Today, many households own more than one computer; networking them can be a good idea for several reasons. For example, networked computers can easily share files with one another, share a single printer, share an internet connection and allow multiplayer gaming. Years ago, networking home computers was a complex undertaking, and one better suited for technophiles than the average computer owner. But today, the vast majority of new computers come pre-installed with the hardware and software necessary to allow them to be networked with relatively little effort and much less specialized knowledge.

All small home networks require the same basic set of components: more than one computer, a router, which analyzes the data it receives and tells it where to go, software installed in the computers that works in concert with the router, and a path for the information to follow between the computers and the router, which can either be through a physical cable (a wired network) or over the air (a wireless network). Wired and wireless networks each have advantages and disadvantages. Wired networks can achieve greater data transfer rates than wireless networks but require cable to be run throughout the household. Wireless networks offer fast data transfer rates, but cannot achieve the same speeds as wired networks. Wireless networks must also be properly secured so that moving across them cannot be intercepted. However, wireless networks are more flexible than wired networks, and are especially useful if laptops or other portable computing devices are planned to be part of the network.

Once the most suitable type of network has been settled upon and the equipment purchased, it must be installed and configured. Any router should come with complete setup instructions that will clearly explain how to establish a connection between it and the devices to be added to the network. After a connection has been established between the computers and the router, the computers must be configured to allow them to communicate with one another. The exact method by which this is achieved varies by the computer’s operating system/ hardware/ software combination, but easy-to-follow instructions can usually be found in the computer’s network and internet settings documentation or equivalent.

There is also another very simple, fast way to set up a network between two computers by connecting them directly to one another with an ethernet cable (as long as both computers have network interface cards installed). This type of connection can be useful for the simple transfer of files between computers, but is otherwise significantly less flexible than connecting through a router.

Indeed, with such user-friendly setup options, there is no longer reason for the average computer owner to be intimidated by establishing a computer network.