If you have multiple computers in your home, networking them is a great idea! There are several big advantages to setting up an in-home network, if one of the computers has a printer attached, then the other computer can print to it over the network.
If one of the computers has certain files on it, someone on the other computer can access those files over the network rather than having to copy them onto a disk or memory stick.
If you like playing multi-user computer games that have network capabilities built in, then two people can play these games together over the network.
If you connect to the Internet with one of the computers, the other computer can use that same connection over the network. So one computer can connect to the Internet with a modem and the other computer will route its Internet traffic through that single connection.
In addition to using computers for e-mail, people use them for schoolwork, shopping, instant messaging, downloading music and videos, and playing games. For many home owners, one computer is no longer enough. In a household with multiple computers, a home network often becomes a necessity rather than a technical toy.
A home network is simply a method of allowing computers to communicate with one another. If you have two or more computers in your home, a network can let them share: Files and documents and Printers.
The different network types use different hardware, but they all have the same essential components, More than one computer, Hardware (such as a router) and software (either built in to the operating system or as a separate application) to coordinate the exchange of information and a path for the information to follow from one computer to another¬.