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Understanding Network Types

Before you can set up Windows' network software, you must install and configure network hardware. Your choice of network depends on your budget, the proximity of the computers to be networked, and your inclinationor otherwiseto lay cable.

Ethernet

The most popular network standard,

Ethernet, is cheap, fast, and reliable, and it imposes few limits on where the networked PCs are placed in your home or office. To create an Ethernet network, you'll need three components along with your PCs (Connecting Devices to Your Computer" in Chapter 8.

Ethernet cables. The cables used in Ethernet networks are a little thicker than telephone cables, and the

RJ-45 connectors at each end are wider than ordinary phone (RJ-11) connectors. You can buy Ethernet cablescalled

10BaseT,

100BaseT,

CAT5, CAT5e, or

twisted-pair cableswith preattached connectors ($5 to $50, depending on length). For custom lengths, you (or someone at the store) can cut the cable off a spool and attach the connectors. Or you can join two lengths by using an RJ-45 female/female coupler. A connection's length shouldn't exceed 100 meters (328 feet). If you're drilling through walls to lay cable, consider hiring a professional cable installer (or using a wireless network).

Hub. On an Ethernet network, you connect each cable from a PC's network adapter to a central connection point called a

hub (about $30)a small box with a row of five to eight or more jacks (called

ports ) that accept RJ-45 connectors. Small green lights on the hub glow or flicker to signal an active connection. Computers communicate through the hub, so there's no direct connection between any two PCs. One port, labeled

Uplink, connects to a router, broadband modem, or another hub to expand the network. The other ports are numbered, but it doesn't matter which port you plug which cable into. You also can connect shared peripherals, such as printers, to the hub.

If you have an internet connection, use a

router/hub instead of an ordinary hub to share the connection, as described in the next section.

Wireless (802.11)

Wireless networks are popular because they're versatile, don't require cables, and have dropped in price. The wireless standard is called

Wi-Fi (short for

wireless fidelity ) or 802.11 (say

eight-oh-two-eleven ).

To set up a wireless network, install a wireless network adapter (about $60) in each PC. The adapter has a small antenna that sticks out the back of the computer to transmit and receive radio waves over a range of about 150 feet (through walls). To share a high-speed internet connection, you need a

base station or

access point (about $100). Turn on the password or encryption option to stop neighbors or passersby from stealing your internet bandwidth and eavesdropping.

Most wireless equipment comes in one of three flavors: 802.11

a , 802.11

b , or 802.11

g . These three protocols vary by compatibility, band, range, and speed (measured in megabits per second). If you're not interested in the details, buy only

g equipment and stop reading; otherwise, here are a few things to know about

a,

b, and

g gear:

a and

g are about five times faster than

b (54 Mbps versus 11 Mbps).

b and

g have a greater range than

a (150 feet versus 60 feet).

b and

g work in the 2.4 GHz band and are subject to interference from pipes, weather, microwave ovens, 2.4 GHz cordless phones, and Bluetooth devices. (a works in the 5 GHz band.)

g is backward-compatible with

b; you can mix a

b card with a

g base station and vice versa.

a isn't compatible with

b or

g unless the equipment is labeled dual-band or dual-mode/tri-mode.

a hasn't been adopted widely because of the popularity of

b and

g.

Faster wireless equipment doesn't make your internet connection faster (the modem is the bottleneck).

A wireless network is compatible with an Apple AirPort (802.11b) or AirPort Extreme (802.11g) network.

The next standard, 802.11

n , offers greater throughput and increased range over 802.11a/b/g.

The Wi-Fi Alliance (www.wi-fi.org) is a trade organization that tests and certifies equipment compliance with the 802.11 standards.

Telephone lines (HomePNA)

Network equipment certified by the

Home Phoneline Networking Alliance, or

HomePNA, uses your existing phone wires to connect computers. HomePNA networks don't interfere with other wire communications. You can use standard telephones, dial-up modems, DSL or cable modems, faxes, and answering machines simultaneously with HomePNA, because even though the devices use the same telephone wires, they occupy different frequency bands. These networks don't require a hub; instead, you plug your HomePNA network adapter (about $70) into the nearest phone jack. For more information, see www.homepna.org.

Jumping onto a Public Wireless Network

If you've installed Service Pack 2, and your laptop has a wireless networking card (most do these days), it's easy to get fast internet access by joining a public wireless network at a café, hotel lobby, coffee shop, airport lounge, friend's house, or anywhere else that has an 802.11 base station set up.

When you try to get online, Windows hunts for a wired or wireless connection. If no Ethernet cable is plugged in, your laptop will look for a wireless hotspot and notify you automatically if it finds one. (You may have to wander a bit with your laptop.) To join the wireless network:

1. Click the Wireless Network Detected pop-up balloon when it appears in the notification area (system tray).

If the balloon disappears too fast, right-click the Wireless Network Connection icon in the notification area; then choose View Available Networks.

2. In the Wireless Network Connection window that appears, click the network's name; then click Connect.

A yellow padlock indicates a secured network that prompts you for a password; you're out of luck if you don't have it.

From now on, any time that you wander into this hotspot, Windows connects automatically without dialog boxes.

If more than one hotspot is available in the same place, choose Start > My Network Places (or open My Network Places in the Windows Explorer folders tree); right-click a wireless connection; choose Properties > Wireless Networks tab; then reorder the hotspots in the Preferred Networks list to your liking.

Electrical outlets (HomePlug)

Network equipment certified by the

HomePlug Powerline Alliance uses the existing electrical wiring in your home to connect computers. Unlike phone jacks, power outlets are available in almost every room, ready to pull double duty as a power source and a network port. HomePlug networks are easy to set up; you plug your HomePlug network adapter (about $100) into the nearest power outlet. The network range is about 1,000 feet, including the length that the wires travel in your walls. For more information, see www.homeplug.org.

FireWire (IEEE 1394)

You can form a simple network if your computers all have FireWire jacks, which usually are used to capture video from a digital video camera. (You can buy an IEEE 1394 card to get these jacks; see "Connecting Devices to Your Computer" in Chapter 8.) Just hook together the computers with 6-pin-to-6-pin IEEE 1394 cables (about $20). There's no need to buy a hub or router. Each computer should have two free FireWire ports so that you can form a chain. The computers have to be close; FireWire cables can't be more than 15 feet (4.5 meters) long. And you can't use this arrangement to share a printer or DSL/cable modem.

Crossover cable

If your network has only two computers that are close together, you can connect them with a

crossover cable (about $10), which runs directly between the two PCs' Ethernet jacks. This no-hassle network saves you the cost of a hub and works exactly like a "real" Ethernet network. (If you expand the network to three computers, you must buy a hub.)

Installing Plug and Play Devices" in Chapter 8), but just because equipment is missing from the list doesn't mean it won't work.

ICS Checklist

Securing Your Computer" in Chapter 12.

For dial-up connections, if the host PC tries to maintain a continuous internet connection by dialing repeatedly, choose (on the host) Start > Control Panel > Network and Internet Connections > Network Connections; right-click your ISP's icon; choose Properties > Options tab; then uncheck Redial If Line Is Dropped.

For dial-up connections, a client PC's browser or email program may report a "server/page unavailable" error before the host PC gets a chance to dial and go online. Wait a moment; then try again (that is, click Refresh or Send/Receive).