filter program). All devices are connected to each other by wire. We set up a wireless connection, for example, a laptop router via Wi-Fi, after turning on all devices. If there is more than one account on the computer, then you should log in with administrator rights. Using the “Start” button, go to the control panel, where we select the “Network and Internet” section. Open the item “View network status and tasks” and from the possible options for changing network parameters, select “Setting up a connection or network”, then “Setting up a new network”, click “OK”. We carry out subsequent actions in accordance with the prompts of the customizer program.

When the automatic network settings are completed, go to the “Network and Sharing Center” item, where in the “Network Connection” column, select the newly installed home network and click “Connect”. The system will ask you for a security code or passphrase for your wireless connection. This is the final stage in connecting your computer to the network. All that remains is to specify the “Home Network” location and determine the type of files that will be accessible to other devices.

Having selected the “Network and Internet” section in the control panel, click on “Select home group and sharing settings”. Next, you need to select and save the special network profile parameters of the created home network in the “Home Group Settings” column: network discovery, file and printer sharing, access to shared folders.

To configure access settings for all members of the home network, right-click on the selected folder and go to the following path: “Sharing” - “Advanced sharing settings” - “Advanced settings”. Check the box next to “Share this folder” and click “Permissions” to select participants and the actions they can perform with data on this computer: full access, change or read. Such actions must be carried out on all computer devices connected to the created network.

After testing the network (checking the list of participants, switching and performing configured actions on other computers, etc.), you can enable access to the Internet and the firewall. Creating and configuring your home network is complete.

In addition to simplified data exchange, watching movies from another computer without copying, it is possible to connect several computers to one printer, scanner, game console, etc., and configure the TV’s access to the Internet. All this significantly expands the range of activities and opportunities for computer equipment users at home.

How to create a network via wifi?

Local wireless Wi-Fi network is an innovation that is certainly useful. Here you can exchange files (and quite voluminous ones - such as movies, programs) and play games with your neighbor, especially since installing and setting up is not so difficult, now you will see for yourself! You just need a new working router, a modern computer and a network cable with working Internet. But before creating a network, remember that many antivirus software can significantly degrade communication quality by blocking some settings and processes.

How to create a local network between two computers via Wi Fi?

First, you need to go to the system properties of your computer and in the window that opens, enter the name of the new workgroup, and this action must be performed on all machines that plan to connect to the network.

Next, go to the “Start” menu, through the “Control Panel” we look for the “Network and Sharing Management” menu, then we determine what type our current network is and click on “Ready to create”.

Creating a working group

In the window that appears, click “Create a home group”, then we begin to select elements that will be open to computers from the same network space, set a password if necessary, and click “Finish”.

Create a home group

If you suddenly want to disable the password request, you need to scroll through the previous window again, find the “Sharing with password protection” setting, select the desired disable tab, open the “General” settings tab and, finally, having found the previous item, finally disable password protection. When finished, be sure to click on “Save Changes”.

Password protected sharing

This completes the last stage of these network settings. Now all that remains is to restart all network computers, then go to “My Computer” and select the “Network” tab.

Setting up a router is an integral procedure when starting and deploying a home local network. In this material you will learn how to configure the router yourself and get acquainted with the key parameters of its interface.

Introduction

In the previous parts of the Do-It-Yourself Local Network series of materials, we learned: what components and devices a home computer network consists of, what parts and characteristics you should first pay attention to when choosing a router, and also figured out the types of network cables and learned how to make them ourselves.

After all the necessary equipment has been purchased and installed in its place, and the cables (if they are needed, of course) have been laid and connected to the appropriate devices, it’s time to put the network into operation. But in order for everything to work as it should, it is not enough to simply connect all the network components correctly. In any case, you will have to configure the router using the software built into it.

In this material we will consider only the basic settings of routers that allow you to get your home local network into working order. In fact, routers can have very wide functionality, and the number of settings in advanced models is too large to consider them all in one article.

Despite the fact that almost all modern routers have special “for dummies” modes, which allow you to set its basic parameters in several short steps, without certain knowledge and understanding of some terms, even in this form, setting up a router can be an overwhelming task.

Unfortunately, it will not be possible to talk specifically point by point about a universal method for setting up all types of routers. The model ranges of these devices are very diverse, as well as their functionality. The situation is aggravated by the fact that different manufacturers use completely different software (firmware) in their products, which can differ greatly in user interface, fine-tuning capabilities and other important aspects.

It’s probably time for newcomers to this business to throw up their hands, but there’s no need to despair just yet. No matter how clever programmers and manufacturers try, it is still possible to understand from the basic generally accepted terms what this or that option in the router settings menu is responsible for. So, having understood the basic concepts used in router firmware, you can easily correctly configure its main parameters for specific goals and objectives. Moreover, most mistakes are made precisely because various router options are often configured without understanding the functions for which they are responsible.

IP-addressing andNAT

Before we start delving into the various settings of the router, let's make a small theoretical digression and figure out how computers exchange data with each other within the network.

Special software called network protocols, which describe the rules of communication between machines. For data exchange on the global Internet, it is used TCP/IP protocol suite(Transmission Control Protocol). It was not by chance that I called it a set, since TCP/IP really consists of many different protocols, among which the following can be distinguished:

HTTP is a hypertext data transfer protocol used by web servers and web browsers. It is with the help of this protocol that you have the opportunity to browse numerous sites on the network.
FTP is a protocol used to transfer files over the network.
SMTP - email protocol.
IP is a protocol for data transmission based on the network addressing system.

Let's take a closer look at the last protocol.

In order for computers, routers and other electronic devices to exchange information on the Internet or within any network, they all must have their own unique personal number (identifier) or so-called IP address(Internet Protocol Address). Using this address, devices identify each other and can determine where the request came from and where the data should be sent.

Today, the Internet uses the fourth version of the IP protocol (IPv4), in which the IP address is a 32-bit number, to route data packets. In the binary system used by computers, such a number consists of zeros and ones, and has 32 digits. As you understand, it is not at all easy for a person to perceive addresses in this form, so we humans write it in a more convenient representation for us, as four decimal numbers with a value from 0 to 255, separated by dots. For example, the same IP address in the binary system will look like, and in our traditional decimal system, it will look like 192.168.0.1.

The total number of unique IP addresses when using the IPv4 protocol is 4,228,250,625 (255 4). Despite the fact that this figure looks impressive, this number of addresses is no longer enough for all devices participating in the global network. Indeed, today, not only computer devices, but also coffee makers, televisions, telephones and other various equipment can connect to the Internet.

The global depletion of IPv4 addresses was predicted in advance, so today a number of technologies are already being used to use them more economically. We will not consider them all, but will focus only on the mechanisms of use dynamic And private(domestic) IP addresses, understanding of which is important for setting up any router.

Unlike a static network address, which is usually assigned to a device by the user, a dynamic IP address is assigned to a node automatically when connecting to the network for a limited period of time (for example, for one Internet connection session). A special protocol, DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol), is responsible for the automatic distribution of IP addresses. Let's see how this works in practice.

Let's imagine that the provider has a pool of free IP addresses at its disposal. When a device connects to the network, it is assigned a network address from this list by a DHCP server. After the user leaves the network, the IP address is returned back to the list and can be reissued to another client. Thus, you can increase the efficiency of using addresses and organize access to the Internet from one address for many devices at once, although only one at a time.

Another important point in saving address space is NAT (Network Address Translation) technology, which can be used to convert IP addresses of transit data packets, and in particular private (domestic)IP addresses V public (external) network addresses. This mechanism is used in almost any router and is the basis for organizing your own local network.

Public or external An IP address is called if it can be used to exchange data directly on the Internet. Such an address is globally unique and can be assigned to only one device at a time, which can be accessed from anywhere on the World Wide Web. It is these addresses that are now in great short supply and require particularly economical use.

Private IP addresses are not assigned on the Internet and are intended for use only on local networks. Such addresses require uniqueness within one specific network and can be assigned simultaneously to several devices located on different networks. That is, the same internal IP addresses can be used in different local networks.

There are three ranges of private IP addresses:

From 10.0.0.1 to 10.255.255.254
From 172.16.0.1 to 172.31.255.254
From 192.168.0.1 to 192.168.255.254

Typically, home and small office networks use address ranges from 192.168.0.1 to 192.168.0.254 or from 192.168.1.1 to 192.168.1.254 , each of which allows you to connect up to 254 devices.

Now let's look at an example of how the translation of private addresses into public ones works. Let's imagine that you wanted to open a website and, having typed its address in the browser, pressed the Enter key. At this moment, your computer sends a request to the router, which, accepting it, looks at the destination IP address. If this address is local, that is, it falls within the address range of your local network, then the router immediately sends the packet to the local device. In our case, this is not the case, which means the request must be sent outside to the global network.

But the fact is that the sender’s return address is a local (private) address, which will not be accessible from the global network, since it cannot be used on the Internet. Therefore, the router changes the information in the packet, substituting the public address issued by the provider instead of the local address, records the operation performed with this packet in a special internal table, and only after that sends it outside. After the packet returns with a response, the router, checking the table, finds the local address from which it was sent and forwards it to the desired local network device. Subsequently, when the client and server finish exchanging packets, the router erases the entries in its table, freeing up space for the next operations.

Thus, thanks to this mechanism, to access the Internet, all devices on the local network use only one public address, which is assigned to the external network interface of the router. This allows not only to significantly save external IP addresses, which are now worth their weight in gold, but also ensures a high level of confidentiality of data circulating within the local network. After all, packets intended for internal devices are never sent outside, and a computer with an internal IP address cannot be accessed from the global web without the permission of the router.

Connecting to a router

Now, having dealt with IP addressing and some important definitions, let's move directly to the router settings. Obviously, to configure the router, you first need to connect to it. To do this, we need a regular network cable (patch cord), which, as a rule, always comes with the router. One end of it must be connected to the computer’s network card, and the other end must be plugged into any LAN port of the router.

After turning on the router, you need to check on your computer in the LAN connection properties settings that automatic retrieval of IP parameters is enabled (set by default) and at the same time find out the IP address of the internal network interface of the router itself, which we will need to connect to it. For this purpose in Control panels select an item Networks and Internet, then Network and Sharing Center and further in the left column Changing adapter settings. In the window that opens, find the desired Connecting to a local network and double-click on it. In the next window, click the button Properties.

In the local connection properties window, select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and press the button again Properties.

In the window that opens, check that the option is selected GetIP address automatically. Next, here and in the previous window, click the button OK.

Back to the window Status - Local Area Connection click on the button Intelligence.

In the window, we are primarily interested in the property value Default GatewayIPv4, since this IP address is the network address of the router’s LAN interface. Having written down or remembered the gateway address (in our example it is 192.168.1.1), open any browser (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, Opera, Safari, etc.) and type it in the address bar. If everything is done correctly, then a window should open in front of you asking for a login (user name) and password to enter the router settings menu.

As a rule, the login (UserName) and password (Password), set by default at the manufacturer's factory, are indicated on the bottom of the router and/or in the instructions that come with it. By the way, the IP address of the connection to the router is also indicated there, so it is not at all necessary to look at it in the information about the network connection. The most common login option is admin, password - admin or 1234 . The most common IP addresses to connect to are 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1 .

Router menu

To manage all the router settings, a web interface is used, which will open in front of you immediately after entering the correct username and password. At the same time, each of the developers has their own opinion on how this very interface should look and what menu hierarchy it should have. Therefore, menu items behind which the same settings are hidden may have completely different names from different router manufacturers and are located in different places. Nevertheless, in all this diversity it is still possible to find some general logic, so let's figure it out.

To help you better understand the general patterns, this material will use as approximate illustrations screenshots of the user interfaces of the ASUS RT-N66U and ASUS WL-520GU routers, which are strikingly different from each other, both in design and in menu language.

As a rule, all the main menu items of the router interface are located on the left in a separate column. By clicking on them, additional submenus can open, which are placed either as a list in the same column or in a separate horizontal menu at the top of the screen. The central part of the window is reserved for setting the parameters of the menu items that you select.

After completing the settings of any parameters, you must always accept (save) the changes made. To do this, there is a button at the bottom of the window Save (other options: Apply Finish, Save, Apply, Complete ). In many cases, saving the new settings will require a reboot of the router, which will occur automatically.

Setting up an Internet connection

To configure Internet access settings, you must select the appropriate menu item in the left column, which may be called: Internet Setup, IP Config, WAN, Connection Setup, Network or in Russian - Internet, Basic settings, Internet connection .

In the Internet connection settings window, you must select Type WAN connections (WAN Connection Type) from the drop down menu. This is always done on the basis of information provided to you by your ISP - Internet service provider. Depending on the connection type, the settings fields and the amount of information entered will vary.

The main connection types you may encounter are:

Automatic IP ( Dynamic IP, DHCP, Automatic ) - the easiest type of connection for the user, which does not require any settings from him. In this case, you receive from your provider a dynamic public network address, which is always assigned automatically and can change over time.

Static IP (Static) - a type of connection in which the provider allocates you a unique external address that does not change over time. As a rule, you have to pay an additional monthly subscription fee for such addresses. Using a static public address is justified if you need to connect to local network devices from anywhere on the global web, for example, to control home appliances from the office.

To set up a connection with a static IP address, you will need to fill in the following fields:

IP Address (IP Address)- a static public network address issued to you by your provider;
Subnet Mask
Default Gateway- the address is provided by the provider;
DNS Server (DNS server)- the address of the server that converts alphabetic domain names into IP addresses and vice versa. Selected automatically or reported by the provider.

PPTP L2 TP - tunnel protocols used within the framework of virtual private network (VPN) technology to create secure connections between network nodes. This type of connection is very common among Russian last mile providers, especially using the L2TP protocol. In this case, the external network interface of the router can be assigned either a dynamic public IP address (mostly) or a static one, but in order to connect to the Internet you will have to enter the following additional parameters issued by your provider:

Username (UserName orLogin)
Password (Password)
Addressservers(Server IP/Name, VPN Server)

The remaining settings are in most cases left by default, unless, of course, the provider specifically specifies the required values for them.

PPPoE - a network tunnel protocol at the link level, used mainly in xDSL modems/routers to connect to the Internet using telephone lines. Here, too, both dynamic and static public addresses can be used. Additional parameters require input Username (UserName orLogin) And Password (Password), which are issued by your Internet service provider. The remaining parameters are usually left at default.

In many routers, in the Internet access settings window, at the bottom there is a field with the name MAC address ( MAC Address) . What is it? A MAC address (MAK address in Russian) is a unique physical address assigned to all computer network devices, including interfaces of routers and network cards. The router's own physical address is indicated on the bottom of the case.

Most providers use MAC addresses to identify computers, thereby eliminating the possibility of unauthorized access to their network from equipment that has not been registered. That is, in order for any device to access the Internet, the provider must add its MAC address to a special list of allowed addresses.

For example, for a long time you had one computer at home that was connected to the Internet via a provider cable and all network settings were performed automatically. But now you decide to change your PC to a more modern model, but when you connect the network cable to your new purchase, you discover that the Internet does not work, and the problem is not in the settings. The fact is that the network card of the new computer has a different MAC address, which is not listed in the provider’s list and therefore it does not receive any access to the global network. The same applies to the router. Install a router instead of a computer, and it will also not have access to the World Wide Web, since it has its own unique physical address. So what to do in this situation?

Of course, you can call your provider and tell him the MAC address of the new equipment so that it can be included in the allow list, or you can change it yourself. If we are talking about a router, then the above-mentioned field can come to your aid MAC address . Many models of modern routers allow you to clone the physical addresses of other devices. Thus, you can programmatically change the real MAC address of the router to any other one. Enter the desired address into this field, and the router will always begin to substitute it instead of its own during requests.

In most cases, the above information will be enough for you to set up any type of Internet connection. It is possible that in certain situations, nuances may arise that we have not mentioned here, but these are particularities that the technical support of your Internet service provider will always help you understand.

After completing all the settings, do not forget to save them so that the changes take effect.

Setting up a wireless networkWiFi

The Wi-Fi network settings in the main menu of the router are controlled by the tab Wireless or WirelessSettings (other options: Wi-Fi, Wireless network, Wireless network setup, Wireless settings ). Please note that here often the main tab may contain several secondary (submenus). We will not indicate their names, since there can be a lot of options. Simply, when you find the parameters you need, don’t forget about them.

To create and launch your own wireless network, you need to fill out just a few key fields:

Enable Wireless - turn on/off the wireless network. This item is not found in all router models.

SSID (Network name, Wireless Network Name) - an arbitrary name for the wireless network that you come up with yourself.

Security Mode ( Encryption, Security, Security Settings, Encryption, Authentication Method) - enable/disable and select wireless network security mode. By default, security mode is disabled, so we strongly recommend that you enable it to prevent unauthorized access to your local network. Essentially, choosing a Wi-Fi network security mode comes down to choosing the encryption type from the drop-down list:

WEP (WiredEquivalentPrivacy)- an outdated encryption algorithm, the use of which is not recommended today.
WPA And WPA2(Wi-Fi Protected Access) - modern technology for protecting wireless networks. Home routers often use its simplified mode Pre-Shared Key (WPA-PSK,WPA2-PSK,WPA-Personal,WPA2-Personal), where a password is required to access the network. Choose your encryption type from these options. Preferred modes - WPA2WPA2/WPA or WPA-Auto.

Cipher type (WPA Encryption, WPA Algorithms, WPA Encryption) - type of encryption used in WPA technology. There can be two types: TKIP And AES. TKIP is a legacy option used in WPA version 1. The more secure WPA2 uses encryption AES. Based on this, the choice of this parameter is obvious: either AES, or a more universal option TKIP+AES.

WPA Pre- Shared Key ( Network Key, Password, Network Key, Key WPA) - network key (code word or password), which will need to be specified when connecting to a wireless network. The keyword is created independently from Latin letters and numbers and can include from 8 to 63 characters.

All other Wi-Fi network parameters can be left unchanged at the initial stage. In most cases, you are unlikely to need to configure them.

Recently, routers capable of deploying wireless networks in two bands simultaneously - 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz - have become increasingly widespread. These networks are each configured individually on separate menu tabs, although the settings themselves are identical and are listed above.

Configuring LAN settingsLAN

The item in the router menu is responsible for setting the wired local network parameters LAN (Local Network, LAN). It can be located either in the main menu or in the submenu of the main network settings, adjacent to the WAN tab. As a rule, there is no special need to configure the LAN interface, but some parameters are still worth paying attention to.

IP Address - IP address of the router’s internal network interface, through which you can access it and enter the settings menu. This address is also the main gateway through which data exchange occurs between the external and local networks. Typically the default is 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1 .

Based on the value of this IP address, the rank of your local network and the range of private IP addresses that will be assigned to devices within it are established. For example, if the default gateway IP address is 192.168.1.1, then all devices on that LAN must have addresses in the range 192.168.1.2 to 192.168.1.254.

In principle, you are free to assign any address to your local network from the three reserved ranges of private IP addresses (we discussed this above). But, as a rule, there is no particular need to change the default values. After all, at home you are unlikely to create several subnets or use more than 254 devices within one network.

DHCP server ( DHCP Server) - a tool that allows the router to distribute IP addresses to local network devices automatically. By default, the DHCP server is enabled and is capable of issuing up to 253 addresses (from 2 to 254) within one local network. Please note that if you disable DHCP, all nodes on your home or office network will have to register IP addresses manually.

Also, in the DHCP server settings, you can independently define the range (pool) of IP addresses that can be assigned to devices automatically and set the network address lease time.

SettingsIPTV

Recently, Internet television has been developing rapidly. Today, almost any major provider, in addition to providing Internet access, offers users the opportunity to watch various television channels using network technologies. This option in many cases becomes a good alternative to low-quality cable television or expensive satellite television.

To organize television broadcasts on the network, not traditional IP addressing technology is used, but multicast technology Multicast. Local network support for this technology is a necessary condition for operation IPTV.

In routers, IPTV support can be organized in two ways. In the first case, the router is equipped with the Multicast function and organizes multicast data transmission to all LAN ports using its own hardware and software. Checkbox responsible for enabling/disabling the option Multicast streaming ( IPTV, IGMP, Multicast Routing) , can be located on completely different tabs, starting from settings WAN or LAN (Local Area Network) and ending Additional settings (Advanced) . So search brute-force and read the instructions for your model.

Unfortunately, many router models do not have the most outstanding technical characteristics and debugged software, which leads to failures during multicast addressing. This is especially true for broadcasting high-definition television (HDTV) channels, which can be shown with very noticeable distortion, scattering of the picture into pixels and interruptions.

But there is another way to transmit a multicast stream through a router to local network devices. Some routers have the ability to change the functionality of one or several LAN ports, making them pass-through. That is, for certain ports, you can disable the IP address translation (NAT) mechanism, making it possible for network traffic to pass through them without any transformations, as happens in a regular switch. If you connect a set-top box to such a port, it will receive the incoming “multicast” stream from the provider without changes. But, most importantly, the load on the router in this case is minimal, which means that its hardware component practically ceases to affect the quality of the television picture.

As in the previous option, the choice ports STB IPTV can be done in completely different router options. And yet, IPTV settings most often occur in the parameters of the main menu items Local network ( LAN Network, Home network), WAN or Advanced on the additional tab IPTV (other options: IP television , Advanced ).

Depending on the router model, it may have either the Multicast function, or the function of assigning ports for IPTV (bridge), or both of these functions at once, or not have them at all (as for example in the ASUS WL-520GU). In some advanced routers, multicast data transmission (Multicast) can also be organized for wireless networks (for example, in the ASUS RT-N66U).

Firmware update

The functionality of a router depends not only on its hardware, but also on the software with which it is controlled. Moreover, the quality of the router firmware affects the stability of this key device. Unsuccessful firmware can turn a router with even the most advanced technical components into a useless piece of hardware.

Understanding this, developers are trying to constantly improve the firmware for routers, periodically releasing updated firmware versions that correct errors and “bugs” of previous editions. Also, newer firmware can increase the performance of the router and provide it with new useful functions. Therefore, from time to time, it is worth checking for new software versions for your router model.

The firmware update is carried out in two stages. First, you download the new firmware to your computer. Then in the router menu we find the item System Setup (other options: System, Administration, Administration, Maintenance, Maintenance, Tools ) and inside it the option Firmware Upgrade (other options: Firmware update, Software update, Firmware Update ). Next, in the window that opens, you need to specify the path to the file with the new firmware and click the button Upload ( ).

Conclusion

Developers have long been striving to make it easier to configure router settings, making it accessible even to novice users. In most cases, when you first enter the router menu, a wizard launches, offering quick step-by-step configuration of its main parameters. This option saves beginners from searching for the necessary options among numerous menu sections. If necessary, the installation wizard can be launched manually using the item Quick Setup (other options: Setup Wizard, Installation Wizard, Quick Setup ).

However, keep in mind that using the installation wizard it is not always possible to configure the router correctly, since in this case some important parameters are not always selected correctly automatically. Also, in certain situations, connecting to the Internet may require special settings, the ability to enter which is simply not possible in the wizard mode. Therefore, in many cases, the use of manual mode for setting parameters cannot be avoided.

Connecting devices into a home network and connecting it to the Internet, at first glance, seems complicated.

But those who have done this at least once cope with the task in 20–30 minutes.

Do you want to learn how to create local networks quickly? So, this instruction is for you.

Creating a wired local network through a router

Preparation

To network desktop computers and other devices equipped with Ethernet network adapters, prepare:

Sections of twisted pair cable with 8P8C (RJ-45) connectors - one for each device. You can buy connectors separately and crimp the cable yourself. For a computer-router connection, a direct crimp circuit is used.

A router with enough LAN ports for all computers on the network. If there are not enough ports, some machines will have to be connected through an additional network device - a switch. Or via Wi-Fi.

The procedure for connecting devices to a computer local network:

Insert one twisted pair connector into the computer's network card connector, and the other into one of the LAN ports on the router. Find out exactly which ports are intended for the LAN from the instructions of your router.
If your apartment or office is connected to the Internet, connect the provider’s network cable to the WAN (INTERNET) port of the router.

Port activity is indicated by blinking LED indicators. The fact that the signal is received by the PC network card is also indicated by the blinking of the diode in the connector area.

Setting up the router

Let's look at setting up a local LAN using the D-Link DIR 300 router as an example.

To open the control panel, enter the router's IP address into the address bar of your browser, which is indicated on its bottom or in the documentation.

Once connected, the network will appear in the Network Connections folder. If you wish, you can change its IP address and DNS server.

This is done in the same way as when connecting to a wired network, which we discussed above.

If you want to play on two PCs without using the Internet, instantly transfer files from different devices without USB drives, then you need to know how to create a local network between two computers. This technology of connecting two PCs has been used for quite a long time, and even today it has not lost its relevance.

Local network example

A local network is a group of interconnected devices: PCs, televisions, printers, usually located no further than one room. The devices use shared memory and servers, thus complementing each other. This connection allows you to create a gaming area for several PCs, easily and fairly quickly transfer any data, print documents if one common printer is installed, and do much more. Connecting devices today most often occurs using a router, but other connections can also be used, which you can read about below.

Creating a connection

Creating a connection is quite easy, and also in different ways: through a router or cable. Setting up devices for both methods is quite similar. The difference lies mainly in the connection method: via cable or via Wi-Fi.

Communication via Wi-Fi, which is used much more often today, can be much more convenient, but connecting two PCs with a cable will cost less if you have not yet installed a router for some reason.

Connection via cable

The oldest type of communication between two machines. All you need to do is connect an RJ45 network cable. The cable must be a crossover cable, although regular straight cables can often work for modern computers. Still, when purchasing, it is better to check the type of cable with the seller. When you add the ends of the crossover cable, the colors of the ends of the wires will differ - this is its main difference. Also, the connection requires network cards on both devices, but today they are already installed. You just have to note that if the network card is already occupied by connecting to the Internet, then you won’t be able to use it.

This connection was just used before to play. But it may be convenient for some today, especially if you still have Windows XP, which has difficulty supporting wireless connections.

After connecting the cable itself, you need to know how to set up a local network between two computers:

Control Panel, select the item related to network connections.
We select what we created there, right-click on it, select “Properties”
Next, depending on “Windows”: for Windows XP select Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), for Windows 7/8/10 - Internet Protocol version 4.

Manually enter the IP address: 192.168.xxx.xxx. You can enter the last six digits yourself, the main thing is that they are not repeated on different devices.

On Windows 7, you will also need to go to the Network Control Center, there, through the “Settings” item, select “Private” for our network.
Then in Control Center, enable file sharing, network discovery, and disable password access protection.

After this, you also need to set up sharing. This is done so that PCs can exchange any files. The methods vary on different OSes. On WindowsXP:

Section Network connections, go to “Tools”, select “Folder Options”.
“View” tab, check the box next to “Use simple file sharing”.
Next, go to the “System Properties” window: RMB on “My Computer” - select Computer Name.
Click “Change”, select “Is a member” of the working group. We come up with a common group name for both PCs.
My computer, right-click on the hard drives (for example, Windows (C:)), in the “Access” tab, click on the link, set the sharing permission.

That's it, access to the files on the selected disks is completely open. With Windows 7/8/10 we proceed as follows:

Control Panel, then Folder Options.
Check the “Use Sharing Wizard” checkbox.
The following steps will be the same as for XP.

Connection via router

This is the most convenient method, since it allows you to connect not only two, but a larger number of computers or other devices that support Wi-Fi. You can play over this connection without lengthy settings.

IP addresses for such a connection will be set automatically. To use shared files, you will only need to share the files, and then add two computers to one workgroup, as described above.

Now, to transfer files, you just need to enter the computer name using the address bar: \\name\. You can also do this through the Network Connections section. It is also worth securing your personal or especially important files so that no one can access them from a nearby computer. To do this, it is best to specify drives that do not contain information important to you. For example, it is better not to make the disk that contains user account data open to everyone, or, using the file and folder settings menu, restrict access to them: RMB on the desired folder, then select the sharing settings there.

Playing on a local network

So, we managed to connect two devices to the same network without the Internet, allowing them to exchange files. How to start playing on a local network?

To do this, as a rule, you do not need to make any additional settings. We just turn on the game and, if you can play over a local connection, select the appropriate item, and then play over the one we have already created.

Connection to a shared server may vary for different games. You will need to enter the IP or PC name somewhere. For Minecraft, Counter Strike, for example, you will need to create a server. But as a rule, everything is done quite simply.

Hamachi

This happens quite rarely, but sometimes a game does not allow you to play over the Internet, but allows you to play it over a local network. Don’t despair, even if it turns out that your friend lives far from you.

The Hamachi program allows you to emulate a local connection and thus connect a PC to it via the Internet. To do this, you just need to download the program, register, and then create a new connection, give it a name and, if necessary, a password. After this, you can easily use this network to play.

As you can see, connecting computers into a local network is a fairly easy process. It won’t take you much time, and you can connect two PCs, and then play with your friends, both being away from them and being in the same room with them.

The methods for creating a connection are suitable for all Windows, from XP to Ten.

Why are local networks needed, and what are they? How to connect several computer devices to one Internet channel at once? What equipment is required to build a home network? You will receive answers to all these and other equally important questions in this material.

Introduction

Before you learn how to independently design and configure home local networks, let’s immediately answer the most important question: “Why are they needed?”

The concept of a local network itself means the unification of several computers or computer devices into a single system for the exchange of information between them, as well as the sharing of their computing resources and peripheral equipment. Thus, local networks allow:

Exchange data (movies, music, programs, games, etc.) between network members. At the same time, to watch movies or listen to music, it is absolutely not necessary to record them on your hard drive. The speeds of modern networks allow this to be done directly from a remote computer or multimedia device.

Connect several devices simultaneously to the global Internet through one access channel. This is probably one of the most popular functions of local networks, because these days the list of equipment that can use a connection to the World Wide Web is very large. In addition to all kinds of computer equipment and mobile devices, TVs, DVD/Blu-Ray players, multimedia players and even all kinds of household appliances, from refrigerators to coffee makers, have now become full participants in the network.

Share computer peripherals , such as printers, MFPs, scanners and network attached storage (NAS).

Share the computing power of computers of network participants. When working with programs that require complex calculations, such as 3D visualization, to increase productivity and speed up data processing, you can use the free resources of other computers on the network. Thus, having several weak machines connected to a local network, you can use their combined performance to perform resource-intensive tasks.

As you can see, creating a local network even within one apartment can bring a lot of benefits. Moreover, having several devices at home that require an Internet connection has long been not uncommon, and combining them into a common network is an urgent task for most users.

Basic principles of building a local network

Most often, local networks use two main types of data transfer between computers - via wire, such networks are called cable and use Ethernet technology, and also using a radio signal over wireless networks built on the basis of the IEEE 802.11 standard, which is better known to users under the name Wi -Fi.

Today, wired networks still provide the highest bandwidth, allowing users to exchange information at speeds of up to 100 Mbps (12 Mbps) or up to 1 Gbps (128 Mbps) depending on the equipment used (Fast Ethernet or Gigabit Ethernet). And although modern wireless technologies, purely theoretically, can also provide data transfer up to 1.3 Gbit/s (Wi-Fi 802.11ac standard), in practice this figure looks much more modest and in most cases does not exceed 150 - 300 Mbit/s. The reason for this is the high cost of high-speed Wi-Fi equipment and the low level of its use in current mobile devices.

As a rule, all modern home networks are arranged according to the same principle: user computers (workstations) equipped with network adapters are connected to each other through special switching devices, which can be: routers (routers), switches (hubs or switches), points access or modems. We will talk in more detail about their differences and purposes below, but for now just know that without these electronic boxes, it will not be possible to combine several computers into one system at once. The maximum that can be achieved is to create a mini-network of two PCs by connecting them to each other.

At the very beginning, you need to determine the basic requirements for your future network and its scale. After all, the choice of the necessary equipment will directly depend on the number of devices, their physical placement and possible connection methods. Most often, a home local network is combined and can include several types of switching devices. For example, desktop computers can be connected to the network using wires, and various mobile devices (laptops, tablets, smartphones) can be connected via Wi-Fi.

For example, consider the diagram of one of the possible options for a home local network. It will involve electronic devices designed for various purposes and tasks, as well as using different types of connections.

As can be seen from the figure, several desktop computers, laptops, smartphones, set-top boxes (IPTV), tablets and media players and other devices can be combined into a single network. Now let's figure out what equipment you will need to build your own network.

Network card

A network card is a device that allows computers to communicate with each other and exchange data on a network. All network adapters can be divided into two large groups by type - wired and wireless. Wired network cards allow you to connect electronic devices to a network using Ethernet technology using a cable, while wireless network adapters use Wi-Fi radio technology.

As a rule, all modern desktop computers are already equipped with Ethernet network cards built into the motherboard, and all mobile devices (smartphones, tablets) are equipped with Wi-Fi network adapters. At the same time, laptops and ultrabooks are mostly equipped with both network interfaces at once.

Despite the fact that in the vast majority of cases, computer devices have built-in network interfaces, sometimes it becomes necessary to purchase additional cards, for example, to equip the system unit with a Wi-Fi wireless communication module.

Based on their design implementation, individual network cards are divided into two groups - internal and external. Internal cards are designed for installation in desktop computers using interfaces and their corresponding PCI and PCIe connectors. External cards are connected via USB connectors or legacy PCMCIA (laptops only).

Router (Router)

The main and most important component of a home local network is a router or router - a special box that allows you to combine several electronic devices into a single network and connect them to the Internet through one single channel provided to you by your provider.

A router is a multifunctional device or even a minicomputer with its own built-in operating system, which has at least two network interfaces. The first one is LAN (Local Area Network ) or LAN (Local Area Network) is used to create an internal (home) network, which consists of your computer devices. The second - WAN (Wide Area Network) or WAN (Wide Area Network) is used to connect a local network (LAN) to other networks and the World Wide Web - the Internet.

The main purpose of devices of this type is to determine the routes (routing) of data packets that the user sends to or requests from other, larger networks. It is with the help of routers that huge networks are divided into many logical segments (subnets), one of which is the home local network. Thus, at home, the main function of a router can be called organizing the transfer of information from a local network to a global one, and back.

Another important job of a router is to limit access to your home network from the World Wide Web. Surely you are unlikely to be happy if anyone can connect to your computers and take or delete from them whatever they want. To prevent this from happening, the data flow intended for devices belonging to a specific subnet must not go beyond its boundaries. Therefore, from the general internal traffic generated by local network participants, the router selects and sends to the global network only that information that is intended for other external subnets. This ensures the security of internal data and saves overall network bandwidth.

The main mechanism that allows the router to limit or prevent access from the public network (outside) to devices on your local network is called NAT (Network Address Translation). It also provides all users of your home network with access to the Internet by converting several internal device addresses into one public external address, which is provided to you by your Internet service provider. All this makes it possible for computers on a home network to easily exchange information with each other and receive it from other networks. At the same time, the data stored in them remains inaccessible to external users, although access to it can be provided at any time at your request.

In general, routers can be divided into two large groups - wired and wireless. Already from the names it is clear that all devices are connected to the first ones only using cables, and to the second ones, both with the help of wires and without them using Wi-Fi technology. Therefore, at home, wireless routers are most often used to provide Internet access and network computer equipment using various communication technologies.

To connect computer devices using cables, the router has special sockets called ports. In most cases, the router has four LAN ports for connecting your devices and one WAN port for connecting your ISP cable.

In order not to overload the article with redundant information, we will not consider in detail the main technical characteristics of routers in this chapter; I will talk about them in a separate article, on choosing a router.

In many cases, a router may be the only component needed to build your own local network, since there is simply no need for the rest. As we have already said, even the simplest router allows you to connect up to four computer devices using wires. Well, the number of equipment that receives simultaneous access to the network using Wi-Fi technology can be in the tens, or even hundreds.

If, at some point, the number of LAN ports on the router is no longer enough, then to expand the cable network, you can connect one or more switches to the router (discussed below), which act as splitters.

Modem

In modern computer networks, a modem is a device that provides Internet access or access to other networks through regular wired telephone lines (xDSL class) or using wireless mobile technologies (3G class).

Conventionally, modems can be divided into two groups. The first includes those that connect to a computer via a USB interface and provide network access to only one specific PC, to which the modem is directly connected. In the second group, the already familiar LAN and/or Wi-Fi interfaces are used to connect to a computer. Their presence indicates that the modem has a built-in router. Such devices are often called combined, and they should be used to build a local network.

When choosing DSL equipment, users may encounter certain difficulties caused by confusion in its names. The fact is that often in the assortment of computer stores, two very similar classes of devices are located side by side: modems with built-in routers and routers with built-in modems. What is the difference between them?

These two groups of devices practically do not have any key differences. Manufacturers themselves position a router with a built-in modem as a more advanced option, equipped with a large number of additional functions and improved performance. But if you are only interested in basic capabilities, for example, such as connecting all computers on your home network to the Internet, then there is not much difference between modem-routers and routers where a DSL modem is used as an external network interface.

So, to summarize, a modern modem with which you can build a local network is, in fact, a router with an xDSL or 3G modem as an external network interface.

A switch or switch is used to connect various nodes of a computer network and exchange data between them via cables. The role of these nodes can be either individual devices, for example a desktop PC, or entire groups of devices united into an independent network segment. Unlike a router, a switch has only one network interface - LAN and is used at home as an auxiliary device primarily for scaling local networks.

To connect computers using wires, like routers, switches also have special socket ports. In models aimed at home use, their number is usually five or eight. If at some point the number of switch ports is no longer enough to connect all devices, you can connect another switch to it. Thus, you can expand your home network as much as you like.

Switches are divided into two groups: managed and unmanaged. The first, as the name suggests, can be controlled from the network using special software. Although they have advanced functionality, they are expensive and not used at home. Unmanaged switches distribute traffic and regulate the speed of data exchange between all network clients automatically. These devices are ideal solutions for building small and medium-sized local networks, where the number of participants in the exchange of information is small.

Depending on the model, switches can provide a maximum data transfer speed of either 100 Mbit/s (Fast Ethernet) or 1000 Mbit/s (Gigabit Ethernet). Gigabit switches are best used for building home networks where you plan to frequently transfer large files between local devices.

Wireless access point

To provide wireless access to the Internet or local network resources, in addition to a wireless router, you can use another device called a wireless access point. Unlike a router, this station does not have an external WAN network interface and is equipped in most cases with only one LAN port for connecting to a router or switch. Thus, you will need an access point if your local network uses a regular router or modem without Wi-Fi support.

The use of additional access points in a network with a wireless router may be justified in cases where a large Wi-Fi coverage area is required. For example, the signal strength of a wireless router alone may not be enough to completely cover the entire area in a large office or multi-story country house.

Access points can also be used to organize wireless bridges, allowing you to connect individual devices, network segments or entire networks with each other using a radio signal in places where laying cables is undesirable or difficult.

Network cable, connectors, sockets

Despite the rapid development of wireless technologies, many local networks are still built using wires. Such systems have high reliability, excellent throughput and minimize the possibility of unauthorized connection to your network from the outside.

To create a wired local network in home and office environments, Ethernet technology is used, where the signal is transmitted over the so-called “twisted pair” (TP-Twisted Pair) - a cable consisting of four copper pairs of wires twisted together (to reduce interference).

When building computer networks, predominantly unshielded cable of the CAT5 category is used, and more often its improved version CAT5e. Cables of this category allow you to transmit a signal at a speed of 100 Mbit/s when using only two pairs (half) of wires, and 1000 Mbit/s when using all four pairs.

To connect to devices (routers, switches, network cards, etc.), 8-pin modular connectors, commonly called RJ-45 (although their correct name is 8P8C), are used at the ends of the twisted pair cable.

Depending on your desire, you can either buy ready-made (with crimped connectors) network cables of a certain length, called “patch cords”, at any computer store, or purchase twisted pair cables and connectors separately, and then make your own cables of the required size in the right quantity. You will learn how this is done in a separate material.

Using cables to connect computers into a network, of course, you can connect them directly from switches or routers to the connectors on the PC’s network cards, but there is another option - using network sockets. In this case, one end of the cable is connected to the switch port, and the other to the internal contacts of the socket, into the external connector of which you can subsequently connect computer or network devices.

Network sockets can be either built into the wall or mounted externally. Using sockets instead of protruding cable ends will give a more aesthetically pleasing look to your workspace. It is also convenient to use sockets as reference points for various network segments. For example, you can install a switch or router in the hallway of an apartment, and then thoroughly route cables from it to sockets located in all the necessary rooms. Thus, you will receive several points located in different parts of the apartment, to which you can at any time connect not only computers, but also any network devices, for example, additional switches to expand your home or office network.

Another little thing that you may need when building a cable network is an extension cord that can be used to connect two twisted pairs with already crimped RJ-45 connectors.

In addition to their intended purpose, extension cords are convenient to use in cases where the end of the cable ends not with one connector, but with two. This option is possible when building networks with a capacity of 100 Mbit/s, where it is enough to use only two pairs of wires to transmit a signal.

You can also use a network splitter to connect two computers to one cable at once without using a switch. But again, it is worth remembering that in this case the maximum data exchange speed will be limited to 100 Mbit/s.

For more information about crimping twisted pair cables, connecting sockets and the characteristics of network cables, read the special material.

Now that we've become familiar with the basic components of a local area network, it's time to talk about topology. In simple terms, a network topology is a diagram that describes the locations and methods of connecting network devices.

There are three main types of network topologies: Bus, Ring and Star. With a bus topology, all computers on the network are connected to one common cable. To unite PCs into a single network using the “Ring” topology, they are connected in series with each other, with the last computer connecting to the first. In a star topology, each device is connected to the network through a special hub using a separate cable.

Probably, the attentive reader has already guessed that to build a home or small office network, the “Star” topology is predominantly used, where routers and switches are used as hub devices.

Creating a network using the Star topology does not require deep technical knowledge and large financial investments. For example, using a switch that costs 250 rubles, you can connect 5 computers into a network in a few minutes, and using a router for a couple of thousand rubles, you can even build a home network, providing several dozen devices with access to the Internet and local resources.

Another undoubted advantage of this topology is good expandability and ease of upgrading. Thus, network branching and scaling is achieved by simply adding additional hubs with the necessary functionality. You can also change the physical location of network devices or swap them at any time in order to achieve more practical use of the equipment and reduce the number and length of connecting wires.

Despite the fact that the Star topology allows you to quickly change the network structure, the location of the router, switches and other necessary elements must be thought out in advance, in accordance with the layout of the room, the number of devices being connected and how they are connected to the network. This will minimize the risks associated with purchasing unsuitable or redundant equipment and optimize the amount of your financial costs.

Conclusion

In this material, we examined the general principles of building local networks, the main equipment that is used and its purpose. Now you know that the main element of almost any home network is a router, which allows you to network many devices using both wired (Ethernet) and wireless (Wi-Fi) technologies, while providing them all with an Internet connection through one single channel.

Switches, which are essentially splitters, are used as auxiliary equipment for expanding connection points to a local network using cables. To organize wireless connections, access points are used, which allow using Wi-Fi technology not only to connect all kinds of devices wirelessly to the network, but also to connect entire segments of the local network together in a “bridge” mode.

To understand exactly how much and what kind of equipment you will need to purchase to create a future home network, be sure to first draw up its topology. Draw a diagram of the location of all devices participating in the network that will require a cable connection. Depending on this, select the optimal location for the router and, if necessary, additional switches. There are no uniform rules here, since the physical location of the router and switches depends on many factors: the number and type of devices, as well as the tasks that will be assigned to them; layout and size of the room; requirements for the aesthetic appearance of switching nodes; possibilities for laying cables and others.

So, as soon as you have a detailed plan for your future network, you can begin to select and purchase the necessary equipment, install it and configure it. But we will talk about these topics in our next materials.