Tutorial How to set up and optimise your home network
The redesigned Network and Sharing Center screen has lots of options for advanced users to play with
Running a home network is pretty essential in this day and age.
Thankfully,
modern hardware and software has reduced the complexities of
configuring networks down to a few setup screens, and the relevant
hardware often comes free with an internet connection.
If you
have multiple computers, the chances are they're already talking to each
other, either through wires or wirelessly. However, while your home
network might be up and running, optimising it takes some doing. Follow
our simple tips to extract the last drop of juice from your network
hardware. 1. Change channel number
Wireless
routers operate on a fixed channel. Since most routers ship with a
pre-selected channel, the wireless signal may interfere with other
routers in the vicinity that are operating on the same channel.
Changing the wireless channel from the factory default is a good starting point if your wireless signal strength is poor. 2. Give the router space to breathe
The
biggest advantage of a wireless router is that it can penetrate doors
and walls – but that doesn't mean you can just stuff it next to a wall
or cordless telephone, or use it as a stand for your stack of DVDs.
Treat it with respect.
Try to keep it in a central location,
away from other wireless devices; make sure it's not in direct sunlight;
lift it off the carpet; and ensure its vents and air holes aren't
covered. 3. Improve reception
Try as
you might, you'll find it's sometimes not possible to put the router in a
good spot. One way around the problem is to buy a router with multiple
antennas and point them in a variety of directions covering your home.
Alternatively,
if you've already got a router, check whether it's possible to upgrade
its antennas to something stronger. However, don't get disheartened if
your router doesn't have any antennas. A wireless repeater compatible
with your router is a perfect solution. 4. Use WEP
Running
an unsecured network will earn you brownie points from neighbours and
hackers with cars, but that's about it. Wireless routers support a
variety of encryption methods, such as WPA and WEP, but these aren't
enabled by default.
WPA2 is the most secure method at the
moment, but before deciding on an encryption method, make sure your
network cards and adapters support it as well. Bear in mind that older
machines – and games consoles such as the Nintendo DS – don't support
WPA. 5. Restrict access to specific PCs
If you really don't want to use encryption, you can force your router
to only connect to specific PCs. Your router identifies each computer by
the unique MAC address of its network gear. Feed it a list of MAC
addresses to connect to and you save yourself the trouble of entering a
password each time you log in.
The disadvantage is that you'll
have to add the MAC address of any new computer before it can get on
your network – which is probably a more annoying way of getting things
done. 6. Disable SSID broadcast
All
wireless routers have a Service Set Identifier (SSID) that identifies
them to network computers. Routers from the same manufacturer generally
ship with the same SSID; 'Netgear' or 'Cisco', for example.
You
should first change the SSID to something unique to set your router
apart from those of your neighbours. Then, once all your hardware has
been set up, it's better to turn off broadcasting the SSID altogether.
This ensures your router isn't displayed in the list of available
networks, and won't be a target for potential hackers. 7. Keep the firmware updated
Router
manufacturers keep working on firmware, even after hardware has been
shipped. In addition to tweaks in the user interface, new versions might
make better use of the various components in the router, or add extra
features.
Just like with an
operating system, it's a good idea to upgrade the firmware of the router
regularly – check the manufacturer's website for a new version. In the
good old days, there was the risk of a botched firmware upgrade bricking
your router, but it's a lot safer today. 8. Familiarise yourself with the router manager
All
routers ship with a browser based manager. To use many of the tips in
this article, you'll have to log in to this interface – try typing
192.168.1.1 into your web browser for the most common location.
It's
a good idea to familiarise yourself with the various options and
settings you can tweak from within this software. Many routers also have
detailed documentation that's updated regularly, so hunt out the latest
manual online. 9. Check your connections
There's
nothing more irritating than receiving a 'cannot connect to remote
machine' error. To ensure a solid connection, use Ethernet cables where
possible. It's also a good idea to check the connection between the two
PCs with the ping command.
To do this, simply open a command
line and type, for instance, ping 192.168.1.2. You'll need to replace
the address given here with that of your target machine. Ping works
identically on Windows, Mac and Linux. 10. Forward ports
Many
servers and applications – for example, file-sharing software, FTP
servers and music-streaming servers – need to serve people outside the
network. These applications accept connections on specific ports.
With
port forwarding – check your router's interface – you can poke holes in
your router and ask it to direct incoming traffic on a particular port
(or, if you wish, a range of ports) to a specific computer that's on the
network. 11. Change DNS providers
DNS is what fetches you a website by translating the human-friendly address, such as www.pcplus.co.uk,
into a bunch of machine-friendly numbers. It also displays the '404
page not found' error, corrects misspelt URLs and finds the fastest
route to a web server that hosts the site you want to visit, along with
lots of other cool things.
Generally, it's up to the ISP to put
up a DNS server. However, there are other free services as well,
including the likes of OpenDNS and Google Public DNS. 12. Use USB adapters
These
days, it's difficult to find a laptop or netbook without a built-in
wireless module, but if you've used one, you'll know that they can't
always be relied upon. Network cards with antennas are the best option,
but they're really only suitable for desktops.
If you really
need both mobility and assurance, make sure you get a USB adapter. Most
of them ship with a Windows driver, but many work out-of-the-box on
Linux as well. 13. Enable Dynamic DNS
The
Dynamic DNS feature enables you to connect to your computer remotely.
Back in the day, when real-estate on the web was expensive, it was a
wonderful option to show off your HTML skills and host your own website.
Now, by associating your dynamic IP address with a domain name,
DDNS enables you to connect to the internet-exposed home computer from
anywhere in the world. In addition to enabling the feature on your
router, you'll also have to register with a dynamic DNS provider, such
as DynDNS.org. 14. Save power with Wake-on-LAN
What's
the point of keeping a print server on when there's nothing to print?
The smart way to save energy is to use the Wake-on- LAN feature of the
network card. Thanks to this, you can put the machine to sleep after
it's been configured to wake upon detecting network activity. 15. Encrypt your online activity
With
the range of snooping tools now available, it isn't safe to do anything
online without covering your footprints. There are lots of tools that
promise to encrypt your online activity, making it completely
unintelligible to anyone who might be listening in.
Some of the best ones to try are the Enigmail plug-in for Thunderbird, Psi for Google Talk and FireGPG, available for Gmail. 16. Get a Firewall distro
You
can configure a firewall on a Windows or Linux machine, and there are
also a bunch of third-party software firewalls available. However,
building a firewall isn't easy. If you're serious about putting one up,
download a dedicated firewall distro, such as Ebox. 17. Install the software
Ebox
is distributed as a Live CD ISO and there are VirtualBox/VMWare images
as well. It's based on Ubuntu Server 8.04. You can also pull in Ebox
packages to a standard Ubuntu Server 10.04 installation. You can find it
at www.ebox-platform.com. 18. Configure settings
Ebox
can be adapted flexibly to your network. You can use it to restrict
services that can be accessed and slice the network to keep some areas
more secure than others. The distro runs a browser-based interface for
adding, removing and configuring the components. 19. Filter content
Besides
the firewall, intrusion detection (via Snort) and filtering content
(via DansGuardian) are two other highlights of the distro. DansGuardian
can also plug into the ClamAV antivirus scanner and filter content based
on known virus signatures. 20. Exploit other features
In
case you're still not satisfied, Ebox can also act as a gateway and
provide a host of other services. It bundles various applications that
enable you to turn your network into a VPN, host XMPP chat sessions or
run a Postfix mail server, a Squid web proxy and more. 21. Turn on UPnP
Universal
Plug and Play helps smart devices that support UPnP to discover each
other without any user intervention. Once turned on from within your
router, UPnP enables a compatible infrared device, a Bluetooth phone or a
FireWire camera to see and talk to each other. 22. Write files remotely
The
most logical use of a network is to share files. This is the job of the
SMB protocol. Thanks to it, you'll be able to write files to a remote
network share via Network Neighbourhood. On Linux, the SMB protocol is
implemented by Samba. 23. Share printers remotely
In
addition to sharing files, SMB can be used to share printers attached
to a Windows machine. Once configured via the Windows Control Panel, a
printer can be used to accept print orders or even be managed from a
remote machine, irrespective of its operating system. 24. Format shareable partitions as FAT
PCs
running Windows can easily see each other and share files. For Linux or
Mac machines, ensure the partitions are formatted with the FAT
filesystem. Create them as Samba shares and they'll show up under
Network Neighbourhood. 25. Plug in USB drives
Once,
if you wanted to share files on the network, a
network-attached-storage, or NAS, device was the best bet. Not any more.
New routers enable you to plug in one or more USB devices that are
automatically accessible by all the users connected to the router.
The idea of networking makes many people uncomfortable … or confused.
It’s easy to see why.
When most people think about networking it seems insincere at best —
and selfish at worst. This, of course, is the complete opposite of what
networking is supposed to be — friendly, useful, and genuine.
It’s easy for most of us to be friendly and useful with people we
know. However, because networking is a “business activity” it’s easy to
think that we need to act in a different way.
Unfortunately, most networking strategies come across as pushy,
needy, or self-serving — even though the people using them rarely act
that way in day-to-day life.
Don’t worry, there are definitely genuine ways to self–promote.
So, in the spirit of helping everyone become a better networker, here
are 24 networking tips, which from my experience, actually work.
The real goal of networking
1. The goal of networking should be to help other people.
Yes, it would be nice if they helped you out as well, but networking is
a two–way street. And your side of the street is all about helping
others, not asking them to help you. Asking for favors should only
become a possibility once you have learned more about the person and
provided some value to them. 2. It’s far more important to understand their needs before you tell them about your needs.
Your goals should not be on the forefront of your mind. You’re trying
to develop a relationship with someone, which means you should be
thinking about them. It’s your job to understand the people in your
network, where they are coming from, and what’s important to them.
Setting expectations
3. You don’t need to know the most people, just the right people.
There is no need to shotgun your business cards across the industry or
to pepper everyone with emails. Instead, focus on finding people that
are relevant to you. As time goes on, you can decide if the interests
that you share with someone are worth pursuing further. It’s better to
have 5 people willing to help you out than it is to have 500 that simply
know your name. 4. Don’t expect anything. The fact that you reached
out and made contact with someone does not put them in your debt. No one
is required to “pay you back.” Instead of approaching networking with
the goal of gaining favors, try reaching out with curiosity. Contact
interesting and relevant people and see what happens. Some of them will
respond and some of the won’t. Learn about the people that follow up.
Find out what makes them interesting and how you can help them — and
don’t expect anything in return. 5. Don’t leave networking to chance. Take some time
and define what you are looking for in your network. Every once and
awhile you’ll stumble across someone amazing on accident, but it’s a lot
easier to find who you’re looking for if you know who they are in the
first place. Be proactive and create a list of people that you want to
contact on purpose. 6. Go beyond your industry. Connect with people on a
variety of levels from a wide range of areas. By growing your network
outside of the usual areas you will be more valuable to people that are
in your immediate industry. The people you work with have personalities
and multiple interests, right? With a broad network you can be the
person that connects people across industries. 7. Don’t dismiss anyone as irrelevant. Maybe you
don’t think a local blogger would be a good contact because you work at a
medical practice. However, when you open a new branch and you want to
let people know about it, you’ll be glad you reached out to someone with
an audience.
How to reach out to someone new
8. Quantify how much time you’re going to take. People
are busy and when someone new starts talking to them, the first thing
that comes to their mind is “How long is this person going to talk to
me?” or “How much time is this going to take?”
Address those concerns from the start by saying something like, “Hi. I
have one item that I’d like to briefly discuss with you. It should only
take two minutes. Do you have time now?” Asking questions like this not
only shows that you respect their time, it also gives you the option of
speaking with them later if they are too busy now. 9. Start by offering praise, not requesting help.
Unless you have a mutual contact that is putting you in touch for a
specific reason, it’s best to avoid asking for anything when you meet
for the first time. Don’t ask for favors, for promotion, for advice, or
even to meet up for lunch or coffee. Simply start by offering a short
compliment. After they respond to this initial contact, you can begin
moving things towards a more lengthy meeting. 10. Keep your emails short. If your first contact is
via email, then split the message into smaller segments. Instead of
reaching out to someone new with a long-winded, five paragraph
explanation of why you are contacting them, use that first email to
focus on a small bit of praise. You can send further details to them
after they reply. Keep that first message friendly and short. 11. If you must ask for a favor, then ask for permission to continue. There
are some situations where you need to ask for something, but don’t have
the luxury of time to get to know them. Most situations don’t fall
under this category, but if you must ask for something, then weave in
requests for permission before you make an offer. I’ll give a real
example.
I was recently talking to the director of an organization about
offering a new course to his clients. I started by asking for permission
to continue. “I’ve run successful courses on X before. Would you like
to know more?”
He was interested and we ended up having a great conversation.
An additional benefit of this strategy is that you are getting the
other party to say, “Yes,” to you. As a general rule, if you can get
someone say yes to you three times, then the odds of your offer being
accepted by them drastically increase. You don’t need to ask permission
for everything, but if you’re opening a conversation where you will need
to make an offer, then it can work wonders.
How to build the relationship
12. Try to provide as much value as you possibly can.
The more value you create, the more it will come back to you many times
over. Focus all of your networking efforts on helping the people you
contact. 13. Start by focusing on being friendly and helpful.
This is the number one tactic you can use to build your network. Simply
spread information in a friendly and helpful way. Did you read a book
that someone in your network will enjoy? Tell them about it or send them
a copy. Are you using something that would help a friend with a project
they are working on? Email it to them. Hear a new music album that a
someone might enjoy? Send it their way. Building your network is the
same as building friends. Be interested in what they are doing and offer
friendly suggestions when you can. 14. Develop the habit of introducing people.
Connecting like-minded people is a powerful to enhance your network. The
idea of doing this seems foreign to many people, but it is actually
quite easy. Do you know two people who enjoy reading the same type of
books? Or like the same sports teams? Or love reading about history? Or
work in the same industry? You get the point. Don’t make it hard, just
introduce the two of them by sharing their common interest. They can
decide if they want to pursue the relationship further. 15. Ask if people want to be connected. If you’re
apprehensive about connecting two people, then ask one of them if they
want to be connected. “I know another person that’s doing Y. Would you
like for me to introduce you sometime?” Even if they aren’t interested,
they will appreciate the offer. 16. Nurture your current network. Most people think
of networking as reaching out to new people, but don’t forget about the
network that you already have. (Hint: You probably call them your
friends and co-workers.) There is no need to wait to meet new people to
start connecting others or sharing useful information. Network within
the groups that are already close by.
Making networking a habit
17. Try to contact one person per day. If you reach
out to 5 new people every week, that would be about 250 per year.
Sending an email or making a quick call will only take about 5 minutes
of your day. Not everyone is going to get back to you, but if you
contact that many new people, then you’re bound to make significant
progress. 18. Don’t take “No,” personally. Everyone is busy.
For most people, it’s simply a matter of timing. If you catch them on a
good day, then they will happily talk or meet with you. If they’re
swamped, however, then a simple “No” might be all that you get. Don’t
take it to heart. In most cases, it’s not a reflection of you or what
you said. 19. Make it a point to follow up. One or two days
after meeting someone for the first time, follow up with a brief email
or note. This is an opportunity to develop the relationship by bringing
up a topic that you discussed before or making a comment on an
interesting topic. Following up with relevant conversation helps to
anchor your previous interaction in their mind and displays more
personality than just sending a message that says, “Thanks for talking!” 20. Did you fail? Try reaching out in a different way.
You don’t want to pester anyone, but if you give them a few weeks and
don’t hear a response, then there is nothing wrong with being
persistent. For example, dropping in to talk face to face has resulted
in great conversations with people that previously ignored my emails.
Sometimes switching it up is all you need to do.
Things to remember
21. Network with the intention of helping other people, not yourself.
People enjoy doing business with those that they trust and like. The
only way to build that trust is to engage with others in a helpful way.
Yes, trust takes a long time to build, but insincerity takes even longer
to overcome. Once you’ve developed a relationship and created a bond,
then you can move on to negotiating for favors and asking for help. 22. Networking is more about listening to what people say than saying the right things.
Take the time to listen to people’s stories. You can only provide
something of value to them if you listen to who they are and what they
do. 23. Sometimes the best networking opportunities involve real work.
Volunteer for events, committees, or projects that will have
interesting people at them — or better — working for them. Working on a
project or task with someone is one of the best ways to develop a
relationship. For example, volunteering for a non–profit can be a great
way to get to know their influential board members. 24. Email is easy to send … and ignore. Yes, email
is quick, simple, and can be sent to anyone, anywhere. It’s also very
easy to be filtered out and ignored. If you really want to meet someone,
then don’t be afraid to pick up the phone, propose a video chat, or
arrange a face-to-face meeting. These communication channels are usually
less crowded and more personal, which means that your message will be
more memorable. Email can be a great tool, but don’t be afraid to mix it
up.
Networking for People Who Hate Networking (Berrett-Koehler
2010), which is translated into 11 languages, offers a completely new –
and infinitely more effective take – on networking. Networking isn’t
about working a room or telling everyone how fabulous you are. Real
networking is building meaningful, lasting, mutually beneficial
connections one person at a time.
This new and improved definition of networking means being true to
you; capitalizing on your strengths, and tossing aside ‘rules’ that
don’t match your temperament. The book’s self-assessment identifies your
networking style. However, here are a few tidbits designed especially
for you:
1. Be True To You
You are better qualified to be you than anyone else. Stamp out
networking advice that demands you behave in ways that drain you.
Harness natural abilities as networking strengths rather than
liabilities. Like to listen, not talk? Do it. Energize alone? Go for it.
Prefer one-on-one conversation? Arrange it.
2. Realize Less Is More
Be selective. Go to fewer events and be more focused when attending –
rather than dragging your weary self to every business opportunity and
showing up like a networking prisoner.
3. Plan Your First Impression
Cognitive scientists say it can take up to 200 times the amount of
information to undo a first impression as it takes to make one. Who has
that kind of spare time? Not you! Show up with the best version of you,
every time. You never know who you are meeting.
4. Volunteer
Many of us dislike networking events because we don’t know what to
say to a group of strangers. Free floating through a room is a fast
track to free-floating anxiety. What to do? Simple. Volunteer to help
out. Voila! You have a purpose and something to talk about. Even better,
you position yourself as someone helpful – proving
how indispensable you are rather than telling everyone about it.
5. Get In Line
This strategy is brilliant. You walk into a networking event with
nowhere to go and no one to glom onto. What’s a desperate networker to
do? Get in a queue. Any queue. The longer the better!
Why? A queue gives you a place to put your body and a temporary
purpose in the world. There are only two people to talk with – the
person in front and person behind you. There is a reward – whatever is
given out at the front of the queue. And a natural ending – the front of
the queue. Nice meeting you! Ta-ta!
6. Set Challenging Yet Achievable Networking Goals
Well-formed goals vary by personality. At a networking event, task
yourself with meeting one or two people, not a dozen. And follow up (see
#10!).
7. Show Don’t Tell
Rather than boring others with a canned advert of how marvelous you
are, demonstrate live-time your fabulous self. Be useful and gracious.
Greet others with a warm smile and leap at every chance to be helpful.
8. Research
Rather than wandering cavernous expo halls at industry events, do
your pre-work. Learn in advance what organizations are of particular
interest. Spend more time with fewer people. Impress key targets with
your knowledge of who they are and why you are a perfect match.
9. Listen
Ever sense your remarks just shoot off a cliff and crash to the
ground? Who needs that kind of pressure? Instead focus on those around
you, asking thoughtful questions. Network via a sincere interest in
others rather than promoting your fine self.
10. Follow-Up Or Forget About It
If you’re not following up, you’re not networking! We forget half of
what we hear within 48 hours. Write personalized follow-up within two
days or risk having your brilliant remarks erased permanently from the
minds of those you wowed. If you’re not following up, you’re not
networking.
Good luck out there! See you at a networking event. I’ll be standing alone by the buffet. Come say hi!
