At the bare minimum, a home network lets you print from any computer and access files from other computers without leaving your chair. Remember: Most, but not all, printers can be shared.

A network lets your computer connect to the Web so that you can check e-mail, update a website, or teleconference. It also lets you communicate locally with other computers on the same local network.

Setting Expectations My interest in network storage arises from the happy convergence of dropping prices with cumulative aggravation over my current home office setup. NAS has been around for ...

7. UPDATE FIRMWARE. Setting up your home network isn’t a one-time task. To keep your network secure, you need to regularly update your devices’ software.

Unpack your network router and read the manufacturer's installation instructions. Generally, you'll be directed to plug the router in and turn it on, connect one computer to the router via "Cat 5 ...

How to set up a home network The first step to creating a good home network is to identify the 'WAN' (wide area network) port on your router, which looks the same as the other ports but is intended ...

In this lesson, we're going to walk you through how to set up your router so you access your home computers from anywhere—and with your own friendly, easy-to-remember URL.

How to Set Up Passwords on Network Computers. Networked computers can share resources through a workgroup, but to password protect the network, you have to establish a homegroup. Despite its name ...

To set up an ad hoc, computer-to-computer network in your Windows laptop, click on Start, open Control Panel and then select Network and Sharing Center. Click on Set up a new connection or network.

Behold the humble home network. Most consist of several computers feeding off one high-speed Internet connection and little else. Consumers usually don’t do fancier stuff, such as setting up … ...

Editors' note: This article was first published on March 26, 2013 and updated on July 1, 2016 with up-to-date information. It might seem like a daunting task to set up a new home router.