Can you remember the days when the only way to share computer data with a colleague was to walk over to their desk with a floppy disk? Thanks in part to advances in technology, but mainly in the increased user friendliness of that technology, sharing data between computers is now easier than ever.
Connecting computers together increases efficiency, makes data sharing simpler and allows multiple computers to share a single internet connection. It might seem technical and appear too complicated for some, but it really isn't once you break it down. If you want learn how to set up a small business computer network, read on.
The most basic component of a computer network is the computer itself. After all there's no need for a network if you don't have at least one PC. The rest of the elements are optional, as networking can be as varied as your needs. For example, a network doesn't have to connect to the internet, use a router, or cables.
For the purpose of this article we are going to assume that you want to discover how to set up a small business computer network with a cable connection, wired networking, two Windows computers and a router. This is the most common small network at the present time.
The internet connection will be provided by your ISP. They should also provide a modem that handles the connection between you and their network. To this modem we will connect a router, which will handle the communication between our network and the modem. The router is the middleman, it controls where and how traffic is transmitted between machines and the network. It's also the guardian, often including a firewall to protect the network from outsiders.
