Home Networking: A Visual Do-It-Yourself Guide

Limiting Access: Closing the Barn Door Before the Cow Gets Out

Your first line of defense in virtually any situation is to control access to important resources. That's why banks keep their money in vaults rather than in bags by their front doors. If a customer comes in and needs cash, a trusted bank employee gains access to that vault and retrieves the currency. These types of strict controls ensure the safety and security of the bank's assets.

Likewise, controlling the access to your home network also helps protect your safety and security. You apply these controls using several types of security measures that are discussed in the sections that follow.

Firewalls

In computer terms, a firewall is an application that controls the traffic between ...