Usually when one has a network connectivity issue, the first reaction is to blame the router. When the router checks out, the next blame is pinned on the internet modem. After that, the blame is pinned on the network card itself.

Wrong.

You should have checked the network cable first. And if that checks out, then you check the other stuff.

Years ago a LAN Administrator told me, "99% of all LAN problems start with cabling." And he was correct. This is advice I still follow to this day.

What makes a network cable fail in the home?

This is divided into two sections: Stuff that is your fault and stuff that is not.

Network cable problems that are not your fault:

Poor build quality

The cable is thin, the shielding is subpar, the connectors aren’t crimped correctly. Not your fault.

Coiled improperly or not at all

The best cable makes a perfect coil (more on that in a moment). And there is no over-the-counter consumer grade network cable you can buy that coils perfectly. What you receive instead is an improperly "figure 8" or oval-wrapped (and twist-tied) cable – and it sucks. This is because those methods of packaging break shielding and damages the cable on the inside  before you even get it. Again, not your fault.

Network cable problems that are your fault:

Stretched

Any tension on a network cable is bad, period.

Pets

When kitty decides to make your cable a teeth-sharpener, that’s obviously not good.

Tension at the connector

Again, tension is bad. If your cable is pulled at its connector on either side, this isn’t good.

Too hot

Is your network cable next to a window an exposed to the sun during the day? If it is, move it.

Who makes the best network cable?

Two types of people make the best cable.

1. A network installer.

At a company where I previously worked, if you wanted some network cable, the guy (who happened to be a Nortel tech) would go to the truck, pull the cable off a spool and crimp it personally.

2. You.

Making your own network cable is relatively easy. You need a pro-grade crimper and decent cable stock. The stock I’m referring to only comes in a box and you have to buy at least 500 feet (roughly 150 meters) of it. Examples and prices of this are here, starting with most expensive.

Boxed network cable comes in a spool. When packaged this way it perfectly coils like it’s supposed to and therefore lasts longer.

What’s the big deal about coiling?

As a test, from a standing position you should be able to use one hand, feed cable to the floor and make a circle (the coil) easily. If the cable does this, it’s good. If not, it’s junk.

A network cable that coils well will last about 10 years assuming it’s laid properly. One that doesn’t will not last nearly as long.

How long can a network cable be?

100 meters (328 feet). And I have personally witnessed a network admin test this limit before – and lost. It was in a production environment on the plant floor. A length of cable needed to go 330 feet. At 325 the signal degraded completely and a network hub had to be installed just to accommodate for the last 5 feet to carry the signal.

For anyone that needs extended length cable like this, I strongly recommend not to exceed 250 feet (just over 76 meters). If you are in the situation where you must go beyond that, buy a low-cost 4-port network switch as a "repeater" of sorts. Then you’ll get the extra length you need. Bear in mind they must be powered (they all come supplied with their own power adapter).

Why bother with a long network cable when there’s wireless?

As any homeowner that has a three-floor and/or vintage house setup will tell you, wireless doesn’t always work. Even with N range (the next level above G) it may still not be able to be received. In that situation you’re forced to go with a traditional wired setup – even if it’s just to snake a wire two floors up to connect a second wireless router.

So I should never buy network cable from the store again?

No. What I am saying is to know what you’re buying. Understand that cable "likes" to naturally coil.

I will say this: If you see network cable in a package in that dreaded oval or figure 8 style wrap, don’t buy it. Purposely seek out cable that is packaged as a circle. It may not be as good as making your own cable, but at least you have relative assurance it will last longer.

Final note: Telephone cable in your house is flat-style wiring. That doesn’t coil because it can’t in the way it’s made. "Round-wound" cable, such as network cable is, will.

There are two facts which are pretty much indisputable:

1. Most of us are working with not only more files, but much larger files, than we were only a few years ago.
2. Most of us have an old PC which we don’t really have a use for.

Solution: You can use that old PC as network storage. It is easy to do.

Continued

I discussed previously the benefits and the downfalls of a wireless network. Now, let’s put one together.

Installing Wireless Adapters

In order to access a wireless network, each computer needs to have a wireless adapter installed. As discussed previously, there are different styles of them available. Each one comes with instructions for installation and this should be your main guide. However, I will try to provide some basic outline of how to go about it.

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OK, now it’s time to actually start doing some networking. Setting up an Ethernet network is usually very easy. The hard part usually comes in running the cables. If you are networking PCs that are in different rooms, then you have the joy associated with running wires through your attic, walls, etc. I’m not going to go into how to tear holes in your wall, but I will show you how to do the actual network setup. The good part is that most Ethernet networks are plug-and-play.

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This is a guest post authored by Monte Russel.

VPN (Virtual Personal Network) is very convent way to connect while you are away from your normal network. This is a network protocol that builds a private path or tunnel from your computer to the network you want to connect to. A lot of companies utilize this protocol for their employees to connect to the business network while traveling or working from home.

As with all network devices, once you leave the safety of the local area network (LAN) and connect to the Wide Area Network (WAN) or World Wide Web (WWW) your protocol is subject to attack by the unscrupulous that inhabit the WWW. Hackers, thieves, and criminals have tools to defeat a normal VPN’s security. To be safest, you or your company should invest in a commercial VPN package.

A commercial package will have encryption as part of the VPN. With the encryption you will have two keys, a private key and a public key. Only you know the password to the private key and only the company knows the public key. For a hacker to gain access to the encrypted data you are sending back and forth on the VPN they have to crack both keys the public and the private key. By the time they have cracked the key you will have ended your session and move away from their locality. That is unless you establish your VPN and leave it on for a long period of time, a very long time. At this time the best programs that can recover passwords take anywhere from two days to a week to get the password to a 16 bit encrypted key. Newer programs use 58 bit or 64 bit encryption keys.

So now you want to know if your VPN is encrypted? Well one way to know is ask your IT department. Another is when you installed your VPN did you have a ‘Certificate’ that you had to install and then create a password? If you have a certificate and had to create a password then type random characters on the key board to create the key you have encryption.

If you don’t have encryption I suggest you contact your IT Director or Manager and find out why your VPN is open to anyone who wants to connect while you are connected. An open VPN is an invitation not only to the data you are transferring back and forth but to the sending and receiving computers. It is like an open door on a hot summer day, any thing can and will come in to the house.

To read more about the VPN Protocol see this RFC:
Security Architecture for the Internet Protocol
http://www.diy-computer-repair.com/vpn.html

About The Author: Monte Russell is a certified Systems Engineer with a degree in Computer Electronics Technology, MCSE, CNA, A+, and many commercial hardware certificates. His web site www.diy-computer-repair.com offers insight in to self computer repair. His free monthly newsletter is always intriguing and full of insights about computing. Subscribe for free at http://www.diy-computer-repair.com/newsletter-signup.html

If you have ever noticed, almost all current network cards support 10/100/1000 ethernet, but very few routers actually support the /1000. The last /1000 is actually called gigabit networking, allowing you to transfer 1 gigabit per second – which is the same as 1000 megabits per second or 125 megabytes per second – over your network. This increase in speed is significant, especially if you need to transfer large files between computers on your network.

Gigabit routers are available, but they are usually pretty pricey. I have a solution that can work with your current setup for under $50. It can definitely be worth the extra money if you intend to do any file transfers. Time is money, you know. Here’s what I recommend:

• Check out your favorite computer warehouse – I will use Newegg for sample prices – to find a simple gigabit switch that has 4 ports or more.
• Dlink and Linksys both have switches available for under $35 at Newegg which can be used for this purpose
• When you get the switch, you will want to shut off your router and modem
• Unplug all the ethernet cables on your router except the one that goes to your modem
• Plug the switch into the router with an Ethernet cable
• Plug all computers and other networked devices directly into the switch

Using this process allows all the computers on your home network (assuming they are all wired into this switch) to communicate at gigabit speeds, without investing in a gigabit router.
In my house, I have Ethernet wired in the walls to a few different locations. All the drops lead to the furnace room where they are mounted in the wall. I have it set up so that there is a gigabit switch in the furnace room supplying signal to two of the locations, and the other lead goes to my room, where I have it go into another gigabit switch with my equipment plugged in there. Then, from there, that switch goes into the router.

My overall network speed has seen a very noticeable increase since the switch to gigabit. For me, it was well worth my time. I hope it can be worth yours too!