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This is a list of the most
common questions people have about home networking. If you have any
other questions not listed, feel free to email us at
sales@acrusa.com
What
is home networking and what are its benefits? Home networking refers to the capability
of computers and other devices to communicate at high-speed with one another and
with other computers and services on the Internet. Some home network
capabilities include:
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Internet Connection Sharing,
enabling all PCs and other Internet enabled devices to simultaneously access
one high-speed Internet connection.
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File, folder and print sharing,
enabling all PCs and other devices to share music, photos, videos and
documents.
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Fast, efficient e-mail and instant
messaging
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Security and Performance, including
firewall security and content filtering
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Device Sharing, enabling devices on
one PC to be accessed by others, such as printers, CD-ROMs and other devices
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A growing number of applications
that use these capabilities - such as family calendars, networked game
playing, centralized messaging, Personal Video Recording and distribution,
home stereo integration, home intranet websites and much more. Please see
Awesome Applications.
From a purely economic viewpoint, home
networks make additional high-speed cable or DSL connections unnecessary,
allowing families to save by disconnecting extra phone lines used for dial-up,
and often additional savings by the elimination of other dial-up accounts.
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What is Internet Connection Sharing?
Internet connection sharing is a capability that allows multiple computers to
share a single Internet connection simultaneously. If, for example, a family has
a DSL or Cable Modem connection and three computers, ICS allows all computers to
use the Internet at the same time and all at high-speed. With ICS there is no
need to order additional connections from your service provider and it
eliminates the need for dial-up accounts or extra phone lines. A wired or wireless network and a router
or ICS configured computer is required to take advantage of this capability. All
of our solutions include Internet Connection Sharing.
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What
equipment do you recommend?
We
support a variety of different hardware depending on the type of network you
need and your budget. There is quite a range of products and prices, from the
very high-end to good quality, but affordable products. In either case, all
products we offer have been thoroughly tested and guaranteed to work. One of the
key advantages of using our services is that you get the benefit of our
extensive experience with and knowledge of the different vendor products. They
are not all the same. We are also 100% vendor independent,
which means you get an objective opinion. We take the guess work out of product
selection and only recommend stuff that really works.
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Can I use my own equipment?
Yes. You can
purchase the equipment or we can purchase it it for you. If you already have
equipment we can certainly work with what you have -- install it for you, assist
you in troubleshooting a network that is already installed or reinstall it.
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I have seen equipment advertisements
saying a network is easy to setup. Why would I need a service like yours?
No one would argue that these networks are impossible to setup on your own, but
the horror stories are legion. Indeed a healthy percentage of our customers
found us after giving up on the self-installation ordeal. But beyond avoiding
potential installation problems, there are other great reasons to use a turnkey
service like ours:
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Knowledgeable advice and
recommendations prior to buying anything
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Proven design and thoroughly tested
hardware
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Expert installation and
configuration
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Service and support guarantees
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Ongoing, responsive and
knowledgeable technical support.
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What else can I do with a home network
besides share an Internet connection?
Lots. Basic capabilities include file and
folder sharing and resource sharing, like printer sharing. On top of these basic
capabilities there are a whole variety of other other entertainment, messaging,
and security applications that can all be used over your home network. See
Awesome Applications
for a complete list.
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I don't need a network now, but would
sure like assistance with my computers. I think one may have a virus and the
other needs some upgrades. Can you help? Absolutely! We provide on-site computer upgrade and
troubleshooting. Please see Contact Us for more information
on setting up an on-site service call.
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Are there any monthly charges with your
service?
No. We only charge for the installation. Many customers actually save on monthly
service charges because they can eliminate extra phone lines and dial-up
accounts.
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I have a small office with four computers
and employees who work from home. Can you network the office and provide remote
access for the other employees?
Yes we can . Not only
do we have comprehensive services for small businesses -- including Windows 2000
server installation -- but we also can assist in setting up and supporting VPN
access to the office network.
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I heard there are security issues with
wireless networks, is this true? Yes and No. The default configuration settings on
most wireless routers and access point are not encrypted and therefore are not
secure. The equipment makers do this because it is easier to setup a wireless
network without encryption. However, they all can be configured for 128-bit
strong encryption which provides good security. Other security settings can also
be enabled, such as MAC filtering and limiting the number of DHCP clients. We
offer strong encryption to all of our customers.
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I have a friend who has a wireless
network and he said the reception was not that great. How well do they work and
is there a limitation on the range? Yes there are limitations on the range of wireless
networks. The effective range (anywhere from 15 feet to 1500 feet) depends on a
number of factors, including the type of building materials in use (walls,
ceilings and other barriers), positioning of the access point, and the quality
of the access point and client adapter equipment.
A key benefit of our service is our
extensive experience with wireless equipment and wireless networking. If your
wireless network does not work where you need it to work we will find a solution
or provide a full refund.
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I bought a wireless networking kit and
can't seem to get it to work properly, can your company help?
Yes. We can assist with the installation of your equipment and can also help
installing other features and capabilities.
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What are the advantages and disadvantages
of wireless vs. wired networks?
Each
medium has its own characteristics
and advantages. The biggest advantage of a wireless network is that it does not
require cabling and can be implemented quickly. The disadvantages are the
networking equipment is more expensive and there can be problems with reception
and range depending on the type of building materials in your home or apartment.
There is all the matter of speed or throughput. Wireless technology is currently
limited to a maximum speed of 11 Mb/s for the 802.11b standard and 54 Mb/s for
the 802.11a standard (which also typically has more limited range and a higher
price for the equipment). For many applications, most notably Internet
connection sharing, this is plenty of speed, especially given that most
broadband connections are currently in the 1 - 3 Mb/s today.
Wired networks do not have this speed
limitation. Out of the box, wired networking equipment (Ethernet cards, Ethernet
switches) have a speed of 100 Mb/s. The same cable (CAT5e) can already support
1,000 Mb/s (Gigabit Ethernet), although the networking gear is much more
expensive. Wired networks also are inherently more secure. The disadvantages are
mainly in the labor costs of installing cabling in a home or apartment and lack
of mobility for the networked device. Some of our customers have chosen a
hybrid design, where wiring is limited to key computers or workstations and a
wireless access point is installed for mobility for laptops. This provides the
best of both worlds.
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My cable company says I need to pay for
more IP addresses if I want to add computers. Is this really necessary?
No , it is not necessary. Most home networks use a technology called NAT, which
allows multiple computers behind a router or other gateway device to share one
public IP address. The computers in the home use private IP addresses which are
free. However, in some cases, additional IP
addresses can be very convenient. For example, if a small business wanted to
host there own website or mail server, having an additional IP allows that
computer to interface directly to the Internet, while the rest of the traffic is
behind a secure firewall. Some serious Internet gamers also like direct
connections with their own IP addresses, since it does not need to be behind the
NAT router and simplifies many settings.
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I have a very good printer and would like
to share it with the other computers in my home. Is this possible?
Yes . This is an excellent use of a home network and indeed many people who
install one utilize this capability. We can install shared network printers
connected to another computer or install a standalone print server.
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My kids want to network their Playstation
to the Internet, can you help? Yes. We have experience with Internet
gaming and can assist with Playstation 2, XBox and other PC based games. We can also help configure
firewalls and routers for existing customers who buy these games after
installation.
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I am interested in a home network, but
have AOL, and would like to keep my account. How does that work?
You can order DSL or Cable Modem service from your local provider, install a
home network and keep your AOL account. AOL charges users around half the cost
of dial-up without losing your comfort of AOL's features.
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