Which Type of Home Network Do You Choose?

Access to the network externally is limiting factor, but there is another challenge for most homes looking to networked devices, whether they are digital recorders, Net-connected betting consoles or a plethora of plain elderly humble PCs. There is far more 'Internet-Ready' devices around than there was, but all of them presume that you will have a connection for them to connect to, no matter where in your home you pick to place them.

How do you connect all of them up within your home? Here's a basic primer to your connection choices times you have got an Net connection (of any type) in to your home:

Cabled Ethernet:

Pros:Speed. With up to 1GBps (potential), there is nothing to match having an actual cabled connection to each room that you require access from. In terms of sustained speed, nothing even comes close.

Cons:Physical cables are a pain, & the cost of retro-fitting & cabling your home can be high. Anyone building ought to think about basic Ethernet cabling as a must-have, however.

HomePlug/Powerline:

Pros:Easy installation. Powerline sits in the mid-ground between Cabled & Wireless Net, using your existing power infrastructure to deliver a cabled connection to your devices. Plug finish in near your router or modem, & the other near your tool, & you are usually lovely to go.

Cons:Not all plugs are cross compatible, & some don't work well (if at all) on powerboards & across power phases in your home or office. Plenty of of the plugs are giant & unwieldy, which makes them take over plenty of points all by themselves.

WiFi

Pros:Ubiquity. WiFi is all over most notebooks, plenty of games consoles & is often obtainable as an add-on for 'Internet-Ready' televisions. There is no ugly wires to trip over, installation costs are usually low, & most wireless routers (you most likely got from your ISP) can accommodate more wireless devices than you'll ever own.

Cons:Access can be highly variable depending on plenty of environmental factors that can leave some houses with WiFi 'black spots'. Despite the highly promoted speed numbers on the boxes of most WiFi routers, actual world speeds are usually a lot slower than their wired siblings. This is less of an issue for Web surfers & emailers, but for watching online video or playing games it can quickly hobble even the quickest connection.