Windows Vista®: Home Networking

Types of Network Configurations

Once you know you’re ready for a network, you have to figure out what kind of network is right for you. You’ll likely choose between one of these types: direct connection, Ethernet, and wireless.

Note

This chapter provides an overview of network configurations. Entire books have been written on each type, and I in no way hope to compete with them here. I provide only a brief introduction to network options, types, and hardware to get you started, and I will expand on these topics as needed throughout this book.

Direct Connection

If you have only two computers to network and you trust everyone who has access to those two computers, you might consider a simple direct connection network. This connection type is almost ...