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Networks: Ethernet and Wireless Networking - Page 1

Last updated 11 March 2008

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The networking components required for a wired and a wireless network

Networking two or more computers should not be confused with the Dial-Up Networking that is used to make a dial-up modem (not a broadband modem) connect to the Internet or send faxes, etc. For this, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Me (collectively called Windows 9x in this article), Windows XP, and Windows Vista systems use a software Dial-Up Adapter that is installed under Network adapters in the Device Manager. If you install a hardware network interface card (NIC) that enables the computer to connect to a real network, it will also be listed there as a device.

You can enable a setting under Networks (Windows 9x) or Network Connections (Windows XP) in the Control Panel that places an icon for the Dial-Up Adapter (Windows 9x) or the 1394 Net Adapter/1394 Connection (Windows XP/SP2) in the System Tray/Notification Area. If you hold the mouse over the icon, the connection details appear. If you right-click on the icon, you are presented with several options, which depend on the version of Windows being used.

If you are familiar with networking in Windows XP and want to know about networking in Windows Vista, read the information in the table below.

Permanently stored within every network interface card (NIC) or wireless network adapter is a unique 48-bit binary number called the MAC (Media Access Control) Address. And it is by this MAC address that each NIC or adapter card is identified within a local area network (LAN). Indeed, it was because each NIC's MAC address uniquely identifies it in the log files of Internet servers that the writer of the infamous "I love you" virus was traced and brought to justice.

To find out what the MAC address is for a network card or adapter in Windows 98 or Windows Me, enter winipcfg in the Start => Run box. The MAC address is listed as the Adapter Address in the window that presents itself.

In Windows XP, enter cmd in the Start => Run box and then enter ipconfig /all at the command prompt.

In Windows Vista, enter cmd in the Start => Start Search box to bring up the command prompt and then enter ipconfig /all in it.

The MAC address is listed as its Physical Address. You may need to know the MAC address in order to set up a wireless network that shares an Internet connection.

See this page of the Build Your Own PC article for information on Windows Dial-Up Networking, and how to install and configure a 33.6K or 56K dial-up modem.

Networking two or more home computers is nowhere nearly as difficult as it used to be before the advent of Windows 95 in 1995 - even if it is a wireless network. In fact, it is now a relatively simple procedure to set up a peer-to-peer (wired or wireless) home network.

The alternative is to create a server-based network that uses one computer as the server, the resources of which are used to serve client computers. The client computers do not have to have any software other than the client network operating system installed on them. They take everything they need to use from the server over the network. But you do not need a server-based network to play network games, or use Microsoft's Internet Connection Sharing. This is just as well, because server and client networking requires the use of the expensive Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP Pro, the very much cheaper open-source Linux, and other server-client operating systems.

The Windows 9x versions of Windows (95/98/Me), Windows XP, and Windows Vista provide you with all of the software required to set up a peer-to-peer (P2P) network of 2 to 10 computers that allows file, printer, and Internet access sharing between all of the computers connected to the network.

The following page on Microsoft's site provides the latest information on peer-to-peer networking in Windows:

Windows Peer-to-Peer Networking -

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/network/p2p/default.mspx

You can purchase third-party alternatives, but Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) is the free software that was introduced with Windows 98 Second Edition, so, unless your make use of third-party software, you will have to have that version of Windows (or a more recent version) running on the computer with the modem that is connected to the Internet so that it can use its ICS software to share an Internet connection with the other Windows 9x computers on the network.

All of the computers running Windows 9x must be individually configured as ICS clients. However, with Windows XP, you can use the Network Setup Wizard to enable ICS on a single computer (running Windows XP), which has an option to create a Network Setup Disk that can then be used to enable it on the other Windows XP computers on the network.

The best solution to sharing an Internet connection over a network is to use a separate hardware router, often known as a "gateway", that links the computers together and connects to a broadband ADSL or cable modem, which, in turn, is constantly connected to the Internet Service Provider... There is more information on routers later on in this article.

Here is what Microsoft says about ICS in the Windows 98 SE Help files.

"Windows 98 now provides users the ability to share one Internet connection with multiple computers on your home network. One computer, the Connection Sharing computer, communicates with the Internet. Requests from other computers on your home network are routed to the Internet through the Connection Sharing computer. You can also configure Internet Connection Sharing to allow users on the Internet to reach Web, e-mail, and game servers that are on your home network."

Instructions on how to set up and use ICS are also provided in the Help files. It is a relatively straightforward process.

I will provide the basic information about home networking here, but, since there are numerous sites that provide excellent illustrated tutorials on how to install and configure a home network or Local Area Network (LAN), I will provide the links to some of those site at the end of this article instead of attempting to provide that kind of information myself.

By the way, a Wide Area Network (WAN) is the kind of network that libraries, the Government, the banks, and other businesses use to link their computers over a wide area, such as over the whole country, or internationally. The Internet itself is a giant WAN that spans the world.

Adam Webster e-mailed this description of a WAN.

"A WAN is what you would use to connect different LANs (i.e. sites) together. This is generally via a router or a bridge which is connected to another router or bridge via some sort of serial connection. This could be some sort of leased line such as a Kilostream, Megastream, ISDN or DSL line or via a wireless connection such as microwave, an infrared laser or via a Satellite link. Nowadays BT [British Telecom] can provide you with a connection called Optical Ethernet which is essentially one long Ethernet cable between your sites."

Network interface cards (NICs)

To begin, I'll provide information on wired networking, because I think you'll develop a better understanding of what is involved in networking if you understand the older technology, which you can then apply in coming to an understanding of wireless networking.

That said, if you want to network two or more desktop and/or laptop computers in your home or office, it would be the best choice to use wireless equipment instead of old-fashioned wired equipment. Why? - Because the slowest wireless connection speed using 802.11b Wi-Fi equipment is 15 to 20 times faster than a reasonably fast broadband ADSL or cable connection, and wireless technology has advanced to the point where it is now reliable and it's a relatively simple matter to set the equipment up. Moreover, you can move the computers from room to room without having to lay cables and then relay them if you want to move the computers. If you move house, you wouldn't have to remove the cables, just the equipment.

The only users who would opt for wired equipment instead of wireless equipment are those who want to play the latest multi-player games across a network, or those who require the much faster data-transfer speeds or level of security that wired networks provide. The latest wired networks are still considerably faster and are far more secure than wireless networks.

Click here! if you want to go directly to the information I've provided on wireless networking on Page 2.

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To create a standard wired computer network requires having a hardware network interface card (an NIC, also known as an Ethernet adapter) installed on each of the computers that are linked by the correct kind of network cables. The hardware interface is provided by either ISA or PCI network interface cards (NICs). See the image of an Ethernet NIC below.

These NICs, like all other interface cards, will come with their software drivers that allows the operating system (e.g., Windows 9x or Windows XP) to use them. Windows 9x or Windows XP will provide the networking software that runs the network.

If you want to wire a laptop computer to to an Ethernet (wired) network, you would use a wired PCMCIA card that connects to the laptop and the network's hub, switch, or router. There is more information on hubs, switches, and routers further down in this article.

Wireless PCI NICs that come with their software drivers are also available, but, as with USB Ethernet network adapters, should only be used where wired PCI NICs are impractical, because the antennas are short and can cause connection problems with desktop computers located in corners and under desks, etc.

A wireless PCMCIA network card is used to connect a laptop computer to a wireless network, or to a wired network that has a computer on it which has a wireless network adapter installed on it. See the image of one below.

Linksys Wireless PCMCIA Card - Linksys

A wireless network can use a Wireless Access Point (WAP), which is a wireless hub or switch - or the computers can communicate directly with one another via the PCI, USB, or PCMCIA card (for laptops) installed in each computer. Such an arrangement is called a peer-to-peer Ad Hoc network setup, the ranges of which are less than those available by using a WAP. Wireless Access Point (WAP) networks are often called infrastructure networks.

Note that there are security issues with an Ad Hoc network that are suitably but never entirely overcome when the security options available with Access Points and routers are enabled or implemented. For more information on security, read this Q&A on this site: How can a wireless network be made secure?

As well as allowing wireless networking connections between computers, a typical wireless Wireless Access Point (WAP) is a device that has several ports on it for wired Ethernet network connections, thereby making it a simple matter to link wired and wireless networks, which work very well together, and make linking laptop computers with wireless adapters to a wired network simplicity itself. A WAP can also incorporate a router and, if so will have a port for an ADSL modem so that a broadband Internet connection can be shared between the computers on the network without having to use third-party software, or the Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) software that is part of Windows. A WAP can also act as a print server and provide a port for a dedicated network printer, which can then be connected to it and then be accessed from any of the workstations without having to do so via another computer on the network.

In Ad Hoc mode, each of the networked computers has a PCI wireless adapter (installed in a PCI slot on the motherboard) or a USB wireless adapter installed, and they communicate with each other without having to do so via a wireless Access Point. This kind of setup can suffer from speed and reliability problems when traffic grows with the addition of networked computers, but it's an excellent way to network two computers wirelessly.

The image below is of a PCI wireless NIC made by Netgear. The antenna can clearly be seen. They can be used to create a wireless Ethernet network, or connect a wired Ethernet network to a wireless Ethernet network via a WAP - a wireless hub/switch/router that is usually connected to the mains supply.

It's obviously much easier fitting a wireless USB adapter than a wireless PCI adapter, because all you do is plug it into a USB port instead of having to open up the case and insert the card in a PCI slot. Moreover, a USB network adapter can be positioned quite far behind or in front of the computer by using an extension lead, but the antennas of most PCI adapter card's, being attached to the card, can only be positioned at the back of the computer's case, so it will be more prone to bad reception. If the computer is positioned near the end of its wireless range, the type of adapter will be an important consideration.

Note that some PCI wireless network adapter cards come with a mounted aerial that can be attached to an extension cable so that a user has more choice where to position it for the best reception. An example of such a card is the 802.11b Asus Wi-Fi@Home card, which costs only £18/$30 (January 2004). It should be possible to use the antenna from one make of wireless card with another make, but doing so isn't guaranteed to work. With the necessary know-how it's also possible to make an extension yourself.

There is more information about Wireless Access Points (WAPs) further down this page. The upright device in the image below of a wireless desktop network kit is the WAP. The black object to its right is its power supply adapter.

Click on the image to see an enlarged view with a description of the contents. Use your browser's Back button to return here.

How wireless peripheral devices and WAPs are powered

Wireless peripheral devices such as mice and keyboards are powered by batteries, which can be expensive to replace, or a nuisance to recharge. Wireless Access Points are usually connected to the mains supply via a power unit. However, many WAPs can now be cable-powered, which allows the WAP to be powered via a standard network cable, and some WAPs can draw power from a USB cable that is attached to a USB port on the motherboard or elsewhere in the computer, such as from the monitor or keyboard if they have USB ports.

Combining wireless and wired networks

If you want to combine a wireless and a wired network, it's necessary to make use of a WAP. All WAPs have at least one wired Ethernet port that connects it to a wired network, and many WAPs have four or more Ethernet ports.

Note that it is possible to buy a wireless router that combines a router (that allows a network to share a broadband Internet connection), an Ethernet switch (that allows several computers to be networked via its Ethenet ports), a WAP (that allows computers to be networked wirelessly), and a DSL modem, in a single box. And some wireless routers also have a VoIP phone adapter.

Click here! to go to a page on the Linksys site on which its networking devices appear. Manuals are made available for download for devices such as routers and WAPs.

Click here! to go to information on routers on Page 3 of this article. Use your browser's Back button to return to this point on this page.

The safest way to upgrade RAM: Use the UK and US Crucial Memory Advisors

Paul Mullen, the highly-respected computer guru of the Helpfile at ComputerShopper.co.uk - "I have recently been buying my memory only from Crucial Technology. I would rather pay the extra cost than waste time trying to track down the obscure program faults that bad memory can cause."

The memory requirements of the versions of Windows Vista

Most of the versions of Windows Vista require more RAM memory to run optimally on a computer that doesn't use memory-hungry applications than Windows XP. A video-editing application is an example of memory-intensive software. Only Windows Vista Home Basic has a recommended minimum amount of memory of 512MB, which is the same amount recommended for Windows XP. Windows Vista Home Premium, the most popular version, and Windows Vista Ultimate require a recommended minimum of 1GB (1024MB) of memory, which is twice the amount of minimum memory recommended to run Windows XP. For more information on computer memory, read the RAM pages of this site.

For example, if your computer has an Asus motherboard, open the menu, scroll down to ASUS, and click GO. If, say, you have a Dell computer, scroll down to DELL, and do likewise. You will be taken to the relevant information on Crucial's website.

If you don't know the make and model of the motherboard installed in your computer, here is a good free utility - Belarc Advisor - that creates an analysis of the hardware and software on a personal computer. Look under FREE DOWNLOAD - http://www.belarc.com/. Another utility that also provides detailed information on the memory itself is CPU-Z.

Wired networks

Since most new motherboards are coming out without ISA slots, if you choose to set up a standard Ethernet network, it would be best to avoid the older, slower technology used in ISA NICs, and use the faster PCI cards.

But if you are networking computers that all have motherboards with ISA slots, and speed is not an issue, you can use ISA NICs, which tend to be cheaper than PCI NICs.

Both ISA and PCI "combo" cards will allow the use of coaxial cables - also called 10Base2 cables - that uses BNC connectors, which is old technology, or UTP cables (Category 5) for a 10BaseT network that uses RJ-45 connectors. - RJ-45 connectors are also used for ordinary telephone connections.

Below is an image of a BNC connector (old technology) that has to be terminated at both ends of the network by attaching a terminator to each BNC connector on the end computers. This stops the signal from going astray. The computers in the middle of the network will already have each of their two connection points on their BNC connectors fitted with cables connected to other computers on the network.

The example shown in the image on the left below has a removable terminator piece attached to its left-hand connection point, leaving the right-hand one open to receive the coaxial cable from another computer. The remaining connection point (in the immediate foreground) is attached to the BNC port on the NIC, the face-plate of which appears through a slot a the back of the network computer's case.

Note that if you are connecting only two computers using this old technology, you cannot connect them with just a network cable, you have to use two T-pieces with terminators connected to the open ends of the T-piece on each computer.

You will be able to connect up to 10 computers together in this way if you are going to use Windows 95/98/Me/XP to provide the networking software.

Adam Webster e-mailed me a correction to a comment I have deleted which incorrectly stated that if one computer in a 10Base2 serial network fails, they all fail. I had read that misinformation on several occasions. Here is his correction.

"With 10Base2 (or Thinwire Ethernet as it formerly used to be called) if one PC is turned off then all that happens is that you can not connect to that one PC, all the others are fine and can communicate between themselves normally. It is only if the cable between the PCs becomes broken that the network fails. Incidentally the greatest distance you can have between the terminations on either end of this daisy chained cable is 185m. The 2 in 10Base2 is derived from the fact that this is close to 200m. You probably know the original Thickwire Ethernet Cable (usually yellow) is known as 10Base500 because it could have a maximum segment length of 500m."

ISA NICs can only transfer data at a maximum of 10 megabits per second (Mb/s). But the combo PCI NIC, shown below, can transfer data at 10Mb/s using BNC connectors, or up to 100 megabits per sec using 10-Base-T cabling. So, if you see this description of an NIC - 10/100 Mb/s - it is a combo card.

Because the old ISA technology is now ten to a hundred times slower, depending on whether 100Mbit/s or 1000Mbit/s cards are used, you should use the alternative technology that uses 10BaseT (Category 5) cabling and RJ-45 connectors. If only because if one computer on the network is shut down, or fails, the rest of the network remains operational.

Both types of cables can be purchased pre-packed, or can be custom-made by any good computer shop. Below is an image of a packet containing a length of Category 5 (Cat5) cable that has RJ-45 connectors on each end.

Below is an image of a PCI combo card - also known as an Ethernet card - made by Linksys that fits in a PCI slot on the motherboard. The BNC port (for the old technology using T-pieces) is the one that sticks out. The T-piece shown above connects to it. The port for an RJ-45 jack (10BaseT technology) appears under it.

Note that as long as you use the same standard to connect computers, it is not necessary to use NICs made by the same manufacturer, you can mix and match NICs made by different manufacturers. Obviously, if possible, it would be the best policy to use card's made by the same manufacturer - to avoid compatibility issues that should not but might exist.

To connect more than two computers using the more modern 10BaseT cabling requires the use of a hub.

Instead of connecting the computers in series, as is the case when using coaxial cabling, T-pieces, and terminators, they are connected to the hub. However, you can purchase a special crossover cable that allows two computers to be connected together directly (a hub is not required). The wiring of the crossover cable makes the output wire from one computer the input wire on the other computer, because the network would not function if the output from one computer arrived at the output port on the other computer.

Below is an image of an 8-port hub made by Linksys. Up to eight computers can be connected to it.

If you want to install them at a distance that exceeds the maximum length of cable for a connection (usually 100 metres), you will have to make use of an additional repeater hub that magnifies the signal.

To give you an idea of how inexpensive creating a home network is, if you want to network three computers using PCI Ethernet cards, you can buy good quality ones for about £15/$25 each. Three cables of about 10 metres will cost no more than £30/$50, or £10/$15 each. Remember that any good computer shop will be able to make them to the length you require, or you can purchase the cables pre-packed. And a 4- or 5-port hub of good quality should not cost more than £60/$100. So the whole cost to network two computers would be about £110/$180, and networking three computers would cost about £135/$225.

The above costs were current at the time of writing this part of this article. If you purchase a wired or wireless network kit, you can save even more.

And the cost could be even cheaper if you bought the parts via an Internet auction site such as eBay. - Just make sure that you check the seller's feedback on the auction site before you place your bids.

Note that unless you are fully aware of the hardware limitations purchasing a hub that works only at one speed - 10Mb/s or 100Mb/s - should be avoided.

A hub that only works a 10Mb/s is slow, can only be used with the outdated BNC technology, and as such will have to be replaced if you want to upgrade to a 100Mb/s network. And since some network devices, such as a printer, may only be equipped with 10Mb/s adapters, you should only purchase a double speed (10/100 Mb/s) hub.

You only need to purchase a passive hub designed for simple home networks. The signal propagated through a passive hub is not monitored or modified. An incoming signal produced by one of the computers is sent to all of the other computers on the network.

Network Topologies - provides illustrated articles on the different kinds of network: http://www.firewall.cx/topologies.php.

Gigabit Ethernet networking

A PCI Gigabit Ethernet standard is available that can, in theory, transfer data at 1000Mbits/s, using a bandwidth of 100MHz - ten times the speed of a 100Base-T Ethernet network - across the same Category 5 (Cat5) cables as the latter standard.

For new network installations, the recommendation is to use Cat5e cable, even though Cat5 and Cat5e cabling both have the required 100MHz (1000Hz) bandwidth, because Cat5e cable is manufactured so that the additional parameters that are important for high frequency data transfer using gigabit Ethernet are better controlled.

Any recommendation to use Cat6 for a gigabit Ethernet installation should be turned down out of hand! Cat6 was added to the TIA-568 standard in June 2002, and has a 200MHz bandwidth. It is much more expensive than Cat5e cabling, so you should only consider it for use on a 10 gigabit Ethernet network.

Note that in order to use Gigabit networking (1000Mbits/s), all of the computers on the network, and any routers and switches must also support it. A network will use the type of networking that all of its devices support, so if just one device in a Gigabit network supports only 10/100Mbit/s (10/100 Megabit networking), then that is the standard that the whole network will use.

That said, you should also know that tests show that some 10/100Mbit/s devices can outperform Gigabit devices.

Category 5 cable - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category_5_cable

How to Make a Category 5 /5e Patch Cable -

http://www.lanshack.com/make-cat5E.aspx

Category 6 cable - "Cat 6 - Category - 6, (ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-B.2-1) is a cable standard for Gigabit Ethernet and other network protocols that is backward compatible with the Category 5/5e and Category 3 cable standards..." -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category_6_cable

How to Make a Category 6 Patch Cable -

http://www.lanshack.com/make_cat_6_cable.aspx

Other types of network hub

Just in case someone tries to sell you expensive equipment you don't need, I will list the other types of hub.

Repeating hubs, already mentioned, are added to one or more connections to double the maximum length of cable, which is usually 100m, doubled to 200m.

Switching hubs, also known as switches, forward packets of information to the Ethernet Frames destination MAC address, which is briefly described at the beginning of the article.

For more information on how data is sent over a network or dial-up connection to the Internet, read the article on Dial-Up Networking on the Technical Stuff page of this site.

Conventional hubs of the kind required for a home network rebroadcast every packet of information to every port on the network. Switching hubs give better performance because they forward each packet of information only to the required port. There is no limit to the number of switches that can be employed on a single network, so they are ideal for large networks relaying large amounts of traffic.

Intelligent hubs, or manageable hubs, have an inbuilt management capability. As well as rebroadcasting the packets of information to all of the ports on the network, they monitor the operation of the ports. This enables administrators to pinpoint problems very easily. Intelligent hubs are thus suited to large networks that require monitoring and quick and accurate diagnosis of problems.

Stackable hubs are designed to be stacked on on top of another. The network interprets them as a single hub. No more than four other types of hub can be used on a single network, but there is no limit to the number of stackable hubs. This is ideal for large networks that require quick expansion.

Installing an NIC card in each of the computers in the network and configuring its TCP/IP settings

You install a network interface card (NIC) in the same way as you would install an other kind of adapter card - by inserting it in an ISA slot on the motherboard if it is an ISA card, or in a PCI slot if it is a PCI card, which all new network cards are now, because the ISA standard is redundant but can be used if the motherboards on the computers have ISA slots. You can't use a mixture of ISA and PCI NICs. When you reboot the system, Windows installs the drivers for the NIC card or asks for the driver CD to be inserted in the CD drive. The driver installation instructions that came with the card would tell you how to navigate to the correct location on the CD. You can also obtain the latest driver file from the NIC's manufacturer's site. If it was installed properly, the card appears as an adapter under Network adapters in the Device Manager.

The TCP/IP software that is used for networking two or more computers is already present in Windows 95/98/Me/XP. All you have to do is install it if it isn't already installed under Network in the Control Panel, and then add the two configuration settings on each of the computers.

Open Network in the Control Panel. If the TCP/IP software is installed it will appear under the Configuration tab. If it isn't there, you have to click the Add button, click on Protocol, and choose TCP/IP. On each of the computers in the network, you have to highlight the TCP/IP entry, click on the Properties button, open the IP Address tab, enable the Specify and IP address setting, and enter the values for the IP address and the Subnet Mask (usually always 255.255.255.0). You can make use of a range of IP addresses that have been set aside for used in a private network. Each of the networked computers is given its own IP address chosen from a one of those ranges - e.g. - 192.168.1.3; 192.168.1.4; 192.168.1.5, etc., for three computers on the network. You would only enter a setting under the Gateway tab if you want to link two separate networks.

Networking reviews and buying guides

Network/Server reviews:

http://www.pcpro.co.uk/shopper/archiveproductsearch/14/Networks-Servers

Internet products:

http://www.pcpro.co.uk/shopper/archiveproductsearch/23/Internet

The network domain

If there are many computers in a network (over ten) , peer-to-peer networking cannot be used, and a workgroup network in which the computers are networked via hubs and/or switches, is clumsy to administer, because each computer has to have security updates and application upgrades installed on it individually, whereas in a network domain, all of the updates can be applied from the computer running the server software. Therefore, the best solution for a large business network is to set up a network domain.

Linux can be used as the operating system, or Microsoft's Active Directory can be set up with, say, Windows 2000 or Windows XP Professional or Windows 2000 Server as the operating system.

Windows XP Home edition cannot participate as a member of a domain unless it has been especially modified to do so, because Microsoft didn't include the capacity to do so in order to make Windows XP Professional the only version of XP that can join a domain. But a Windows 9x (95, 98, and ME) system can participate as a member of a network domain.

It's a common complaint for someone whose laptop computer could access a network domain with Windows 98 installed, only to find that this is no longer possible having upgraded the computer to Windows XP Home.

Samba can be configured to run on a Linux system to carry out many of the domain functions that can be achieved in Windows Server. Visit http://samba.org/ to find out more on this subject.

With Active Directory as the domain structure, it's possible to add as many computers as you like to the domain and manage them all at the same time easily so that they're all running the latest security updates.

A domain makes it possible to control the individual computers that are connected to the primary domain controller (PDC). Those people with valid user accounts and logon passwords can access any of the domain's computers according to the permissions set for them by the system administrator.

It's possible to set up DNS and DHCP servers. With a very large network, a DNS server is required within the network to translate workstation names into IP addresses, but if it's not necessary to assign the same IP addresses to the computers in the network a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server can be set up to assign IP addresses to the workstations from a pool of them - automatically. This is especially useful when users with laptop computers need to logon to the network.

It's also possible to create file and printer servers that take over the file and printer sharing on the network.

Comprehensive information about the hardware requirements and the compatibility of servers, clients, and peripherals can be found here:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000

File-and-printer-sharing on a Windows network consisting of PCs and Apple Macs

Internet connections use the TCP/IP protocol that can be used on any computer platform, so you can easily network PCs and Apple Macs and share an ADSL connection.

However, PCs and Macs use different protocols for file and printer sharing. Windows uses NetBIOS and Macs use AppleTalk. But there are software products that allow a Mac to join a Windows network and share files.

The product called Dave from Thursby Software at http://www.thursby.com is just one example of such software.

The problem is that there are no Windows printer drivers that can run on a Mac other than PostScript drivers, which both platforms have. Dave allows you to print from a Mac to a PostScript printer on a Windows network.

To print to printers connected to Windows that are not PostScript compatible, you can try using the Google search box at the top of this page to find PostScript emulation software, such as the free program called Ghostscript.

Free networking security diagnostic tools and utilities

Solving real problems with the Network Diagnostic Tool -

"Most network administrators are familiar with freely available network diagnostic tools such as Wireshark and TCPdump. However, many may not realize that the Internet2 consortium has produced several advanced open-source tools that, while designed to monitor and troubleshoot performance issues on high-performance research networks, can be great additions to any networker's bag of tricks." -

http://www.computerworld.com/action/...articleId=9002626

DNSstuff.com - "This site has many DNS and networking tools for network administrators, domain owners, users of DNS hosting services, etc. There is no cost for using this site." - http://www.dnsstuff.com/.

Sysinternals free TCPView allows the user to identify and locate which applications have open ports on a system. - Sysinternals was an independent organisation but it is now owned by Microsoft. Visit http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/default.mspx for the great free utilities.

AirSnare - from http://home.comcast.net/~jay.deboer/airsnare/ - is a free (donations welcome) tool that works on wired and wireless networks monitoring MAC addresses - unique addresses assigned to every network device on a Local Area Network (LAN) that are accessed when a new network device tries to log on to a network. The tool provides notification when it detects a new MAC address tapping into the LAN it is installed on. It can even inform on what the users are doing via the LAN and allows them to be notified that their activities are under observation.

The following two programs that complement one another are excellent, but the logs they generate would probably not be comprehensible to a networking novice, but would serve an experienced network administrator very well. The user interfaces are also somewhat too complicated. That said, there is nothing to stop a novice from trying them.

GFI LANguard Network Security Scanner (N.S.S.) - http://www.gfi.com/lannetscan/

GFI LANguard Security Event Log Monitor (S.E.L.M.) 5 -

http://kbase.gfi.com/showarticle.asp?id=KBID001827

NetStumbler

The first thing you should do in a Victorian house is perform a site survey, which just involves walking around the house with a laptop equipped with a wireless network adapter that is running a free program called NetStumbler from http://www.netstumbler.com/. It shows you how strong a Wi-Fi signal is at any given position, and therefore enables you to locate dead spots. It can also tell you if there are any other wireless networks in the vicinity.

Wi-Fi networks can operate on any one of thirteen channels. If possible, neighbouring networks should use different channels in order to minimise interference between them. If NetStumbler locates any neighbouring networks it should tell you which channels they're using. Then, all you have to do is visit the applicable neighbours to negotiate which channels you and they should use in order to avoid interference.

The best channels to use are 1, 6, and 11, because they have the least overlap with neighbouring channels.

The above information comes from the Q&A on this site called: Why can't my wireless network work all over my house? on the Network Problems pages on this site.

Common networking problems and How-to articles covered by the MS Knowledge Base

View the section called Networking How-to articles and problems in the Microsoft Knowledge Base on the first Networking Problems page on this site.

There is not much point in using a switch instead of a hub on a small home network, but on a large network, the use of a switch is necessary to avoid the performance limitations of a hub.

"Without a switch installed, a large network can get bogged down quickly as traffic rises. Traffic jams happen because data is forced to wander the entire network in search of its destination.

"A switch corrects traffic jam problems by ensuring that data goes straight from its origin to its proper destination, with no wandering in-between. Switches remember the address of every node on the network, and anticipate where data needs to go. Nodes connected to a switch can expect an immediate 40%-60% increase in performance. This EtherFast Dual-Speed 10/100 16-Port Switch is the ideal centerpiece for any high-performance network. A switch can also connect networks of different speeds together. A 100Mbps network, for example, could be connected to a slower 10Mbps network by inserting a switch between the two networks. In this way, switches are good for migrating to faster network speeds without having to discard older legacy network hardware.

"IS MY NETWORK A GOOD CANDIDATE FOR A SWITCH? If you do more than simple file and printer sharing, you should definitely consider a switch. Switch prices have fallen drastically since fall of 1998, and many are priced only slightly higher than regular hubs -- and since most hubs can't offer the performance benefits of switching, buying a switch is a smart move for any network, even if you have only a few users. In short, if your network needs maximum bandwidth and speedy performance, buy switches instead of hubs." - From a Linksys FAQ page called, What is a Switch?

How LAN Switches Work - http://computer.howstuffworks.com/lan-switch.htm

USB networks

USB adapter network cards can also be used that employ USB cables. They will fit in a PCI slot. The only difference between a standard PCI NIC and a USB one is the connection port. The former is fitted with an RJ-45 port, and the USB NIC is fitted with a USB port. USB NICs are not faster or more expensive than Ethernet PCI NICs. In fact, for some reason, USB adapter cards are about half as fast as standard PCI Ethernet cards.

Note that you should find out if the adapter supports USB 1.1 or USB 2.0, because USB 1.1 devices are very slow compared to USB 2.0 devices. You should obviously also be running a version of Windows or other operating system that supports USB 1.1 or USB 2.0 in order to be able to use it.

USB 1.1 can transfer data at 12Mbit/s maximum, but USB 2.0 can transfer data at 480Mbit/s, so if you only have USB 1.1 ports on the motherboard, you should only use 802.11b USB adapters - or purchase a PCI USB 2.0 adapter card to use 802.11g USB adapters.

Click here! to read the section on the next page on wireless networking to find out more about the 802.11 wireless standards. Use your browser's Back button to backtrack.

The Belkin USB 10/100 Ethernet Adapter shown below connects to a USB port and then to another computer with a crossover Ethernet cable, or normal Ethernet cable to an Ethernet hub.

It is also possible to build a wireless USB network that takes signals from a wireless USB hub or switch, known as a Wireless Access Point (WAP), via special USB adapters, such as the following two devices. -

The two wireless USB adapters shown above are plugged into a USB port on the computer, from which they draw their power. They can access the network directly via one another (or via other wireless adapters) or via Wireless Access Point or wireless router. - Note that many WAP's have inbuilt routers. And to avoid compatibility problems, it's advisable to use network devices made by the same company.

Moreover, it is now also possible to buy a special USB cable that networks two computers per cable. You don't need anything else, just this cable, an image of which is shown below. You will, of course have to install the software that comes with it in order to make the cable function in the same way as two network cards and a cable. The software installs a virtual network adapter for it under Network adapters in the Windows Device Manager. You can network as many computers as you like in this way.

Warning

Always use only a special USB networking cable to link two computers.

The following thread I found on a computer forum provides the reason:

"Never connect two PCs with a standard A-A USB cable! USB carries +5V and you can permanently damage one or both PCs! You need a specific USB device for this." -

http://www.usbwholesale.com/directlinq.htm

"The A / A cable or "extension" - would it actually fit between two computers?"

"An "extension" cable is male A to female A. Double-male A cables are rare, but people seem to find them. They are absolutely deadly."

Personally, for a wired network, I would advise the use of Ethernet NICs. They have an excellent and lengthy track record, while USB devices, having to make use of the Windows USB Controller, tend to cause more problems. Ethernet cards just make use of the PCI bus and the Windows networking software.

This page contains good information on USB networking, and on how to use a USB cable to transfer files, or a master image of an entire system to another computer:

http://www.windowsnetworking.com/articles_tutorials/usbmain.html

FireWire network cards and cable networking solutions similar to those offered by USB are now available.

FireWire networks

"FireWire networking takes advantage of a spec called "IP over 1394". This spec Standardizes how to transfer IP packets across a FireWire (IEEE 1394) interface - translated: FireWire networking! By simply running an inexpensive FireWire cable between two computers with modern operating systems and FireWire ports, you get a 400Mbps network connection! (IETF RFC 2734).

"The Catch - FireWire networking support is very limited in all but the latest operating systems. It is fully supported under Windows XP Home and Pro. Windows ME also has 'some' FireWire networking support but don't count on it being reliable. Also remember, native FireWire networking is only for TCP/IP, not NetBEUI, IPX or any other protocol.

"Unibrain: These guys make an 'enhanced' FireWire networking program that brings FireWire networking to Windows 98 and Me reliably. It also brings reliable FireWire networking to Mac OS 9 and OS X. The unique thing about Unibrain's software is that it does more than IP - it does almost all protocols." - From the "FireWire Networking Guide".

There is a limitation on the length of a single cable of 15 feet - and 237 feet if repeaters are used between 15' cables.

FireWire network (NIC) cards are available for both IEEE 1394a and IEEE 1394b (FireWire 800), but, although the data transfer rates of a FireWire 800 card are faster than an Ethernet 100Mbit/s card, it is not an ideal networking solution for the following reasons.

FireWire networks run under the latest Linux distributions and on the Apple Macintosh OS X without any known problems, but with Windows, only the IPv4 over 1394 protocol is supported, which only allows for data transfer using TCP/IP. The IP address required for network operation is unlikely to be available automatically via DHCP for FireWire, since no servers are currently designed to be able to do this. This is not much of a problem, since assigning IP addresses manually on a small home network is not difficult.

However, note well that FireWire networking can pose major security risks. Look under Security on http://www.practicallynetworked.com/ for more information.

Visit the USB & FireWire page of this site for more information on FireWire.

Other forms of network:

Internet Connection Sharing

As you know, networks make it easy to move information from one computer to another, especially very large files that don't fit on a floppy or a Zip disk. They also allow the sharing of hardware, such as printers, and can connect to web servers or the Internet.

A network in your house can make it easy to share Internet access, whether the connection uses a phone line, cable modem, or DSL modem. Usually, one computer is attached to the modem while the other computers on the network communicate with it via software such as Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) that is built into Windows 98 SE /Me /XP. You will have to purchase third-party software to make this work on earlier versions of Windows. In any case, plenty of third-party alternative software is available.

Whatever software you use, the computer connected to the modem must be switched on, otherwise, the other computers in your home won't be able to access the Internet. In the case of cable and DSL connections, it will have to be permanently switched on and connected to the modem.

The best solution for a cable or DSL connection that is always connected to the service is a hardware router, because it provides built-in protection from computer hackers. Hackers are far more likely to be able to home in on a permanent IP address that is constantly connected than they are for a dial-up connection that uses dynamic IP addressing, which changes the IP address every time the service is dialled into. The free Windows ICS software does not provide any kind of hacker protection.

But if you want to use a software solution that does provide protection from hackers, probably the best one is WinProxy, which starts at £40/$60 for connecting three computers. This application comes with a number of extra features, including site filtering and antivirus software.

Note that if you have your computers networked via a router, you do not need to use ICS or any other Internet sharing software, because the router automatically shares an Internet connection with all of the computers on the network by using Network Address Translation (NAT).

How Network Address Translation (NAT) Works -

http://computer.howstuffworks.com/nat.htm

Google searches

You can make use of the Google search box provided at the top of this page (with its Web radio button enabled) if you want more information on any of products that have been mentioned, or if want to conduct your own searches.

PC Buyer Beware! Copyright © Eric Legge 2004-2008. All rights reserved.