Evaluating Your Home Networking Needs
You might have a network installed in your home already, or perhaps you are still considering whether it is necessary to install one. Consider these issues:
a. Who uses computing devices in your home? How many computers (notebooks and desktops) are currently in your home? Are the computers networked? If not, should they be networked? What advantages would your family gain by networking its computers?
b. Which computer peripheral devices does your family own? Which family members need\ to use which peripherals? Are the peripherals network-ready or are they connected to individual computers? How easy is it to share these peripherals? Are there peripherals that your family doesn't own that would be beneficial? (Make sure to explain why.) How would you go about connecting new peripherals to your network?
c. Does your home network have network-attached storage or a home server? Would your family benefit from having this technology on your home network? What types of media do your family members routinely share? What other types would they share if they had the means?