Avoid the pitfalls when setting up your home network

A few years ago the home PC was a novelty; now it’s commonplace, with most of us having more than one in our homes.

As a result, home networking is growing in popularity as an increasing number of households want to link desktop and laptop PCs together to share internet access, files, printers and a whole lot more.

The good news is that it’s not expensive or difficult to set up a home network (technically, a local area network or Lan). The bad news is that, as simplicity was way down on the priority list when networking was being invented, it’s easy to get it wrong, even if you’ve been using PCs for years.

That’s why we’ve produced this guide, to take you through the basics of planning, building and running a home network, as well as pointing out the more common pitfalls and how to avoid them.

Why a network?
The first thing to do is sit down and work out what you want a network for, as that will affect a lot of your decisions. If you just want to share a broadband internet connection, for example, you won’t need much in the way of network hardware ­ just a broadband router with a built-in network switch. Nor will you need to plan for a huge amount of bandwidth, as the limiting factor will be the speed of your broadband connection, so Wifi will be fine.

However, if you want to share large documents or stream music and video around your network, you could find wireless too slow, even with the latest high-speed wireless Draft-N equipment.

Another tip is not to jump in and assume you’ll need a server. Peer-to-peer networks, where shared network data is stored on ordinary PCs and notebooks, are more than adequate for most home needs, even where large amounts of data are involved.

On the other hand, using a server does make it easier to organise and manage your data, because it’s all located in one place. You’ll also need one if you want to host your own web or email server, or run other centrally shared applications.

Making plans
Having thought about what you want a network for, you need to set yourself a budget. Networks don’t have to cost much, but it’s easy to get carried away and end up spending hundreds of pounds unnecessarily.

A major part of your budget will be spent on the hardware needed to connect everything together ­ the so-called network infrastructure. Here you need to start by deciding whether to run cables from room to room, use Wifi or go for a mixture of the two. Alternatively you may choose to route network data over the mains wiring, using Homeplug networking products, which we’ll explain more about later.

When deciding which to use, bear in mind that a cabled network will always deliver the best results, in terms of both performance and reliability. However, unless you’re planning a very small network or are prepared to have cables snaking across the floor, a lot of installation work will be involved, which can be expensive. A cabled network may also involve drilling holes in walls and wiring up sockets which, if you’re not confident at DIY, can be daunting.

If DIY isn’t a problem, sit down and plan the cable runs to minimise the amount of wire you’ll need. For ease of installation try to route cables through the loft, through an attached garage if you have one, or down the outside of the house. And buy quality cable and fittings from a supplier you can go back to ­ not second-hand from a vendor on Ebay.

Get switched on
Another consideration is the need for one or more network switches to join the cables together.

A lot of broadband routers have a four- or five-port switch built in as standard which, on a small network, might be all you require.

On a larger network, however, you may need additional switches to provide ports not just for PCs, but for network printers, servers and other devices too.

On the positive side, compatibility shouldn’t be an issue, so you can mix and match switches from different vendors. Fast Ethernet (10/100Mbits/sec) products are fine if you’re on a really tight budget, but for maximum throughput, go for Gigabit Ethernet (1,000Mbits/sec) switches, prices of which have fallen considerably of late, making them very affordable.

Other than that, basic switches are all you need. Avoid so-called ‘smart’ or managed devices, as the extra functionality these provide won’t be required on most home networks. Similarly, you’re unlikely to need a Power over Ethernet (PoE) switch unless you’re thinking about installing network cameras, wireless access points or IP phones that are able to draw their power over the Ethernet cable.

Going without wires
Because it’s a lot quicker and easier to deploy, a lot of home networks will be wireless or,
at least have a large wireless component. However, wireless doesn’t suit every situation. We’ve already mentioned the lack of bandwidth when sharing large files or streaming video, but range can be a problem too. In a large house, for example, or if you have thick walls or need to extend your network over several floors, you may get a poor signal and reduced throughput, or no signal at all. Conversely, if you live where there are lots of other Wifi networks, interference could be an issue as well.

The latest wireless Draft-N (802.11n) products do offer greater range but, unfortunately, there’s no way of checking for problems in advance. The best thing to do is to try and borrow some wireless kit so you can establish whether or not you’ll have coverage problems.

Finally, you might want to consider Homeplug devices (also referred to as powerline networking), which use the mains wiring to carry the networking signal. These can be used in two ways ­ either to build a network from scratch or to extend an existing Lan. Of course, there are limitations and we’ll cover those in more detail in the following section on building your network.

Building A network
Once you’ve decided on the type of network you want, it’s time to start buying the hardware and putting it all together. Exactly what you have to buy will, of course, depend on the kind of infrastructure, the number of computers involved and so on. However, there are some common things to look out for and some basic guidelines worth following.

Cabling concerns
On a cabled network, look for UTP (unshielded twisted pair) cables that conform to at least the Extended Category 5 (Cat5e) standard. This will support the latest Gigabit Ethernet networking standards. Any connectors or wall sockets should also be Cat5e-rated and, if you’re paying for the installation, ask the installer if they can test the whole network for conformance.

For the DIY enthusiast, wiring kits complete with the necessary tools and instructions are available from specialist electrical outlets, such as Maplin, and major DIY stores, including B&Q and Wickes. However, fitting RJ-45 network plugs and wiring wall sockets isn’t easy, so if you’re doing it yourself you might prefer ready-made patch cables, with a plug already fitted at each end. These come in various lengths
(a 10m patch cable will cost less than £10).

You can also buy in-line couplers for around £3, but it’s worth buying longer cables than you need ­ just in case.

On the downside, fitted plugs can be a problem when routing cables through holes and tight spaces, but wrap a piece of electrical tape around the end to protect them and you should be OK. Bear in mind that cable runs mustn’t be greater than 100m (not usually an issue on a home Lan) and watch out for so-called crossover cables, which are used to directly connect two computers together ­ they shouldn’t be used for normal network wiring.

Hubs and switches
Cabled networks have a star topology, with a central network hub or switch to which all the cables are connected.

Hubs simply share the network bandwidth, while a switch lives up to its name and switches connections at high speed, effectively giving every attached device the benefit of all the bandwidth.

Simple hubs are now something of a rarity, so you should always buy switches. On a small network a switch integrated into your broadband router is probably all you need, but there are plenty of standalone switches available from a wide range of suppliers, with anything from four to 48 ports.

When it comes to specification, Gigabit (1,000Mbits/sec) Ethernet switches aren’t that much more expensive than Fast Ethernet (10/100Mbits/sec) devices and are worth buying, even if you don’t currently need the extra bandwidth. For example, you can expect to pay about £20 for a five-port Fast Ethernet switch and from £30-£35 for the equivalent Gigabit version.

Interoperability shouldn’t be an issue. Plug a Fast Ethernet device into a Gigabit switch, for example, and it will automatically negotiate a lower-speed connection. That said, you only get what you pay for, and the auto-negotiation technology can go wrong. It’s therefore worth sticking to well-known brands, such as Belkin, D-Link, Linksys and Netgear and, if using several switches, keeping to the same supplier.

Lastly, bear in mind that switches can also minimise the amount of cabling you have to install. For example, you can put a broadband router with a built-in switch in one part of your house then, instead of multiple cables, run a single cable to a switch in another room, to which several PCs and other devices can be attached.

Wire-free
Wifi networks are much easier to build, especially if you buy a broadband router with a wireless access point built in. Prices start at around £25 for the most popular 802.11g Wifi models, although 802.11g does have a ceiling of 54Mbits/sec and, in practice, only delivers around 20-30Mbits/sec, even with Mimo (mulitple input, multiple output) antennas and other performance-boosting technologies. If speed is really important, you might need to spend more for the latest Draft-N (802.11n) products, which are theoretically a lot faster and, in real-world use, can typically deliver speeds of about 40-60Mbits/sec.

When building a wireless network it’s a good idea to start with the router, but watch out if you’re an ADSL broadband user, as not all wireless routers have an ADSL modem built in, just an Ethernet port for use with an external modem. That’s fine for cable broadband, but not for ADSL, as most UK modems only have a USB interface, so can’t be attached this way.

If you’ve already got a wired router you can add Wifi by plugging in a standalone wireless access point, from around £35. Whether you go for one box or two, try and site your wireless access point and/or router as centrally as possible in the house to provide maximum coverage. On some you can also buy separate high-gain antennas to enhance the signal, but before doing so it’s worth experimenting with the location and orientation of the device and how the antennas are positioned, as these factors can have a dramatic effect on coverage.

Homeplug simplicity
As we mentioned in the planning section, Homeplug (also referred to as powerline) is yet another way of building a network, using the mains wiring in your house rather than having to install dedicated cables (see the PCW November 2007 issue for a group test of these devices).

These devices come with one to four ports into which ordinary UTP leads can be plugged, with the whole lot then plugged into a standard three-pin mains socket. Of course, you’ll need at least two. The Homeplug adapters then find each other across the mains wiring, so that anything plugged into one can see the devices attached to the other.

Bandwidth will vary depending on distance, the state of the wiring and so on, but, in theory, Homeplug 1.0 Turbo products can support speeds of up to 85Mbits/sec, while the latest Homeplug AV specification allows for up to 200Mbits/sec. As with all networking products, you need to divide those figures in half to get closer to the actual rates; however, they still compare well with Wifi and are very easy to install.

Expect to pay £30 upwards for a single port Homeplug 1.0 adapter, with starter Homeplug AV kits containing two adapters available for around £80. Devices such as the Netgear XE-104 pictured here even have a handy integrated four-port switch. Broadband routers and webcams with Homeplug interfaces are also becoming available. Other vendors include Devolo, D-Link, Edimax, Netgear, Panasonic, Solwise and Zyxel.

Adapters
Don’t forget that, regardless of the type of network, you’ll need a network interface in every PC that you want to connect.

Modern desktops will come with either a Fast or Gigabit Ethernet interface built in and most laptops have a Wifi interface as well. On older systems, however, you’ll need to provide this essential item yourself.

On a desktop PC that means either opening up the case and installing a plug-in PCI card (from £7 for a wired Fast Ethernet adapter) or, on a notebook, fitting a compatible PC Card (£20-£50). You can also buy external USB adapters, again, starting at just a few pounds.

Adding a server
Unfortunately, there are yet more things to consider if you decide to go down the server route. A general-purpose server running Windows is often the first choice here, and you’ll find systems from Dell, HP and others advertised for as little £250. However, you could end up spending a lot more to get what you need.

The operating system, for example, won’t be included in that price, and a five-user copy of Windows Server 2003 is likely to add a further £400. Cheap servers will also have a very basic specification, so for anything other than file sharing, you may have to upgrade the processor, memory and storage. If you choose to add Raid protection and some kind of backup device, you’ll push up the price even more.

Running and troubleshooting
Putting a network together is one thing. Getting all the PCs ­ and server if applicable ­ to talk to each other, share files and so on, is another problem altogether. Here we look at some common gotchas and where to start troubleshooting if you have problems on your new Lan.

File sharing issues
The most common network problem is being able to share your internet connection between PCs, but unable to access files on a PC elsewhere on the Lan.

One culprit could be the Windows firewall which might, inadvertently, be blocking file-sharing protocols ­ simply turn it off (open Control Panel, choose Windows Firewall and click the ‘Off’ radio button on the General tab) to find out if this is the case.

Another is the use of Windows’ Simple File Sharing, whereby users trying to access a shared PC over the network will be authenticated as ‘Guest’ rather than the name they’re logged on with at their PC.

Although Simple File Sharing is the only choice on XP Home, it’s optional on Windows XP Professional, so if you’re mixing operating systems you need to make sure the right options have been set on the XP Professional machines, as we explained in detail in Hands On feature.

Changes are also needed to allow for simple file sharing on Vista PCs, which we covered, along with other Vista networking issues, in a recent Hands On feature.

Common wireless issues
By far the biggest wireless problem is simply getting connected in the first place. The most common reason for problems is a mismatch in the security settings, typically a different encryption technology or key specified on the client from that used on the wireless access point or router. As a result, the client can make a wireless radio connection and Windows may say it’s connected on the taskbar, but the network won’t be accessible, as data can’t be properly decrypted.

In this situation the best approach is to turn security off altogether and establish that the client PC can be successfully connected to the wireless Lan. When that’s done you can then go back and reapply the security measures correctly at each end.

Desktop firewalls are, again, another common cause of Wifi issues and there are lots more, which we looked at recently.

Server issues
Home servers can cause problems too, especially where an old desktop PC is being pressed into service for file and print sharing rather than desktop work.

If it’s running Windows 2000 or XP Professional, then you’ll need to tell Windows to prioritise background processes like file sharing, something you can do very simply from the Control Panel, as shown in the screenshot.

It’s also important to understand that there’s a strict limit on the number of network connections supported by the desktop versions of Windows. On Windows 2000 and XP Professional, the limit is ten and on XP Home it’s a miserly five. These limits can’t be altered and are strictly enforced, so if you have a large number of users, you’ll need to either upgrade to a proper server version of Windows or look at deploying Linux and Samba, as we mentioned earlier.

Troubleshooting tools
So where do you start when things start to go wrong with your network? It may sound obvious, but if a network PC can’t get to your files or the internet, the first thing to check is that it has a physical connection to the Lan.

On a wired network, that means looking to see if you have a ‘link’ status light, both at the PC end and at the switch ­ typically a small LED that lights up (usually green) when a connection is made. If you get no light at all the cable might not be seated properly or there could be a cable or network adapter fault. If it flashes regularly (often with an orange or red colour), then the mechanism that negotiates a common connection speed has failed and you may need to try changing the adapter.

With wireless, of course, it’s not so straightforward, although Windows will normally tell you if you’ve successfully connected and at what speed. But assuming you have got a connection, either wired or wireless, the next thing to do is make sure there isn’t a problem with your IP (internet protocol) address. Most home networks are set up to assign these network addresses automatically using a DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) server, which will usually be enabled by default on your broadband router.

To see if this has given your PC an address, open a command window and type ipconfig /all. On most home networks you will then see an address in the format 999.999.999.999, as in the screen, left, for example, where the PC has been assigned an address of 10.0.0.34 and is set to use a default gateway of 10.0.0.1 (the internet router). If the address is all zeroes or you find you’ve got an address starting 169 (indicating a self-generated address), then something has gone wrong, and the connection settings on the PC are usually to blame.

Another essential tool is a utility called ping. Again, you need to type this into a command window, this time followed by the IP address or network name of another system you know to be working, such as your internet router, for example. If that system is reachable, you’ll receive a series of responses, as in the screen below, where the default gateway (router) at 10.0.0.1 has responded to our client’s pings. Otherwise, the ping request will timeout or you may be told that the host is unreachable.

By itself this doesn’t tell you what’s wrong, but the use of ping can yield important clues. For example, if you can’t access the internet and the router doesn’t respond, you can more or less guarantee that the router has crashed or that the service itself is down. If it does respond and you can also ping addresses on the internet, then you might suspect a problem with your DNS (Domain Name System) settings.

DNS is the ‘phone book’ of the internet that translates familiar URLs into IP addresses. This service is usually provided automatically by your ISP, so try resetting your modem/router, wait a while and see if the problem persists, before querying it with your broadband provider.

Ipconfig and ping are included with every copy of Windows and there are lots of other useful troubleshooting tools you can use besides.

A bit of security
Finally, no feature on networking would be complete without mentioning security.

Home networks are just as vulnerable to attack as those run by large corporates.

On the plus side, you’re unlikely to have more than one internet connection, and just about every broadband router comes with some kind of firewall built in to provide at least a basic level of protection against common threats.

However, not all will be activated by default, so read the manual and make sure yours is turned on. And remember that they do only provide basic protection, so other precautions will be required.

On a wireless network, for example, you should always use some kind of encryption to scramble your data and make it unreadable if intercepted, and consider using MAC (Media Access Control) address filtering to stop unauthorised PCs connecting to the network and using it to surf the web.

Anti-virus, anti-spam and spyware filtering tools are all required, as few routers have these built in. That means either obtaining suitable software and installing it on all the PCs on your network or looking for a security appliance (sometimes referred to as a Unified Threat Management or UTM appliance) that can be plugged in to provide these facilities for everyone. Either way there will be a cost involved, but it will be worth it to keep your network and the systems on it secure.

We’re always looking at security and other networking issues in PCW; take a look at a recent Hands On feature on how to lock down your router.

Networking goodies
Once you’ve built your network there’s a lot more you can do with it beyond sharing your broadband connection. A server is an obvious choice, but on a home network a network-attached storage (Nas) appliance will let you share files without having to splash out a huge amount of cash. Servers and Nas appliances can also be used to stream music and video around your house to multimedia players from companies such as Apple, Buffalo Technology, D-Link, Linksys and others.

Wifi internet radios are also available and you can get webcams which, instead of a PC, can be connected straight into a wired or Wifi network, making it easy to build your own home surveillance system. Games consoles can be plugged into your network too, for local or online multi-player action. Or why not attach a VoIP phone (or even your own PBX if you’re feeling adventurous) to make low-cost calls over the internet, again, without the need for a host PC.

The bare necessities of the Windows Home Server
Although you don’t need a server to build a workable home network, Microsoft reckons that a lot of households will opt for one at some time or other and has come up with its own solution called, unsurprisingly, Windows Home Server (WHS).

Based on Windows Server 2003, a browser-based interface makes WHS easy enough for the novice to get to grips with. Any features not essential for home networking have been stripped out, and the emphasis is firmly on sharing files and taking backups. WHS can also be used as a media streaming server, with secure remote access over the internet another key feature.

WHS scores heavily by doing away with the need for multiple network shares or mapped drive letters. Instead you get a single storage repository containing predefined folders for all your music, documents and so on. It’s also easy to expand ­ install a new disk, either internally or externally using USB or Firewire, and it’s simply added to the available space with some clever technology, also built in, so that should a drive fail, lost data can still be recovered.

WHS supports up to 10 clients and simplifies the task of automatically backing up those PCs using a mix of disk imaging and file-by-file backup technologies. Restoring lost files is a simple drag-and-drop affair, and you get an emergency CD to boot broken PCs and recover them from the data on the server if
all else fails.

At the time of writing, no prices had been announced, although the final WHS code is ready and several hardware vendors have lined up to offer complete solutions based on the product, including Fujitsu-Siemens, Gateway, HP, Iomega, Lacie and Medion. Expect to see these appearing at the start of 2008.

Network printing
Any printer attached to a PC can be shared with others on the network; however, that’s not always convenient, as the host PC has to be turned on all the time, so why not go for direct network attachment?

Built-in wired and, in some cases, wireless interfaces are now commonplace, together with integrated print server technology for use on Windows, Apple and Linux networks, even on low-cost budget products.

Alternatively, to attach existing printers you can buy an external print server with a network port at one end and USB, serial or parallel ports at the other. Again available for wired and wireless networks, these start at around £40.

Be careful if you’ve got a multifunction printer, though, as not all let you scan, copy or fax remotely over the Lan. Also note that some older printers only work if directly attached to a PC, so they can’t be connected to a print server ­ check the manufacturer’s website before buying. We’ll look in more detail at wireless print servers in an upcoming issue of PCW.

Not just Windows
Most home networks will be based on Windows, but that doesn’t mean you can’t include Apple Macs or PCs running Linux and other operating systems. TCP/IP networking is almost universal, so connect such systems to a Windows Lan and they’ll get an IP address and be able to access the internet as normal.

More than that, most Macs and Linux PCs also support Windows file-sharing protocols, which means you’ll be able to browse for and share Windows files and printers too.

You might want to consider Linux if you’re looking for a cheap alternative to a Windows file server. With Windows, you’ll need to buy a licence for every client PC attached to the server, whereas a Linux server can be shared by as many clients as you like, without having to buy extra licences. Just about every Linux distribution will include the open-source Samba application, which can be used to share files and printers using the same SMB/CIFS protocols that Windows uses.

Another advantage of Linux and Samba is that you don’t need sophisticated or powerful hardware, just an otherwise redundant PC. All you need to add is Fedora Core, Ubuntu or another Linux distro, many of which can be downloaded free or, if you’ve bought the DVD edition of PCW, they’re on your cover disc. On the downside, some basic Linux knowledge will be required; however, it’s not that difficult to master and, in many respects, easier than trying to get to grips with Windows Server 2003. And once a Samba server has been configured, it requires little in the way of day-to-day management.

Server central
Put a server on your home network and you can do a lot more than just share files. For example, you can host your own intranet or even a publicly accessible internet website using Internet Information Server (IIS) on Windows, or Apache if you’ve got a Linux server. Be careful though, as unless you’ve got a very fast internet connection and plenty of security, public-facing websites are arguably better hosted by a specialist provider ­ the cost these days isn’t high for a basic site, with a .co.uk domain costing less than £3 a year and hosting available for as little as £25 per year.

An internet-connected email server, however, is a viable option. It can be configured to accept incoming messages for your domain and enable users to send outgoing messages, as well as to email each other locally. All you need is suitable software such as Microsoft Exchange Server or an alternative SMTP email server such as those from Kerio or MDaemon. These will also enable you to share contacts and calendars and exploit the various collaboration features provided by Outlook and other email clients. However, there is a cost involved, possibly hundreds of pounds, unless you opt for an open-source solution such as Hmailserver.

A server, similarly, provides a perfect platform for hosting databases for use with other shared network applications. With suitable software, it can be used to take and store backups both of the shared data on the server itself and client PCs on the Lan.

You can use the server to host firewall, anti-virus, anti-spam and other security utilities, screen content and provide remote access to the network when out and about. A lot of this can be done using built-in or low-cost tools, enabling you to turn your home network into a very professional operation with minimal outlay.

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