You must also decipher arcane network settings in Windows. Fortunately, some networking alternatives don't need ethernet cables. These solutions make it much easier to connect all the computers in your home without punching through the walls. Home networking kits come in three versions besides the traditional ethernet-based design. Power-line networks operate across the same wires and outlets that your appliances use, but they suffer from poor performance and are not considered further here.
Wireless networks use radio waves and require no physical connections.
All three types of kits have been available for a couple of years, but they've been plagued by slow speed, high cost, or both. The new specs equal those of a conventional 10Base-T ethernet network. That kind of bandwidth lets you listen to MP3 audio files located on another computer on the network. It also allows you to do several network-challenging tasks at once. Multitasking finally hits the home market.