Lab 18: Understanding SOHO Networking Options
Objective
: This assignment is designed to familiarize you with the basics of Small Office/Home Office (SOHO) networking options, both wireless and wired.
Equipment Needed
: Internet Access
Part 1: Wireless Networking
Investigate the 802.11 standards for wireless networks, commonly referred to as Wi-Fi. Start your research with this link
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1.
Compare speeds and ranges of the 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n (Wi-Fi 4), 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5), and 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6) standards.
- 802.11b: Speed: Up to 11 Mbps, Range: Up to 150 feet indoors,802.11g: Speed: Up to 54 Mbps, Range: Up to 150 feet indoors,802.11n (Wi-Fi 4): Speed: Up to 600 Mbps, Range: Up to 230 feet indoors, 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5): Speed: Up to 3.5 Gbps, Range: Up to 230 feet indoors, 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6): Speed: Up to 9.6 Gbps, Range: Up to 230 feet indoors
2.
Explain the difference between a wireless adhoc network and a wireless infrastructure network.
In a wireless adhoc network, all devices communicate direcly with each other without a central access point. In a wireless infrastructure network, devices connect to a central access point or a router.
3.
Discuss a scenario where a wireless network is more suitable than a wired network for home use.
A wireless network is more suitable for home use in scenarios where mobility and flexibility are required
Part 2: Ethernet (Wired) Networking
Ethernet is a widely used networking system today.
1.
Discuss the types and speeds of Ethernet cables commonly used in home or office networks.
Category 5e (Cat5e): Speed: Up to 1 Gbps, it is used for home and small office networks with not lots of devices, Category 6 (Cat6): Speed: Up to 10 Gbps, it can provide better performance and less interference compared to Cat5e. Suitable for high-speed networks and multimedia streaming with more devices connecting to the network.
2.
Explain a scenario where a wired network is more suitable for home use than a wireless network.
A wired network is more suitable for home use than a wireless network, the scenario where we need reliability, stability with a highspeed connection to WiFi.
Reflection:
Reflect on your initial understanding of home networking options and how this assignment has expanded your knowledge.
- I think wired networking can involve devices connecting to the Internet with physical cables like Ethernet cable. While wireless networking does not need physical cables to transmit the data signal. Depend on the purposes such as realiablity, stability and consistent speed that we can choose between wired or wireless networking.
CF1 19
