25 Networking and Broadband Tips

Future-Protect Your Router
You may not need wireless capabilities right now, or need the latest WiFi protocol, but odds are you will. If you are running multiple home entertainment boxes (Xbox 360, Apple TV, Slingbox, etc.) you may run out of direct Ethernet connections to the router in short order. Don’t skimp on the router. Look for a model that supports wired and wireless connection and preferably also handles the latest 802.11n protocol.

DSL, Cable or Fiber?
The best way to choose among the available broadband connections is to check with neighbors who are using them. Cable may promise higher speeds than DSL, but that technology shares the bandwidth with neighbors so your performance may vary widely. Fiber can be very fast, but the installation may be complex. Neighbors are best able to address the real state of service and performance in your area. Check DSLReports.com for one of the best ISP directories and user forums on all broadband providers.

Test Your Speed
If you have doubts about your ISP’s broadband performance, try an online speed test like the one at Speakeasy.net/speedtest and others you can find online. These services can compare your results with others to help indicate a problem.

Protect and Defend
Apply security to your network. It is very easy for neighbors or passersby to hijack some of your bandwidth, sometimes even by mistake. And remember, you may be held responsible for any traffic (pirated content, porn, etc.) that goes across your connection. When choosing a security protocol (WEP, WPA, WPA2) first check that all of your devices like game machines and cell phones support that protocol.  

Share and Share Alike?
For sharing files across PCs or accessing a PC’s media files from a connected game console/media streamer, you may need to tweak settings on the host PC. In Windows Media Player, look for the Media Sharing item in the Library menu. In Vista, call up the Network and Sharing Center to view and change discovery and sharing settings.

Protect the Kids
There are many network management products on the market that will monitor and limit your child’s access to the Internet. Windows Vista has Parental Controls built-in. Type “Parental Controls” in the Start search box to open a network management program that can limit the time your child spends online, where he or she goes, and can report to you their logs.

Lock It Down
Don’t be satisfied with the Firewall Windows provides or whatever protection your router claims to provide. To properly guard your PC from Internet malware of all kinds, you need a full-feature security suite like McAfee or Norton 360. Look for suites that scan e-mail, filter sites that are known to plant spyware, and alert you to intrusion attempts. Some suites also offer network management features that help you map and monitor all the PCs on your network.

Clear the Clutter/Raise the Router
Game consoles and media streamers often sit in cabinets and on floors. For optimal WiFi signal reception, keep them away from metal or too close to the floor, where WiFi signals struggle to reach. Meanwhile, keep your wireless router in a central location in the house, preferably well off the floor. Minimize the number of corners between the router and your receivers.

Try an Antenna
WiFi 802.1b/g routers usually have removable antennae that can be replaced with a “hi-gain antenna” that will focus the signal in the direction you need it to go.

Upgrade Router Firmware
Routers need updating just like operating systems and peripherals, and keeping firmware up to date can fix a lot of compatibility and performance problems with the latest devices. Go to your manufacturer’s Web site to check for new firmware. Once you have downloaded the file, an update tool in the router’s administrative screen will let you perform the upgrade.

The Three-Step Reboot
When you are failing to connect to the Internet through a router, shut down the PC, unplug both cable/DSL modem and router. First, turn the modem on and let it secure an Internet connection. Then turn the router on and watch for it to connect to the modem. And finally, turn your PC back on to grab an IP address from the router.

Reinstall Network Drivers
If you are having mysterious problems with specific PCs connecting to your network reliably, try uninstalling the current Ethernet or wireless network drivers on that PC and reinstall or update to the latest drivers. Many network connection problems relate to outdated or corrupted drivers.

Change the Channel
Cordless phones and many other wireless devices in your home use the same 2.4GHz band as most WiFi networks. If possible, buy phones with 5.8GHz or 900MHz frequencies. In the router’s administrative screen you can also try changing the wireless channel (1, 6 or 11) for better reception. You only need to make this change in the router. Your PCs and devices will find the signal.

Check Your IP
For troubleshooting your system, you may need to know the IP (Internet Protocol) address of your computer. On a Windows machine, use the Start menu to click on Run and then type “cmd” to bring up a Command Window that looks like the old DOS operating system. Type “ipconfig” and hit return to the IPv4 address this PC uses to communicate either with your router or the cable/DSL modem.

Plan the Wired/Wireless Strategy
Wireless networking is convenient and less cluttered, but sharing high-bandwidth media among multiple machines can bring the best home networks to their knees. When possible, use direct Ethernet connections to the router for the host PC that is sharing media files and for the media-streaming boxes or game consoles. Wired-to-wired file transfers are multiples faster than wireless. Streaming media across a wireless network will degrade performance for other wireless devices.

Use a Single Protocol
If all of the WiFi devices on your network use 802.11g or 802.11n protocols, then set your router only to use that standard. Most routers ensure backward compatibility with older standards with the ability to broadcast in “mixed mode,” but that mode generally is slower than a pure “g” or “n” mode.

Try a Repeater
One way to extend your wireless network strength and range is to place a “repeater” between the router and the receiving devices. These devices boost the original signal and relay it to devices. Your own router manufacturer probably offers such units, usually marketed as “network extenders.”

Tweak the Browser
Sluggish broadband performance sometimes can be the fault of your Web browser. By default Microsoft’s Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox presume you are surfing with a modest connection. There are utilities out there like System Mechanic and SpeedBoost, among many others, that can optimize your browser settings to take full advantage of your broadband connection.  

Centralize Your Media
If you plan to stream or share a lot of multimedia across networked devices, strongly consider a dedicated media server or network storage. Both approaches let you offload media files from one of your everyday PCs to a hard drive or dedicated PC that all devices on the network can access without eating up space and performance on your main desktop PC.

Upgrade Your NIC and Cables
Older Network Interface Cards (NIC) and Cat 3 cabling only supported 10mbps throughput, but 100mbps is now standard. For best performance, check for 10/100mbps speed ratings on router, NIC and cables (Cat 5 is standard).

Consider a Gaming Router
Massive multiplayer games often require special setup routines on your router that can make your network more vulnerable to attacks. Hardcore online gamers might consider a “gaming router” from providers like LinkSys or D-Link. These units make game setup easier but also provide special protection for the additional open ports some games require.

Consider PowerLine Adapters
Running network signals through your home’s power outlets has become a real alternative when wireless coverage is weak and running Cat 5 is not an option. These units connect directly to your router and then send robust network signals to receivers plugged into other outlets, which connect to devices via Ethernet cables.

Protect the Router
Many network users add password protection to the wireless network (see tip above). But unless you also change the default user name and password for their own router, anyone with minimal PC knowledge can access and change all router settings from a wired PC. Most manufacturers use the common login of username: none; password: admin default. Change this.

Consider a Print Server
Most people share a printer connected to one PC on the network, but this can be harder for all PCs to access and requires that the host PC remain on at all times. A dedicated Print Server connects to a printer’s USB port wirelessly and makes it available to all devices on the network without a PC as a go-between.

Learn to Power Down
Always-on is a nice concept but it can be a security hazard and power drain. Turning WiFi connectivity off on laptops and phones when not needed will prolong battery life considerably. Shutting down your home network when not needed saves energy and minimizes the opportunity for security breaches.