Gateway M520 User Guide Gateway M520 Notebook - Page 112

Introduction to networking A network is a collection of computers and other devices that communicate with each other. Using a network A network lets you: ■ Share a single Internet connection ■ Share computer drives ■ Share peripheral devices ■ Stream audio and video files ■ Play multi-player games Sharing a single Internet connection Each computer connected to the network can share the same broadband connection or modem and telephone line to access the Internet at the same time. This saves on the cost of installing another telephone line for your second computer and paying for a second Internet service provider (ISP) account. Sharing drives With a network, you can copy files from computer to computer by copying and pasting or dragging and dropping. You will no longer waste your time transferring files by using recordable media. In addition, you can map a drive on a networked computer to another computer, and access the files as if they were located on the hard drive of the computer you are using. Sharing peripheral devices Each computer that is connected to the network can share the same peripheral devices, such as a printer. Select print from the computer you are currently using and your file is automatically printed on your printer no matter where it is located on your network. 106 www.gateway.com