For users old and new, one of the most intimidating aspects of owning a computer is setting up a network. Networking computers together allows them to share resources and information. There are two ways of setting up such a system, and both depend on how large the network is. A Local Area Network or LAN links only a few computers together. A Wide Area Network or WAN links multiple LANs together. For example, the Internet is a WAN.

Computer networks are actually quite simple. The concepts and terminology involved are what make networks confusing. To create a simple network, such as a home network, only two computers are needed. The computers are connected together by a device called a router. A router combines two functions: a switch and a firewall. The router both sends signals to and receives them from the two computers. It also protects them from outside connections.

To let signals be exchanged between the two computers, the router assigns each computer an IP address. An IP address is a set of numbers separated by periods. For example, 231.355.192.055 is an IP address. Similar to the numbers on a house, the numbers assigned to a computer let the router tell the difference between the computers.

In terms of the electronic components needed, aside from the router, both computers must have Ethernet network adapters. If a wireless network is the goal, then the computers will need wireless network adapters. A wireless network uses radio signals instead of cables to connect the machines.

Personal computers can be picky about the kinds of connections they allow. When setting up a network, each machine must be configured to accept signals from the router. Most computers are programmed to automatically detect a network connection. The user must manually set the machines to the specifications he wants.

The goal of computer networking is to enable the computers to share files. Networking overcomes the inconvenience of physically transferring files from one computer to another. Creating a connection between multiple computers also increases the home network storage capacity. For both business and personal uses, networking increases productivity and saves time.

A single computer is limited by the amount of processing power and memory it has. Connecting computers together allows each to take advantage of the additional resources. For example, five computers each with 512 megabytes of random access memory can act as a single machine with 2560 MB of RAM when networked together.