At Rocky Mountain Computer Specialists, we consider ourself resident experts when it comes to network installation. It’s one of our many computer services in the Centennial, Colorado area, and centers on the basic idea of creating a secure, reliable, high-speed network for your home or company. Because modern technology and internet access is so widespread, the small parts that go into a solid computer and wireless network are often taken for granted by the everyday consumer or internet user.

We took a moment to highlight the most basic network components that make our services thrive and last for years after installation:

Router
We’re willing to bet everyone knows what an router is. If you’ve ever had wi-fi, you’ve most likely reset, or at least seen, a router before. These are the consoles that establish a wireless connection with the internet and your devices. But how do they work? Well, a router quite literally creates a route or bridge between two networks. One may be a device, and one may be the Internet itself. As an example, a home internet router establishes the lines of communication between your electronic devices and the Internet. It can also establish protections around your networks, called firewalls. Those firewalls can be put up or taken down, but often provide critical privacy and security for both residential and commercial computer networks.

VPN
You’ve probably heard this term thrown around with cell phones or personal laptops. If you use a VPN, or virtual private network, you’re basically allowing someone to remotely access a network. So for example, working from home is possible if a personal or work-issued device is connected to your office network via a VPN. Of course these things may take certain permissions based on your company’s policies for that example in particular, but those are also questions Rocky Mountain Computer Specialists can answer.

Switches
A switch turns device connections on and off. Not in the literal sense, though. It’s how you connect computers to printers or other servers. In professional settings, managed switches are often used to program and design a wonderful network of work-oriented data and machines, like an drive full of archived content that can be accessed by any computer in the office. Unmanaged switches are common in homes, where access and security are not as big of an issue.

IP Address
Every device with a network, or an ability to connect to a network, has an IP address. Your personal laptop’s IP address is essentially it’s Internet ID, differentiating it from all other devices worldwide. Routers successfully link IP addresses, building digital bridges that eventually lead to strong networks.

Rocky Mountain Computer Specialists offer a variety of computer programming and maintenance services to our neighbors in South Denver. Call us today with your digital needs.