Buyers' Guide: Home Networking

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The truly modern home is fully connected to the internet, and by that we don't just mean one PC in the back bedroom. The number of devices that can make use of a net connection is growing by the day. Beyond PCs, laptops and handheld portables, modern games consoles can get online to battle against players next door or on the other side of the planet.

Media Center PCs and some set-top boxes use internet connections to download updated TV schedules. A new breed of hi-fi system can play foreign radio stations over the internet, and in the near future we'll rent movies by downloading them.

There are even white goods such as fridges, ovens and washing machines that can access recipes, online grocery stores, or even upgrade their capabilities.

Home networking
Luckily there's no need to have a separate internet connection for each device that wants it, as it's possible for any number of devices to share the same internet connection by networking them together.

In a home network, a single box connects to the internet and automatically shares it between anything that wants access. This box could be a PC, or more commonly a small device called a router, which is left switched on all the time. For this to work well, you'll also need a broadband internet connection, which is always on.

Each device that wants to access the internet should then be connected to the router. This can be done using a special network cable or, if the router supports it, a wireless link. If the device in question doesn't have built-in wireless capabilities, small wireless adapters can be fitted for less than £50 each.

Wireless broadband routers are at the heart of every connected home, yet can cost less than £100. They'll connect directly to the modems supplied with broadband cable TV or ADSL services, while other models even include built-in ADSL modems for the ultimate in single-box convenience.

Streaming
Home networking isn't just about providing internet access to anything that wants it, it's also about sharing data between nearby devices. The most exciting example of this is called streaming.

Streaming allows you to access music, videos and photos stored on your PC using a device which is in a different room. The device is plugged into your TV and hi-fi and has a remote control, just like a DVD player.

The difference is that it plays files stored on your PC using a home network, which again could be wired or wireless. It doesn't need to copy or store the files, as they're effectively played or streamed over the network connection as and when you need them.

Of course, you could just have a PC in your living room, but most are big, noisy and ugly. The benefit of streaming the files is that you can hide the PC in a back room and use a good-looking consumer device to play them in the comfort of your lounge. The clever bit is that you could have several such streaming devices throughout your home, all playing different (or even the same) files from your PC at the same time.

Today there's a growing range of devices that can stream media from a PC. They typically cost £150 to £300 each and have different features. Some can play photos, videos and music, whereas others are only for audio. Some have built-in DVD players, and others are designed specifically to work with Windows XP Media Center PCs.

If you're connecting these devices wirelessly though, be aware that you may only be able to watch high quality video on two devices at once. Cabled network connections allow more devices to stream video smoothly.

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