Many homes and most small businesses have multiple PCs. More than ever, it makes sense to hook them together in a network to share files, printers, and Internet connections (especially broadband).

Setting up a network has become easier over the past couple of years, with automated software installation largely eliminating the need for geek-level skills. On the hardware side, add-in cards are still the norm for most networks; but USB options are available for people who don't want to perform PC surgery. On laptop PCs, hardware installation is as simple as sliding in a PC Card. And even doing that may not be necessary. Many contemporary laptops are equipped with built-in network connections, and some of the newest have wireless network capabilities.

For low cost and high speed, traditional wired networks are still the best bet. But if you prefer not to snake wires across rooms and through walls, phone line networks let you use your existing wiring, albeit at slower speeds. The hot technology is wireless, where the 802.11b protocol (more commonly dubbed Wi-Fi) has all but won the wireless networking standards battle.

If no single type of network is best for you, you can buy devices (routers and bridges) for creating hybrid networks with both wired and wireless products.

Note: After reading this article, watch our video, "How to Set Up a Wi-Fi Network," for a visual tutorial on some of these tips.

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