Indholdsfortegnelse for Issue 8 i Home Networking The Complete Manual

Your home network is constantly under pressure to serve volumes of data to your computers, smart TVs, games consoles and more. While most of the time they work without too much hassle and interference, there are times when the router will drop its connection to the Internet, or your Wi-Fi stops working altogether. These are the times when knowing a little bit more about how it all works will help save you a lot of headaches - mostly from other members of the family! This book will help you get to grips with the technology involved in creating your network. What equipment is needed, and what it does, and how you can get the best from every piece of the networking puzzle. Inside you’ll discover how best to setup a…

A router is simply a piece of hardware that’s designed to interconnect one network to another. They can be used to connect two individual office networks together, so the teams in each can share resources, but more specifically, in terms of the home user, they’re used to connect all your devices to each other and ultimately the Internet. Routers come in various shapes and sizes, offering many features; with some of the higher-end models offering more. Typically, a router, the one you’ll receive from your ISP when you sign up to a broadband deal, will be able to do the following: Connect to the Internet Your router will function as a bridge between your computer and the Internet via the ISP’s network. What this means is, your ISP has sent…

There are many reasons why your home Wi-Fi network doesn’t reach into every part of your house. The router’s wireless signal might not have the range to get to the furthest rooms, or the walls might be very thick and heavy, which makes it difficult for Wi-Fi to penetrate. So maybe you need to make a cabled connection to one of the router’s Ethernet ports, but don’t want to trail Ethernet cables through the house. Powerline adapters are a potential solution for extending both your wireless and cabled network, using your home’s electrical cabling as data cables. A powerline adapter kit comes with at least two plug adapters, which are small devices that plug into your electrical sockets. They usually have at least one Ethernet port, and they might also…

BENEFIT 1 EASY SETUP – The beauty of a wireless network is that it’s remarkably easy to setup. Once you’ve got your router and any network extenders you need, it’s a simple case of pairing everything up with the router and you’re up and running. BENEFIT 2 EASILY MAINTAINABLE – In addition to an easy and quick setup, maintaining a wireless network is a similarly easy process. If you find any dead zones, through using a network analyser, then you can fill the gaps in the signal with another extender. And you can revise your setup without too much effort. BENEFIT 3 NO MESS – One of the main benefits of going wireless throughout is the fact there’s no ugly wires dangling, or stuffed behind the equipment. Setups like a…

TIP 1 CHANGE ROUTER PASSWORD – The default password from the ISP to the administrative layer of the router can be quite good, depending on the ISP. Some though are terrible and use the likes of admin/admin as the username and password. If yours isn’t up to scratch, create your own strong password using numbers, letters and special characters. TIP 2 LIMIT ACCESS – Although you might find it awkward to do, you should consider saying ‘no’ when someone asks you for your password. Passing friends of the kids, the neighbour who needs to check something, anyone in who’s doing work on the house… the list goes on. Don’t give out your password, and it’ll remain secure. TIP 3 KEEP CHANGING PASSWORDS – If you want to remain secure, then…

TOOL 1 CABLE – You’re best off purchasing Cat6 (Category 6), Ethernet cable instead of Cat5 or Cat7. Cat5 is fine, but Cat6 offers better shielding against electromagnetic disturbances. Cat7 is unnecessary at the home networking level. Around 100 metres of Cat6 can be purchased for around £35, depending on where you shop. TOOL 2 CAT6/RJ45 CABLE ENDS – Cable ends are certainly necessary, since you can’t plug anything into the Ethernet ports without an Ethernet end on the cable. The prices do vary from place to place, so have a shop around, but expect to pay somewhere in the region of £5 for a bag of ten RJ45/Ethernet cable ends. TOOL 3 RJ45 CRIMP TOOL – In order to clasp the cable end to the cable, to make a…

Most of our home network setup is geared towards creating an amazing entertainment system. From 4K smart TVs, with Netflix and other streaming services, to the latest games consoles; and let’s not forget the new addition to our homes: AI assistants, such as Google Home. The home network can be under a lot of strain, so you’ll discover how to get the most from them in these coming pages. From the best advice on setting up your home network for entertainment, and what equipment to use, through to setting up and using Google Home, it’s all here……

Setting Up Google Home All of the setup for your Google Home speaker is done through the Google Home app for Android. Use this app for future access and changes to the settings. STEP 1 Plug in your Google Home device and wait for the audio cue to show it is ready to be set up. Make sure that the switch that controls the microphone is set to “On”. If you accidentally turn the microphone off on your speaker, the device will inform you accordingly. STEP 2 Currently, Google Home is only available for Android devices, and most have it pre-installed. If you don’t already have it, find the app on the Google Play store, download and install it on your mobile device (phone or tablet). Once installed, open the…

.: Ping One of the most used networking commands for troubleshooting and testing network connectivity. Ping works by sending Echo Request packets to a user-specified IP destination, and waits for a reply. .: cURL :. cURLStands for Client URL, and transfers data to or from a network server using one of many supported protocols. It’s perfect for shell scripts, as it can be used without user interaction. .: Tc Is used to configure traffic control, such as limiting the bandwidth use of a particular service to simulate Internet connections. .: HTTPie This is a single HTTP command that’s designed for debugging and interaction with HTTP servers and other web services. There’s lots of support, and it features a great looking UI. .: Wget :. This is a handy command that…

Being able to recognise a scam or virus is one thing, but you’ll need to be able to protect yourself against possible attacks. We’ll look at the top Internet security packages, from Bitdefender, Kaspersky and McAfee, as well as what encryption is and how to make it work for you. Using a Virtual Private Network is an excellent way to improve your Windows security. We’ll look at how a VPN works, what the best VPNs are and how to install and use one on your PC.…

Just to give you an idea of what the future could hold for the computing world, here are the top ten most destructive viruses unleashed over the last decade into the digital domain. “Digital Destruction” 1 Storm Worm Storm Worm was released in 2007 and was rumoured to have hailed from Russia. It came in the form of an email link, usually with an important headline to grab the victim’s attention. When the victim clicks the link the code is inserted and payload with a backdoor into the system is opened. It infected over 10 million computers worldwide. 2 Conficker Conficker was a 2008 worm that infected an estimated 15 million Windows computers worldwide. The French Navy, UK Ministry of Defence, hospitals and local police forces were affected. It was…

Update, reboot, update, reboot Updates may well be the bane of the modern computer user but they are there for a reason. It’s not the 8-bit era anymore, we need those updates to help protect our security. Here are 10 reasons why they’re important. PATCH VULNERABILITIES Windows updates patch recognised security holes in the core system. Many of the viruses around today exploit a vulnerability in the Windows code that hasn’t been fixed yet. So when an update comes along, that potential flaw will be ironed out. EXTRA SECURITY In addition to potential security glitches in the code, often an update can contain an extra level of security that’s been programmed in by the developers. For example, the code that handles remote desktop requests has had a security patch but…

Network Protection Without being too paranoid, it’s remarkably easy to get into a neighbour’s home network. If you live in a block of flats or you use powerline adapters, you may need to consider these ten steps for better network protection. ROUTER PASSWORD The most common entry point to gain access to your network is via the router. The router from your ISP may well be offering the latest forms of encryption but it doesn’t take a genius to trawl the less reputable sections of the Internet to obtain a list of passwords. Therefore, change the default username and password to access it. MAC ADDRESSING Most routers these days come with a form of authentication called MAC (Media Access Code) address filtering. Every networkable device, computers, tablets, games consoles, come…

The home network can be as simple as a single router and computer, browsing the Internet and watching the occasional episode on Netflix and the like. However, most of us have far more complex setups, and we don’t even realise it. Along with a smart TV, there’s usually a number of tablets, phones, laptops, computers, games consoles, AI devices such as Google Home and so on. Plus any number of security cameras, baby monitors, remote doorbells; the list of connected devices goes on. We’ve increased the number of devices on our networks, but what do all these pieces of networking equipment do, and how to do they work? You’ll find out in this chapter.…

Switches come in many sizes. Some are quite small, offering just a few ports to connect to, while others, used mainly by companies, can have tens of ports. In the simplest terms, a switch enables multiple computers to connect to a network using a physical cable, called an Ethernet cable (or RJ45 cable). Each computer is connected to the switch, and multiple switches can be connected to each other. This allows hundreds of computers, let’s say on the floor of an office building, to be connected to the floors above and below, as well as to the company’s servers and routers. Switches also come with different backbone speeds, which is the physical limit the data can travel to and from each of the ports. These speeds range from 10Mb/s, to…

Network extenders fall under different names, depending on who you talk to or what company is selling them. They can be called wireless extenders, signal boosters, Wi-Fi range extenders and so on, but effectively, they all do the same thing: extend the signal of your available Wi-Fi network. Most houses will have one or more dead zones, where the Wi-Fi signal from the router drops to the point of being virtually useless. As we’ve mentioned previously, the Wi-Fi signal is a slave to its environment and can be affected by walls, furniture, microwave ovens and all other manner of objects we regularly use throughout the home. If you have your router in the front room of your house, for example, then the upstairs back bedroom may prove to be one…

Let’s assume you’re building your Wi-Fi home network from scratch. You’ve received the router from your ISP, and you’re ready to begin the setup process. It’s best not to dive in and set everything up, without first planning what you’re going to do. You may reach a point in the setup process where you need to alter something, sending you back to square one. Making a plan saves a lot of problems later on, and once you have your network setup and ready, and operating to its maximum, you can easily extend it when you need to, without having to pull equipment apart or rearrange devices. Planning The first item you should put on your plan is router position. At this point in time you’re not able to effectively conduct…

While Wi-Fi is great, it’s not as dependable or as stable as a good wired network setup. A wired network is on the whole faster, more durable and not subject to range or obstacles. However, it does come with a few caveats. Wires can be messy, so you’ll need to plan out your wired setup, and you might need to learn how to make your own Ethernet cables, using specialised tools. However, with this chapter you’ll learn how to deal with all these elements, and more. From planning, to cabling, we’ll help you get the most from your wired network setup.…

Thankfully, you don’t need to be a qualified electrician to be able to wire up an Ethernet cable, but you will need some tools at hand before you start. Before we get into the nitty-gritty of wiring, we need to take a look at the types of Ethernet cable available. Cats There are two types of Ethernet cable that you’ll come across when you’re cabling: Cat5 and Cat6. These are Category standard cables types, specifically standard 5 and standard 6. They are both used for networking and feature the same wiring inside the cable. Cat5 is an older standard, but can still transfer speeds to and from switches and routers up to 1Gb/s – although it does have a bit of an issue with holding those speeds over time. Cat6,…

Someone’s home entertainment system is a very personal setup. While most will have a smart TV, some form of Blu-Ray or DVD setup, and perhaps a games console, others will opt for more exotic components such as Wi-Fi speakers, Google Home automation integration (or some other AI assistant), multiple consoles, a retro games setup via emulation on a Raspberry Pi and much more. It’s impossible to target just one specific setup, but we can make some educated guesses and suggest the best possible way forward for those wanting to get all their entertainment equipment online and talking to each other. Main Setup Before we go into depth regarding the individual components, it’s worth looking at the base installation first. By this we mean the main networking component that will feed…

There’s a lot that can be done in the background to keep your network in order, and in this chapter you’ll learn some of the best tools to help you combat network issues and performance lag. We look at some of the most used, and not so well known, commands for both Windows and Linux users, that can trace packets across the Internet, or just connect to an old school Bulletin Board Service. There’s also great troubleshooting tips, tricks and advice. Keep these pages handy, as they’ll come in useful for those times when something on your network stops communicating with everything else.…

TIP 1 SLOW OR NO ACCESS IN SOME ROOMS – There’s a good chance that the room in question has become a bit of Wi-Fi dead zone. Load up a network analyser and check the signal output in the room in question. If needs be, reboot any network extenders and the router. TIP 2 SLOW INTERNET – This could be one of two things: a problem with the router and your network, or a problem with the ISP. Test the connection by directly plugging a device into the router’s Ethernet ports. If the problem persists, then call your ISP. If it’s okay, then turn off all your networking equipment and one-by-one power them up, while testing to find the culprit. TIP 3 REFUSAL TO CONNECT – Occasionally, there’s a device…

Here Be Dragons This isn’t a definitive list of the possible threats available for the Windows user but here are ten modern risks that you face every time you power up your PC. 01 Viruses Viruses have been around for as long as computers. They’ve moved on from simply displaying the name of the coder on the monitor, a kind of virtual vandalism, and now can disable and wipe the data off a hard drive in mere seconds. 02 Ransomware Earlier in the year the UK was gripped in the clutches of the WannaCry ransomware infection. This particular infection exploited a vulnerability in Windows, and quickly spread throughout the NHS and other organisations, locking and encrypting the data on a computer until money was sent to those who unleashed it…

Weakest Links In terms of digital security, you’re only as strong as the weakest link in your security chain. You can tick all the security boxes but if you don’t know what to look for in the first place you’re still vulnerable. PASSWORD CHANGE A good sign of a breach in your digital security is the sudden changing of a password. It can be for a random site, webmail or just something small to begin with. Sometimes a hacker with a keylogger in place will test the water before accessing your bank, in which case you need to virus scan your PC immediately. PERSONAL SPAM We all receive spam emails of some form or another. However, if you suddenly start getting emails of a more personal nature, then you need…

Keeping Up To Date Whilst it’s easy to update Windows, there are elements that can be missed. We’ve already mentioned that it’s not only Windows that needs updating but also software and drivers. STEP 1 The first port of call is undoubtedly Windows Update. Click on the Windows Start button followed by Settings, the cog icon just above the power icon on the strip to the side. This will open the Windows Settings interface, locate the last entry, Update & Security and click it. STEP 2 By default Windows Update will automatically check for, download and install updates for the core Windows files. You can check for any on the spot by clicking the Check for updates button; and you can see what’s already been updated by clicking the Update…

WEP, WPA, WPA2, IEEE… Amid the confusing acronyms lies a logical progression of wireless encryption and security protocols. Whilst at first they seem bewildering, it’s quite interesting to learn of their history. The technology behind delivering a wireless network has evolved over the last couple of decades and so has the ways and means in which to secure it all. It’s not just simply down to choosing a password that no one is likely to guess, you need to make sure that data and connection to a wireless network is encrypted to the highest possible standard. These standards are always moving forward and like most elements of the technology industry they come with a bewildering cocktail of acronyms and meanings. Encryption and all things security can be a confusing topic,…

Consider the average user: they contact an Internet Service Provider (ISP), sign up for a broadband deal, and in a day or two they receive their router through the post. This they hook up to their existing telephone line, power up, then wait as the lights on the router turn a certain colour indicating that a connection is made. They can then turn on their computer or device, locate the Service Set Identifier (SSID, the router’s name), enter the wireless password and connect to the Internet. After that, they tend to forget all about the router and what’s going on. Unless there’s a problem, then usually a quick reboot of the router will solve the issue. There is a lot more going on in the background though, and if you…

We take Wi-Fi and wireless connectivity for granted these days. The phone that most of us carry around, with its ability to connect to a network, or Bluetooth pair to another device, is simply an amazing piece of technology. As we said in the intro, it wasn’t all that long ago when connecting to a network over a wireless setup was simply out of the question. While it has existed since the early seventies, as UHF wireless packet networking, it wasn’t worth the exorbitant cost of installation, setup and maintenance. But Wi-Fi, which stands for Wireless Fidelity, has come a long way in a short time. In essence, as you already suspect, Wi-Fi is wireless connectivity; the ability to connect to a network and therefore the Internet wirelessly. It’s a…

Wi-Fi is much like electricity, you don’t think much about it until it’s not available. There’s a lot you can do with a good wireless network, so this chapter will look at how you can get the maximum potential from your Wi-Fi, from creating a wireless network plan, to surveying your home to find Wi-Fi dead zones. Want to discover how to secure your wireless network, while also extending it to the outer reaches of your home and property? Then this chapter will help you become more Wi-Fi knowledgeable.…

There are times when you’re not going to be able to get all your network equipment using wireless technologies. A desktop computer, for example, doesn’t always come with Wi-Fi built in, so you’ll need to purchase a Wi-Fi dongle in order for it to get on to the wireless network. If you use some older equipment, such as an older laser printer, it may only have an Ethernet or USB port available. The same goes for Network Attached Storage (NAS) drives, most of these only come with Ethernet support due to the high bandwidth they tend to use over time. In such cases, you have no choice but to go wired. Best of both worlds There’s nothing wrong with having wired elements on your wireless network. Essentially, the backbone of…

BENEFIT 1 RELIABILITY AND STABILITY – When configured and setup properly, a wired network is incredibly dependable. Although wireless technologies are always improving, you’ll probably find a wired network more stable and reliable over time. BENEFIT 2 NO INTERFERENCE – Wireless networks always have to contend with other elements in its environment, such as walls, other wireless networks, mirrors and even water in a fish tank. A wired network doesn’t have those issues. True, you wouldn’t run the cable through a body of water – but it’s possible with the right cabling. BENEFIT 3 SPEED – Overall, wired networks are faster than wireless. Wireless components on a network may be advertised at speeds faster than 1Gb/s, but other factors have a negative affect on those speeds. Wired Ethernet can operate…

STEP 1 PLAN AHEAD – Take a moment to get a plan together. Where are you going to start, what is the route you’re going to take, check the house for potential obstacles you’re likely to come across when you’re cabling. Have you got powerline adapters and extenders ready? STEP 2 CABLE ENDS – If you’re plan is looking good, and you’ve got a route ready, then lay out your cable and start making up the ends. If you’re using trunking, make sure it’s all cut to size and ready to stick/drill on to the wall. STEP 3 SWITCHES – With the cables all planned out, and the ends being made, make sure that the switches are in the right place, and that there’s enough ports to feed the number…

Google Home Max Key Features: Meet Google Home Max, he helps you to hear every note as the artist intended and feel every beat with heart pounding bass. It’s the ultimate speaker, made for your music. The advanced hardware delivers deep bass and crisp treble in stunning stereo sound. It analyses, tunes and updates itself automatically, so all you need to do is listen. The far-field voice control allows Max to hear you across the room, even while the music’s playing.  Final Thoughts: The best audio-only based product in the Google Home range. Dimensions • Width: 13.2” (336.6 mm) • Height: 7.4” (190.0 mm) • Depth: 154.4 mm • Power cable: 2 m Weight • 11.7 lbs (5,300 g) Colours • Chalk, Charcoal Materials • Acoustically transparent fabric • Rigid…

.: NbtStat The nbtstat command is a diagnostic tool for NetBIOS over TCP/IP. Its primary design is to help troubleshoot NetBIOS name resolution problems. It will display the human-friendly names of devices on the network along with their IP addresses. .: Arp Stands for Address Resolution Protocol and displays and modifies entries in the ARP cache, which contains one or more tables that are used to store IP addresses and their resolved Ethernet or Token Ring physical addresses. .: Telnet This is a command that can be used to connect to another computer, or manage a router or switch. You can send and receive files, send commands and much more. With Telnet you’re also able to connect to active Bulletin Board Systems. For example, enter: telnet bbs.balcos.net .: Hostname :.…

TIP 1 NO CONNECTION (ONE PC) – If your computer is reporting no connection, it’s time to get behind the machine and double-check the Ethernet port. Check that the cable is fully inserted, as they can get caught by feet and pulled slightly. Check the cable end isn’t damaged. If there’s still no connection, check other machines (a router reboot may be needed). TIP 2 NO CONNECTION (ALL PCS) – If all your computers and other devices aren’t connecting, check any switches that they’re connected to. Switch plugs, and even powerline adapters, can blow a fuse. Check your router’s switch connection LED is lit up, if not try a different port. If all else fails, try direct connection to the router, as it could be faulty. TIP 3 CONNECTION KEEPS…

Being on the end of a successful hack has been likened to having your house robbed. There’s a feeling of invasion, that someone has rifled through your personal belongings and stolen what’s yours. “You’ve been hacked!” WARNING Monetary Motivation As with most hacks the world over, money is the driving force behind an attack. A hacker will want to enter your system through various means and obtain your bank or credit card details in order to get access to your money. It’s plain and simple theft. Personal Information Personal information can be extremely valuable to a hacker. Those who manage to obtain information about you, from date of birth, address, social security number and countless other trivial details, can then use your identity to open bank accounts, start a loan…

Are You Secure? Remarkably, despite having an antivirus client installed, some users aren’t even aware of the default Windows security features. Here’s a quick ten step process to check everything is working as it should. STEP 1 Start by clicking on the Windows Start Button or pressing the Windows key on your keyboard. Enter security into the search bar and click the first option that appears in the results, Security and Maintenance. STEP 2 This will open the Security and Maintenance section of the Control Panel. There are two main sections within this page, click on the Security section to expand it. Ideally all the options within the Security section should be displaying On, with the exception of Internet Security Settings which will display OK. STEP 3 Should any of…

Safer Surfing Securing your web browser isn’t too difficult. There are plenty of options available, including some third-party add-ons you can use to improve security. For this tutorial, we’re using Chrome. STEP 1 Start by opening Chrome and clicking on the three vertical dots in the top right of the browser window. This is the link to the available options; from the list choose Settings. STEP 2 It’s generally recommended that you sign into Chrome using a Google account, as this can greatly improve the overall security of the browser. For example, when you sign in, under the Sign In section in Settings, click on the Advanced Sync Settings button, the first option available. STEP 3 With the Advanced Sync Settings box open, select the option for Encrypt all synced…

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