3Com 3CRWE50194 User Guide - Page 9

1 Welcome To Home Wireless In today's fast-paced world, communication and sharing information are crucial. Computer networks are among the fastest ways to share information, and wireless computer networks are rapidly becoming the most convenient way of connecting computers. 3Com has brought this exciting technology into the home with the HomeConnectTM Wireless Gateway. The products that compose the HomeConnect line give you, the home user, the same power, flexibility, and protection that has been available only to large corporations. Now, you can network the computers in your home, connect them all to a single Internet outlet, and harness the combined power of all of your computers using both wired and wireless connections. HomeConnect Wireless Gateway The HomeConnect Wireless Gateway is designed to provide effective and transparent management of both your home computer network, as well as your connection to the Internet with the convenience of a wireless connection. The gateway also provides protection in the form of an electronic "firewall," preventing anyone outside of your network from seeing your files or damaging your computers. As you can see in Figure 1, one computer is connected to the Internet. This computer must always be powered on for the other computers on the network to access the Internet. Figure 1 Home Network Without a Wireless Gateway Internet Cable or DSL modem When you use the wireless gateway in your network (Figure 2), it becomes your connection to the Internet, as well as providing you with many other options, such as network management, firewall protection, and roaming 1