What is a Router?
A router is a device that connects two or more computer networks and transfers data between them. Routers are essential components of modern Internet infrastructure. Whether you buy Internet service...
View ArticleWhat is a Switch?
We’ve previously discussed routers — common devices are likely to be found in virtually every home with an Internet connection, and play a common role in enabling both wired and wireless devices to...
View ArticleWhat is a Hub?
Now that we’ve covered routers and switches, let’s turn to the third piece of network hardware you might encounter in the wild — a hub. To be clear, hubs are actually pretty rare these days. Modern...
View ArticleWhat is Jitter?
Now that we’ve covered latency (the amount of time it takes for a block of information, called a packet, to travel across a network) and ping (a test for determining latency), we can discuss a slightly...
View ArticleWhat is your IP address?
In our various discussions of network technology and equipment, we’ve referred to the concept of an IP address on multiple occasions. The “IP” in “IP address” stands for “Internet Protocol.” It’s the...
View ArticleHow to Test Your Internet Speed
There are plenty of reasons you might want to test your Internet connection’s performance. Maybe you’ve upgraded service, or just moved into a new location and want to make certain you’re getting the...
View Article5 Ways to Boost Your Wireless Signal
Wiring up your home can be a frustrating endeavor. Unless you live in a perfectly square box without any interior walls, you probably have dead spots where signal strength drops and bandwidth isn’t...
View ArticleHow to Secure Your Wireless Network
In the past few posts I’ve discussed numerous aspects of wired and wireless networking, from equipment differences to proper router placement. Now we’re going to touch on one of the most important...
View ArticleHow to Get Faster Download Speed
The simplest way to increase your download speed is to buy a faster Internet connection – but I’m going to assume you’re looking for a different type of solution, given that you’re reading this...
View ArticleHow to Get Faster Upload Speeds
The problem of how to get more upload bandwidth is critically attached to how to improve your download bandwidth. In other words, many of the principles we recommended in our previous article will work...
View Article