How To

This section includes easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions for many home networking setups.

Share a keyboard, monitor and mouse with several computers

Although not technically a networking issue, we often get questions about how to share a single keyboard, video monitor and mouse among several computers. The answer is easy enough once you know about KVM switches, so called because they help you share a keyboard (K), video monitor (V) and a mouse (M). This how-to article provides some background on the topic, look at the latest in KVM technology (in this case from Belkin) and show you, step-by-step, how to set up a KVM switch.

Make your own network cables

Although we believe it is often easier to buy cables for your home Ethernet network than make them, we've decided to post this how-to article based on the many requests we get for information on this topic. We're going to make a cable that can work in both an Ethernet and Fast Ethernet network.

Share Internet access on your home network

Sharing Internet access is widely held as the "killer app" for home networks. There are two basic ways to accomplish shared Internet access: by using special hardware equipment (often known as routers) or by using software (often known as proxy software). The big advantage with the software option for Microsoft Windows users is that ever since Windows 98 Second Edition, Windows has included its own built-in proxy package called Internet Connection Sharing. With our bias at homePCnetwork.com always toward low-cost solutions, we wanted to provide a simple, step-by-step how to on setting up Internet Connection Sharing, or ICS for short.

Wire Your Home Network

This article covers "how to" wire a home with Ethernet cable. We provide detailed, step-by-step instructions with plenty of images to illustrate our points. For this article, we're running cable from our home office to a sun room on the back of the house and one floor down, and to a bedroom on the same floor but several rooms away. Yes, even with these comprehensive instructions, running cables through the house still takes some time and effort. The payoff, however, is getting Ethernet's (or Fast Ethernet's) stability and maturity. That means you can get top network performance and lowest price for that performance of any home network technology.

Network a laptop into your home LAN

Ever wonder how to connect a laptop into your home network, particularly a laptop that is configured for use in a larger LAN. The question is how to best do this so as to take advantage of your existing home network AND at the same time not make any configuration changes that will create difficulties in using the laptop back at work or elsewhere. In this homePCnetwork "how to" we are going to present two ways to accomplish this.

In Part I, we cover a simple method that provides for connectivity to a basic peer-to-peer network, but will not connect to an NT server configuration nor share internet access in most home setups; and
In Part II, we'll detail a slightly more complicated method that provides the most complete way to separate your home setup from work/office setup AND provides any/all network functionality you might need, including internet sharing.

Network your PCs and Macs at home

We have completed a two-part series on how to network PCs and Macs at home. As you'll read, it is not difficult at all. In Part I, we discuss using software on your PC to allow it to network with a Mac using Mac networking protocols and techniques. To do that, we'll use the PC MACLAN software package from Miramar Systems. We found it to be a great product. In Part I, we also cover the necessary hardware set up on the Mac. For hardware setup on the PC, see the Ethernet How To below.

In Part II, we cover using software on your Mac to allow it to network essentially as PC. For this Part, we used a great product from Thursby System named, oddly enough, Dave. We found this, too, to be a great product but you must have TCP/IP up and running between your PC and Mac before you can even start. That may be a bit difficult for some, but we have each and every step outlined in this How to. So good luck.

Set up your first Ethernet network at home

Here is a basic step-by-step to build a network at home. As you may know, there are plenty of kits out there that come with the basic hardware and instructions you need to do this. But, if you "happen" upon a couple of network cards or just can't bare the thought of getting ripped off with a 'kit' (as many are), then look here for an easy how-to.

Build a $15 network

That's right. For as little as $15, you can connect two computers at home to get many of the advantages...but not all...of a full-fledged network. All you need to get started is a $15 cable (we'll tell you more about that) and two computers using Windows 95 or Windows 98.

Of course, with home network kits and "home brew" kits we can help you build at $50-100, you may want to not even bother with this inexpensive route. But if you do, click here to got a full, step-by-step instruction on a direct cable connection.

This page last updated 08/21/2005