Wired and Wireless Home Networks

As explained in this post, you can build your home network by using either wired or wireless infrastructure. Ethernet, Power Lines and Phone Lines can be used for wired home networks, whereas the dominant technology for wireless home networks is the WiFi 802.11 standard.Below we give you a quick snapshot and comparison of the different home network technologies available.

Technology		SPEED	RANGE	COST	Wiring Ease	Peripheral Availability
Wired Home Network	Ethernet (Using Copper Cables)	Up to 1000 Mbps	100 m 330 ft	Low	Difficult if nodes are in different rooms	Very popular, Extensive Availability
	PhoneLine (HPNA 3.1)	Up to 320 Mbps	300 m 1000 ft	Moderate	Easy. Uses Existing Phone Lines	Not popular, Limited Availability
	PowerLine (HomePlug AV)	Up to 200 Mbps Half Duplex	Length of Power Line	Low to Moderate	Easy. Uses Existing Power Lines	Not popular, Moderate Availability
	FireWire	400 Mbps	5 m 15 ft	Low	Easy. Usually between two PCs	High Availability
Wireless Home Network	WiFi 802.11a	54 Mbps	Radius ~35 m *	Moderate	No wires	Not popular, Limited Availability
	WiFi 802.11b	11 Mbps	Radius ~38 m *	Low	No wires	Very popular, Extensive Availability
	WiFi 802.11g	54 Mbps	Radius ~38 m *	Low to Moderate	No wires	Very popular, Extensive Availability
	WiFi 802.11n	Over 200 Mbps	Radius ~70 m *	Moderate to High	No wires	New standard, gaining popularity

* WiFi Radius Indoor Distance depends on number and types of walls. It is usually much less than the shown value.
Home Network Security
A factor that must never be omitted when building a home LAN network, especially when the network is connected to the internet, is how to protect data and preserve your privacy. “Defense in Depth” is the best security approach to take. This layered security concept refers to implementing an outer perimeter layer of security using a firewall (included in the Home Gateway broadband router for example), and then implement inner layers of security (on your internal home network computers) to protect against viruses, spyware etc.