eBay® PowerSeller Business Practices FOR DUMMIES®

Chapter 47. Getting Free with a Home Network

In This Practice

• Working from your patio instead of your desk

• Figuring out what kind of network you need

• Installing your network

Networking is so common among successful companies (and homebased businesses) these days that a business raises eyebrows if it doesn't have a network. Not that you should ever adopt a business practice just because everybody else is doing it, but . . . they're doing it for some very good reasons that are appropriate for a PowerSeller to consider. These include greater efficiency and higher profits (courtesy of the time you save by using computers most effectively). So that's what this practice is about — giving your PowerSelling a boost with networking.

What is a network? A network is a way to connect computers so they can communicate with each other — as if they were one giant computer with different terminals. The best part is that a network enables high-speed sharing of Internet connections, as well as of printers and other peripherals. You can (for example) set up your network to have one computer run bookkeeping, another running a graphics server, and others doing duty as personal PCs for different users. From each networked computer, you can access programs, files, printers, scanners and other hardware on all other networked computers.

By networking your home (or eBay office), you'll save time by having the flexibility to work from different rooms or locations. (City dwellers, don't hate me for this . . . those ...