When it come to any OS that’s *nix-based, there’s a lot I don’t complain about compatibility-wise due to the proprietary nature of a lot of computer hardware.

For example, if I had a Microsoft wireless keyboard that had Windows-only features on it and it just would not work under Linux, would I get upset about this? Not at all. It’s a proprietary keyboard (custom “Windows only” keys) meant for a proprietary operating system (Windows) using proprietary software (Windows drivers and control software) - and I personally feel that keyboards so unbelievably proprietary like that completely suck anyway because they’re just too “tied” to a particular OS. Continued

1000BaseTX: Ethernet specification for unshielded twisted pair cabling that is used to transmit data at 1 Gbps (gigabits per second) with a distance limitation of 220 meters per segment.

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A router is any device that acts as a gateway between 2 or more separate networks. In our case, that means that the local network is connected to the Internet, and vice versa. The router ignores traffic local traffic or traffic it is not configured to handle, but when Internet access is attempted from within the local network, it springs into action. With NAT (Network Address Translation), the router shares the Internet connection to all the computers connected to the local network. The router keeps track of the originating local computer and manages the connection with the outside Internet server. If a computer on the Internet attempts a connection with the router or to a local computer past the router, the router denies the connection unless the router was specially configured to allow that connection.

Many routers can treat the wireless LAN (WLAN) as a separate network from the wired LAN. This is often done because wireless networks are easy to break into. The idea is that people can keep their wired computers away from the untrusted wireless network. The router will still share the Internet connection (WAN) to both the wireless and wired LANs, regardless of this configuration.

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Sharing files and folders between computers is one of the most common applications for a network. You can share single files, folders, even whole drives (bad idea!) if you want to.

Sharing a folder is convenient because you simply have to tell Windows to share the folder rather than tell it to specifically share every file in that folder. Windows will automatically create a folder called “Shared Documents” which has been designated to be shared on your home network. To view this folder, launch the Windows® Explorer (Start / All Programs / Accessories / Windows Explorer) and then select My Computer. Your Shared Documents folder will be present. ANY FILE you place in this folder will be available on your home network to other participating computers.

You might not want to be limited to moving everything into “Shared Folders” in order to share it, however. So, you can tell Windows to share any folder you want on your hard drive. Before continuing, please note:

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I have discussed previously in this book how IP addressing and DHCP servers operate. If you are interested in some of the technologies behind this, back up and have a read. For now, let’s just get down to business and get you sharing an internet connection.

The first thing you might need to do is configure your router. The good thing here is that many routers will automatically configure themselves to work with most cable services. More times than not, when I have set up a simple network, all of my computers can simply get online as soon as I plug them into the router. However, if you are using DSL or if your cable modem provider requires username/password authentication, you will need to perform a little router configuration. Also, if your ISP is providing you with a static (fixed) IP addresses, you will need to configure your router to use this.

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Q: (Wired/Wireless) All my router’s lights are on and will not go off. When I try to connect to the router, no network connectivity is present. What should I do?

A: On all routers there is a “reset” option. It is a button physically on the router. If after a reset this does not work - power off the router, wait ten seconds and then turn it back on.

Q: (Wired) My router can’t seem to establish a connection to the internet or to my home network. All the lights are on but the data does not seem to be transferring. What can I do?

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In order to get your PC’s to talk, it is necessary to perform some simple configuration. Here are the items that will need to be visited:

• IP Addresses. Each network adapter needs to have an IP address. Luckily, this functionality is usually taken care of automatically by your switch or router.
• Installation of Microsoft Network Client software. This is the software that allows your computer to share files and printers.
• Give your computers each unique names. Each computer will get a computer name and that will identify the computer on the network. Each computer on the network needs to have a unique name.
• Assign workgroup. Windows organizes computers on a network into workgroups.
• Blah blah blah

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I discussed previously the benefits and the downfalls of a wireless network. Now, let’s put one together.

Installing Wireless Adapters

In order to access a wireless network, each computer needs to have a wireless adapter installed. As discussed previously, there are different styles of them available. Each one comes with instructions for installation and this should be your main guide. However, I will try to provide some basic outline of how to go about it.

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So far, if you have been following the course, you should have an idea of some of the hardware that goes into creating a network, namely:

• Network interface cards
• Switches
• Routers
• Wireless Access Points
• Print servers

Going to the store to pick out your equipment can be a little confusing. Usually, you’re looking at a bunch of boxes each promoted to be the best thing and it is hard to tell the difference. Well, I’m going to help you out as much as I can.

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Putting together your network can be an interesting experience given all the different types of hardware out there. Print servers, routers, switches, bridges, cabling, NICs…it’s enough to make a lot of folks very confused. I’ve shopped for networking things several times. The folks who work the stores are not always that knowledgeable (although they like to act like they are). In this chapter, I’ll cover:

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Networking has a reputation for being a complicated topic. Many people can work on their PCs all day long but throw their hands up in frustration when it comes to networking. This subject brings technical types to the point of calling their neighborhood geek to the house with the order “just make it work”. Many times, this frustration is born out of simply misunderstanding the basics of networking. So, in this section, I will explain the basics of networking in simple terms.

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The most common reason for forming a home network is to share an internet connection. With broadband internet access becoming almost as common as television, people are today commonly sharing that single pipeline to the internet with all of the computers in their home. This is very easy to do with a home network. You can also do a lot of other things with a home network.

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A computer network is a setup where two or more computers communicate with each other. The connection between the computers is some kind of electrical connection, whether it be copper wire, fiber optic or radio waves. You might not have though about it before, but networks are everywhere. When you watch TV, you are getting data over a network. When you are talking on the telephone, you are using a network. When you are on the internet, you are using a network.

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