Signed in as:
filler@godaddy.com
Signed in as:
filler@godaddy.com
While we understand the wanting to just plug-it-in and for it to "just work", we have learned over the years it's very important to help teach our clients some key fundamentals of how the technology works.
By teaching we help you understand the importance of how key components work and why they're required to make the magic of networking work.
Ethernet wiring is the backbone of every network for the past 25+ years. Over time the quality and ruggedness of the cables have improved allowing for higher speed data transmissions and even supplying low voltage electricity to connected devices.
Ethernet cable is rated by categories (CAT), helping users understand the capabilities of that cable. Today the ideal standard to use is CAT 6A (aka CAT 6E), which is a good blend of capabilities for today's usage and allows for future growth.
WiFi has been around since 1997, and since then it has evolved to be ubiquitous in our lives. Practically every device and computer made today that is internet connected features a WiFi transceiver.
Every few years the bandwidth capabilities of WiFi grow and create a new standard. Because the alphabet soup at the end of the 802.11 standard was getting long and complicated, they started simplifying it for us mare mortals. So now you can quickly identify your WiFi networks capabilities based upon its "generation", for example WiFi 4, WiFi 5, WiFi 6, WiFi 6E, and the latest WiFi 7.
Currently most devices in use commonly use WiFi 5 or 6, with the newest released products supporting 6E and 7.
When planning your WiFi network consider future proofing by deploying at least WiFi 6E, if not 7 should your budget allow.
The greater World Wide Web and Internet is commonly referred to as your Wide Area Network connection.
It basic terms the WAN is all of the networks outside of your own network, often public and outside of your control.
Common Internet Service Providers (ISPs) include AT&T, Spectrum, Optimum, Verizon, and T-Mobile -- but there are many more smaller and regional ones too.
Your internal local area network is known as your LAN. It will begin with your Router and then connect all of the devices and computers you have control over on your network.
Networks often expand, upgrade, and evolve over time so it is important to build flexibility into your design. Simple home networks can have a dozen or so devices on them, while major campuses and businesses could have a large complex one that can be grouped as Virtual LANs (VLAN).
The "quarterback" of your network that controls the whole thing.
Ubiquiti UniFi Consoles are some of the best made, license free, and ideal for creating a robust network backbone that will scale to your needs.
Ubiquiti Dream Machine Consoles feature Apps that control features including network traffic, security cameras, locks and access controls, audio and kiosk equipment, and even Electric Vehicle (EV) charging.
Gateways are defined as the entry point to your LAN, but in basic terms they are a Modem and Router combined into one.
Routers are the traffic cop of your network, directing the data on where it should go. They take a single internet (WAN) connection and then share that with multiple devices on your own network (LAN).
Routers utilize a protocol known as Dynamic Host Client Protocol (DHCP) which is geek-speak for the addresses, or name tags, that it issues connected devices. Every device on your network will have an Internet Protocol (IP) address that is issued by your Router.
Be careful having two routers on the same network or they'll fight with each other for control, requiring you to make one submissive to the other. This is known as Double Network Address Translation (NAT).
Switches allow you to expand and combine connections on your network.
Importantly you can create bottlenecks if combining slower older Switches on your network because all connected devices to that switch are limited to its maximum bandwidth.
Today Network Switches come in several speeds from older "Fast Ethernet" 100 Megabit per second (Mbps), to "Gigabit Ethernet" 1 Gigabit per second (Gbps), and now the fastest "10GbE" 10 Gbps.
Switches can be either managed or unmanaged, meaning having an internal computer that can delegate specific traffic versus just simple expansion.
Access Points can be built-in to your router for simplicity or external allowing for maximum performance.
Depending on the kind and size of network you're creating, each type of Access Point has its own advantages.
For residential home based WiFi Networks often one or two Access Points get the job done when calibrated and spaced properly.
For business or church based WiFi networks it is important to plan the demands of the network carefully. Each access point can serve a specific number of clients and placed strategically to encourage the best quality of connections.
Importantly Access Points are NOT repeaters. Repeaters are simply like a parrot that repeats what it hears in order to "expand" service range. We strongly discourage using WiFi Repeaters.
As previously discussed there are now seven generations of WiFi since its inception in 1997.
Originally (aka WiFi Prime) was just 2.4 Gigahertz (GHz), but it quickly became saturated with interference because of the extremely limited amount of channels.
Beginning in 1999 the 5 GHz frequency band became available however had slower adoption.
Today most WiFi enabled devices can take advantage of both 2.4 and 5GHz frequencies, but environmental considerations must be made for your deployment.
Beginning with WiFi 6E the introduction of the 6GHz band has become available. While the signal is more fragile, it has very little interference allowing for ultra fast connections to the latest capable devices.
Ethernet wiring is a low voltage rated wire that has eight individual conductors twisted together into four pairs. Over the years the ruggedness of the wire and its protection (shielding) from interference is graded by category (CAT).
The first eight conductor Ethernet wires were rated as CAT 5, meaning it was capable of "Fast Ethernet" connections up to 100 Mbps. The world quickly outgrew that and then CAT 5E was introduced that allowed speeds up to 1 Gbps.
Over the last two decades the standards have evolved to allow powered devices and even higher speed connections, but those require higher quality Ethernet wire that has shielding and pure copper wires -- thus introducing CAT 6A / 6E and CAT 7 wiring. When planning your network we recommend using CAT 6A / 6E wiring to allow reliable connections and be ready for the future.
Modems translate the proprietary signal from your Internet Service Provider into an Ethernet WAN connection that you connect to your Router.
Commonly coaxial cable based internet will have a traditional "dumb modem" that simply translates their signal to a WAN IP address.
Some Modems can have a Router built into them, but those all-in-one devices then become referred to as a "Gateway" instead.
For connections that require ultimate performance, fiber optic wires and cables are used. Because information is transmitted with laser, the communication is at the speed of light which makes it almost instantaneous.
Currently fiber optic connections are used to link sections of networks together similar to a tree trunk, or used when connecting to very busy links like a server.
Sharing and pooling data is important in many workflows. Keeping extremely large amounts of data is impractical to store on an internet storage solution like iCloud, One Drive, or Dropbox, therefore having Network Attached Storage (NAS) is the ideal solution.
NAS drives come in different shapes and capacities, most often used for storing huge media files or databases that need to be quickly accessed on the LAN. Usually these devices will be connected with the highest performing links on the network like fiber optic or 10GbE cables.
GRELLY Tech | Quality Craftsmanship, Expertise, with Texas Hospitality
GRELLY Tech
1320 Arrow Point Dr
STE 501-80
Cedar Park, Texas 78613
United States of America
Service SMS Text Line: 830-283-6075
Phone: 830-347-3559
Easy to remember: 830-3GRELLY
Fax: 830-214-8601
Office Hours: 8:30am to 7:00pm (CST)
Tuesday thru Friday
Our major vendor accreditations:
Apple Independent Repair Provider (IRP)
OWC (Other World Computing) Authorized Reseller
EasySplicer Authorized Service Center - North America
Copyright © 2002 - 2024 | GRELLY LLC
Because we do business with Europeans, this is a required notification that GRELLY Tech is GDPR Privacy Compliant.
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is an EU law focused on data protection and privacy. We at GRELLY LLC take your privacy very seriously and protect any information you share with us.
We strongly believe that privacy is a fundamental right and we work very hard to protect your privacy and information you share with us.