2. Requirements of a home network

Before considering a specific scenario, make a list of the requirements of a typical home network.

These include

 

  • Should be fairly non-technical to set up
  • It should not require awkward or expensive cable runs
  • It needs to connect to the internet
  • It should be fast enough to support typical entertainment services
    • Reading, writing emails
    • Using social networks
    • Browsing the web
    • Streaming video
    • Online gaming
  • It should allow each computer to share files (or kept private if need be)
  • It should make peripherals such as printers and scanner available to all the household
  • Data rates across the network should be fast enough to make it practical to copy and move large files from machine to machine
  • The internet download / upload speed should be able to support more than one user at the same time.
  • The data download contract should be sufficient to not be affected by data usage limits.
  • It should support media streaming within the house
  • Topology will typically be peer to peer - no central server
  • Anti-virus, firewall and backup system should be in place and largely automatic.

 

challenge see if you can find out one extra fact on this topic that we haven't already told you

Click on this link: characteristics of a home network