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Home Network Debate: To Be Wired or Unwired

Posted: 26 Apr 2011 06:42 AM PDT

In the world of networks there are two camps: wired and wireless. Both can allow several computers to engage the internet and each other at once, but the former tends to guarantee speed and security and the latter improves ease and maneuverability. But besides these simplistic differentials there are a few other factors that come into play when deciding which to build your home network on:

The space in question is probably the biggest factor, if only because you aren't going to move or alter your house to accommodate the network you chose after the fact. Spaces with many rooms spread over a large area might make a wireless option sound ideal, but walls inhibit most wireless signals and the more walls separating the computer from the router, the harder it will be to get a worthy connection, especially beyond 100 feet, which is the standard range of most wireless signals. An environment such as this invites a wireless investment only if laptops are what are primarily being used and the user is able to move around for a better signal. Otherwise a range extender will need to be purchased.

Wired networks built with durable Ethernet cables and a powerful Wired Routers will do wonders for those who need consistently strong connections to multiple computers throughout the home and don't want to worry about information safety. When your network is wired, security is less a concern because you aren't putting your network into the air and exposing it to potential interloping use, making passwords and firewalls less a concern.

But the cost is the accumulation of wiring throughout the home. While most houses being built today come ready-made for wiring up a network, the thought of a floor littered with blue rubber might deter you from choosing a wired network if security and fast speed aren't your biggest concerns.

Once you've decided though, installation and configuration is almost identical for both options. One is in no way harder than the other, with the effort for both being the same as putting together a new sound system in your living room. While you may spend most of your time rigging cable if you go with wired, the same amount of time would be spent creating passwords and getting all the computers to recognize each other if you decided on wireless. Either way the effort is something that can definitely be achieved in an afternoon.

If you're still undecided think about it this way: how do you envision the Internet? Do you see something like a massive underground spring, waiting to be tapped? Or do you instead see an arena in the air, where your job is to try and find a seat? Finding your philosophy regarding this issue may make sorting out your network a little easier.