a VERY Easy Home Network

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The obvious solution would be to install a network to carry the line to every computer in the house. I've steered clear of a having network in my home office. I once spent several days trying to hook up 2 computers using Windows 95, and finally gave up after only intermittently being able to make the computers communicate. I swore that my days on the floor with my computers were over and I ran my own "network" by transferring Zip disks from one computer to another

A new technology is on the horizon, the Home PNA (Phone Networking Alliance) network. I remembered reading about this network that would connect through existing home phone lines. It was in its infancy - so I checked around.

HPNA has made some amazing strides. Now in version 2.0, it will run your home network at ethernet speed, 10Mbps (ten megabytes per second - the same speed as a real corporate network) and extend your high-speed internet connection to anywhere in your home or office. After checking out all the reviews, the same name kept coming up: Netgear.

Netgear offers a home PNA card that not only is plug and play, but also allows you to talk on the phone while using the network. Netgear's "do-not-disturb" feature causes it not to completely take over the phone line, nor will talking on the phone degrade the speed of the network connection.

The card was simple enough to install, just open the computer case and snap it into an available slot. Of course, this is usually the time that things go sour - when you start up the computer. Amazingly, "plug-and-play" was never easier.  At first glance the instructions supplied on a single page fold-out sheet look like they’d never do the trick, but they do. Netgear includes a CD with all the software that you need. No need to search for the required drivers, their set-up program takes you step by step. Within a few minutes, you’ll be able to print a page on a remote computer’s printer or share files.

My teenage daughter installed the network on her own computer, and we can now share printers, files, a CD-burner and internet connections without using our "sneakernet" of the past.

My favorite part of the setup is the new Home Network USB adapter. I clipped the small unit to the back of my laptop, and literally within seconds, connected to my other computers!

If this sounds too easy, it probably is. I’m no techie and it worked for me on first try. One caveat though, when it comes to sharing a high speed internet connection over a Home Network line, there are a few more steps. You need to set up a TCP/IP connection.  My advice? Don’t even attempt to do it unless you know what you’re doing.  Call Netgear’s 24/7 tech support at 888-NETGEAR. They’ll patiently walk you through it, step by step.

I feel like I've really accomplished something, it's not "black-magic" any more. I have a flawless network that I never realized could be as useful as it is. I have a warp speed internet connection that goes beyond my wildest dreams. I passed the boundaries from novice to geek with the help of modern technology. Now my mornings are complete. I can stay that extra ½ hour in bed, watching Matt Lauer and Katie Couric on the Today show. No need to zoom into the office to check my auctions and email. I can just plug the laptop into the phone jack and fly like the wind.