Make Your Own Home Computer Network

All computer and networking lovers want to know how to set up a home computer network so that they can benefit from having one link for their computers, external storage devices, printers, gaming consoles, files, telephones and home entertainment systems that have wired or wireless networking capabilities.
Network Architecture
The first stage is to decide on your network architecture, i.e. the network type: wired, wireless or mixed, the devices you would like include into your network and how they will be connected. Three main aspects to keep in mind are:

1. The network speed
2. The ease of cabling (for non-wireless devices)
3. The cost

The three most common network types are (1) Ethernet (wired connectivity using special cable), (2) Wireless Ethernet (Wi-Fi) or (3) Phone Line (HPNA). Also, there are networks that use a home electrical wiring for communication. Wireless (Wi-Fi) based network can operate in one of two radio bands - 2.4 or 5 Gigahertz or in both - 2.4 and 5 Gigahertz radio bands on dual-band wireless networks.
Ethernet Network Setup
If good speed is your main concern, then Ethernet is a good option. The standard Ethernet router's speed is 10/100 Mbps (Mega bits per second) and now you can find 1000 Mbps routers. It is also the least expensive of the network types. Once everything is connected, however, all three networks work the same.
Each home computer network that has more than two devices (computers and/or peripheral devices) consists of central device - a network router (wired and/or wireless) and a few network adapters - that connect network peripherals such as computers, printers, and storage devices to the network.
After choosing right type of network router, the next step is an adapter selection, of which Ethernet has three options - USB, PCI and PC Card. USB adapters plug straight into your computer or any peripheral device with USB port but the USB connection usually has a limit of 54 Mbps. PCI adapters (wired and wireless) less expensive and very fast but are inserted internally so you'll need to open the computer. PC Cards are for laptops.
After this come the cables for connections between the computers. Ethernet cables are of different CAT numbers which are an indication of quality. CAT5, CAT5e, CAT6 are of good quality. Connecting two computes will require a crossover cable. Connecting three or more computers requires an Ethernet Router, Switch or Hub.
Next, install the network drives and the network card that came with it on your PC, following the installation procedures instructions. When network drivers are properly installed the link lights for the nub and Ethernet cards come on. Link lights will not come on until everything is properly connected.
Determining the number of routers or hubs, cables and adapters you need depends on how many computers and peripheral devices you are linking up. Two computers will require a cross-over cable, two adaptors and one router, hub or switch (optional). Three or more computers require one router, hub or switch plus adapters and cables for each machine. Afterwards you must configure the network and this stage has four main elements and two levels.
4 Configuration Elements:

1. NetBEUI
2. Network Adapter Driver
3. Microsoft Windows Client
4. Microsoft Windows File and Print sharing

2 Configuration Levels:

1. The first level of configuration is the protocol levels which refers to the language that computers use to 'talk' with each other. For basic home networks NetBEUI is a good protocol as it is fast, non-complicated and easy to configure.
2. The second level of configuration is in regards to how Windows 'talks' to other Windows during file and print sharing through the first protocol level. The second level has two parts: 'Client for Microsoft Windows' and the 'File and Printer' sharing for Windows.

After the Network's Setup
Once the configuration is complete then you move into troubleshooting. This means clicking on the "Network" folder in Windows Explorer to ensure you can see all the other computers on your network. If you get a "network inaccessible" message, try again after a minute or so as it takes a while the first time for the network to completely initialize the router and peripherals. If still it doesn't work, switch off the router or hub and reboot, then reboot computer, followed by the other computer and all other peripherals (if applicable).

Points to Keep in Mind While Buying Your Computer

When you're looking to buy a computer, there are several things you need to consider. Most people are unaware of the things they need on their computer because all they really want are the basic essentials. While this can be okay, you still might want to know what you're getting so you can get a bang for your buck.
Gaming Rig
Gaming computers tend to be on the pricier side. The main reason for this is because games these days tend to be resource heavy in terms of hardware quality. The point of a gaming rig is to be able to play and computer software games out there without any problems. Usually, these systems would require fast multi-processors (at least 1 GHz for each processor), lots of RAM (4 Gb of ram would do), and an extremely good graphics card. These systems can easily reach one thousand dollars or more depending on the specifications you want. I would say that these systems would have to be the most expensive types of computers you can get.
Standard use
If you're planning to just do some light gaming, surf the internet, or watch DVDs on your computer, then you wouldn't need to find a computer that's resource heavy. Depending on what you're doing, a processor with 2 Ghz and 2 Gb of RAM would suffice. Although, technology now days tend to change rapidly. This type of specification would be considered "below average". Another thing you need to consider is your budget versus the features of the computer. If you're just using it for standard use, it's pointless to get a very high quality computer if you're just going to use its minimal potential.
Portable eBooks
If you're strictly looking into finding a computer which you can type your office work or homework, then you might want to try and find the mini eBooks. There are laptops out there with "mini processors" which has the minimal hardware quality. It is among the cheapest of all computer systems and it gets the job done. Obviously, you wouldn't be able to play high quality games or do a lot of things on it, but if you're strictly into work related things, these are the type of systems you should be looking for. These tend to sell for around three hundred dollars depending on the added features you want on it.

Prevent Your PC from Spyware

There are lot  computer information talks about the dangers and risks of computers infected by spyware. So little talks about how to actually prevent spyware. Preventing spyware is more than just using a program. Preventing spyware starts with a mindset of alert computing.
Being an alert computer user is a contradiction these days. Our attention spans are pulled all over the desktop, Internet and social media sites. All the while, we're faced with normal distractions of our jobs, finances, getting enough sleep and what's for dinner. All the distractions in our lives are the first step to making us vulnerable to spyware.
Here are several tips on how to prevent spyware and why each is important. The unifying thought in each tip is being an alert and attentive computer user. This may take more time out of the day and a little bit of research. In the end, the time spent preventing spyware is more time and money saved in the future.
Visit websites you trust
Mainstream websites tend to be safer and therefore more trustworthy than other sites. Two fundamental reasons being: they have more money to monitor website security and they don't have to turn to unsafe content to generate money.
Mainstream websites are also monitored by more users, so mistakes and errors are typically fixed sooner.
CNN, New York Times, Facebook and Google are all generally more safe than no-name websites that don't have a brand of sorts, or look like they were strung together from feeds of information.
Unsafe websites usually have ties with illegal services. They are selling illegal software, storing illegal media (movies, music, games) or contain pornographic material. Sites that can't rely on traditional revenue streams (movie download sites) or are just in it to make a quick buck (porn sites, in particular) tend to sell advertising space to spyware makers and therefore expose users to spyware.
Before you click on a link, look at the bottom left to see where the link is taking you. If you don't trust the site, don't click it.
Know the sites you visit, so if you get spyware, you know which site not to visit again.
Only download software you trust
When your web browser asks you to download an ActiveX control, Javascript or other software that you did not initiate on your own, consider the source first.
Then read the digital signature and the program's info because spyware can be attached to programs that are downloaded or can be downloaded by approving an unsafe applet. Research the information to make sure other users haven't been infected.
Avoid or disregard websites and applications that say "You are infected with a virus and need to download removal software NOW!" These sites are usually scams for rogue anti-spyware that costs money and pretends to be a spyware remover, but does little more than embed itself in your computer, making removal a time-consuming process.
Protect your gates
A combination of good antivirus and spyware programs, one each, will help protect and monitor your computer while you're browsing the web.
Update the definitions for your security programs so as the latest spyware comes out, your spyware remover is ready for defense.
Set up continuous monitoring and regular spyware checks. Continuous monitoring will alert you if the spyware remover believes an unsafe program is being downloaded. Regular spyware checks will eliminate spyware that's installed before more spyware is downloaded. Spyware weakens a computer to other viruses and spyware.

How to Speed Up Computer Performance

Everyone talks about using complicated methods to speed up computer performance. However, no one talks about one really easy method that can speed up your computer dramatically! I'm not referring to formatting your hard drive, defragmenting or any of those other complicated terms. Rather, I'm talking about using a high quality registry cleaner to remove all of the bad files that your computer has collected.
How does it work?
Registry cleaners are designed to clean out the registry of your computer. The registry is where all of your old, unneeded files are placed. Essentially they just buildup over time and it's very important that you delete them. If you've gone months or possibly even years without cleaning your registry, you could improve PC performance in just a few minutes! All it takes is registry cleaning software and you could easily accomplish the task without having any computer knowledge.
Your computers registry can even collect viruses and other malicious content. You might be damaging your PC by not clearing the registry on a consistent basis. It would be very wise to use the software immediately and remove anything that might be slowing down your computing.
Is it hard to do?
That's the great thing about registry cleaners! They're not hard to use at all. In fact, it's really only a matter of downloading the software and then running the free scan tool! Once it's collected all of your registry files that are safe for deletion, you just hit "okay." That's about as simple as it gets. If you don't have experience with computers, you won't have to worry. If you've ever used anti-virus software to run a scan on your computer then you can use registry cleaning software. Even if you haven't, the easy to follow interface will guide you through each step of the way.
Where can you find them?
Registry cleaners are available all over the Internet. Fortunately, you can find blogs and other helpful sites that tell true stories from people who have actually had experience with them. Some registry cleaners are better than others, so it's important that you do your research. Read up on registry cleaners from resources that are available to you and then make an informed decision about which one you decide to use. You can find high quality registry cleaners for remarkably cheap prices. Remember, you're doing an excellent thing for your computer and these methods should speed up computer performance quickly.