The following is a Plus Edition article written by and copyright by Dick Eastman. 

NOTE: This article has nothing to do with genealogy. If you are looking for genealogy-related articles, I suggest you skip this one. However, it answers a question that a newsletter reader asked and I suspect that many other readers have similar questions.

Several years ago, I added another hard drive to my collection of hard drives installed on my computer. The new drive is to be available to be shared amongst all the computers owned by family members. In addition, any of us can access our files from anywhere in the world, using an Internet connection and a user name and password. 

In addition, anyone with an in-home local network also can share the Internet connection with multiple game consoles, VoIP telephones, cell phones (using wi-fi), tablet computers, home security systems, modern Internet-connected thermostats, FAX machines, and other Internet-compatible devices.

A newsletter reader recently wrote, "How can I use that if I don't have a local network?"

I suspect the reader does have a local area network in her home but probably doesn't know it. The same may be true for you.

Most broadband Internet connections these days include local area networks. If you only use your Internet connection on one computer, the installer probably never mentioned the network capabilities to you. There are a few exceptions, but I am guessing that 90% or more of all recently-installed, in-home broadband Internet connections include a local area network. If your broadband connection does include this capability, you can connect multiple computers, printers, hard drives, and more to the network and share them amongst family members. Depending on the software installed, you might be able to securely access your files from places outside your home if you enable this capability. Most Internet providers do not charge extra for using additional computers on an in-home network.

How to Discover if You Already Have a Network

First, are you using a wireless wi-fi connection to connect your computer to the router installed in your home? If so, you already have an in-home network installed. You can connect more computers to the same network by using wi-fi. You may have to call your Internet provider to configure the additional devices. You will need to know the SSID (a network address), password, and possibly some other parameters. These will vary from one Internet provider to another.

If you are not using wi-fi or if you want to add a non-wi-fi device to a wi-fi router, look at the back of your router. If you see four or five network connectors, you already have a network. See the picture below for an example:

The above is a picture of a router installed in a home. The network connectors are commonly called RJ-45 connectors. They look like oversized versions of the connectors used by most telephones in North America. 

Your router might be a different brand, and the arrangement of the connectors may be a bit different. However, if you see four or more of those connectors, you already have a local area network installed in your home, even if you are only using one computer. You can add computers and other devices by simply running a network cable from the computer or other device to the back of the router.

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