Wired and Wireless Networking – Future Shop
Get Everything You Need To Network Your Home
With modern technology staying connected and online is easier than ever before, whether you’re working in your home office or relaxing on the sofa with your laptop. Choose from our huge selection of networking peripherals from vendors like Netgear, D-Link, TRENDnet, Belkin, Linksys, ASUS, Apple, Bell, and many more.
Routers
A router lets you share your Internet connection across your home, with other Internet enabled devices. A simple connection from your computers to a router gives you Internet access on all of them. Wireless routers take networking a step further and let you create a home Wi-Fi network, so you can access the Internet without physically connecting to the router. Wireless routers are available in different speeds known as 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n, with “n” being the most recent and fastest standard.
Wireless Cards and USB Adapters
If your laptop or desktop computer is a little older it might not have a wireless antenna built in, which is what you need to access a Wi-Fi network. It’s easy to fix, though – just get a wireless USB adapter or wireless card. A USB adapter will work with almost any computer equipped with USB ports (which is pretty much all of them, nowadays) while a wireless card can only be used on desktop computers and requires you to open up the case for installation. After you’ve added one of these devices your computer will now be able to hop onto your home’s Wi-Fi network.
Mobile Internet Sticks
Looking for Internet access on your laptop while you’re out and about? Then pick up a mobile Internet stick, which plugs into a USB port on your laptop and provides wireless data connectivity, similar to a smartphone. Just sign up to a mobile data plan from one of the wireless carriers and you’ll be browsing, emailing, and downloading from pretty much anywhere.
Powerline Networking
In some homes a wireless Wi-Fi network isn’t the best way to access the Internet. You might have too many walls or obstacles that reduce the signal strength, or else you need faster speed than your Wi-Fi router can provide (hardcore online gamers, we’re looking at you!). In situations like this, a powerline networking kit might be the perfect solution. They use your home’s existing electrical wiring to create a high-speed data connection – just plug one adapter into an electrical outlet and connect it to your Internet modem, then plug another adapter into an outlet where you want to use the Internet, like in the living room near your gaming console, and you’re done! You can add multiple adapters if you want to extend this fast connection to other rooms.
Resources:
Learn how to select the best ¬networking products for your needs with our Buying Guide:
Networking Buying Guide
Read our Tech Spotlights to get the full story on these great products:
D-Link Wireless Routers – Tech Spotlight
D-Link Amplifi with SmartBeam – Tech Spotlight
D-Link DIR-825 Router – Tech Spotlight
Belkin Routers and Apps – Tech Spotlight
Netgear Networking – Tech Spotlight
Find out what our Tech Bloggers have to say about these products:
Networking For High-performance PC Gaming – Tech Blog