Anytime you want to view the host from the guest, after he or she is connected, you

Chapter 8 ✦ Using Alternative Cabling Methods The HomePlug Bridge enables speeds up to 14 Mbps and offers 56-bit encryption. Range is up to 900 feet, and the bridge is compatible with Windows 98, Me, 2000, and XP. Looking at the Future of Networking Alternatives Home networking has become increasingly popular as more and more homes add two, three, and more computers and users to the family. Traditional cabling and networking hardware might be acceptable to many home users; however, manufacturers are always looking for less expensive networking solutions. In addition, manufacturers are looking for ways that make networking easier for home users. Laying wire, configuring software, adding drivers, management applications, and so on are all tasks manufacturers want to streamline. Microsoft, for example, has already created operating systems — Windows 2000 and XP — that can sense the network when they are first connected, configure themselves, and join the workgroup or clientserver network on their own. Other improvements and advancements are in the works, from many manufacturers. Mobile Communications Research also Microsoft is working on wireless connectivity to extend and improve its effectiveness. The target of the software they are currently research- ing is to enable wireless devices to be both mobile-aware and location-aware. This simply means the system adapts to any interference and to changing network topology quickly so that connections are not lost; connections are not even delayed. In addition to this wireless technology, other researchers are using Ultra-Wide Band UWB wireless for high-speed data communication. UWB is a digital pulse wireless technology that is able to carry huge amounts of data. UWB is currently being researched for wireless voice, land mine detection, and systems to help you see through walls; it might someday become available for networking as well. IBM is working with Bell Atlantic to provide wiring systems to homes that provide multimedia and fast speeds. The system installs a multimedia network hub in the home, uses two coax cables, an Ethernet cable, plus other phone wiring, all connected to multimedia ports. The system can send audiovisual signals and computer data, and it supports multiple telephone lines. Many companies are working with fiber optics and optical networking to create super high- speed data transmission. Optical networks send laser light through glass fiber. The media is more expensive than Ethernet or wireless networking, but they handle far higher capacity loads and are much faster. Broadband is another term you’re likely to hear now and in the future of networking. Broadband describes technology — such as cable modem, DSL, T1 lines, wireless technology, fiber optic and so on — that carries numerous voice, video, and data channels simultaneously. Broadband is a “pipeline” on which large amounts of data travel quickly, securely, and efficiently. Part II ✦ Planning and Setting Up Networking — Hardware and Software Summary In this chapter, you’ve learned about alternative methods of connecting a computer network in the home. Specifically, you’ve learned about the following: ✦ Using direct cabling connections ✦ Using phone lines for a network ✦ Using electrical wiring for a network ✦ The future of networking In the next chapter, you learn about purchasing and installing networking hardware. ✦ ✦ ✦ Purchasing and Installing Networking Hardware I n addition to the technology you use between computers — tradi- tional cabling, wireless technology, power lines, and so on — you need to purchase and install networking hardware that enables the computers to communicate over the network. For one thing, each computer on the network needs a network interface adapter, whether it’s an Ethernet NIC, a wireless PC Card, or an external USB adapter. In addition, depending on the wiring or wireless technology you choose, you must add a device that extends network signals from computer to computer, such as a hub or access point. The wiring technology you use denotes the network hardware you choose. For example, if you use Ethernet wiring for your network, you must use Ethernet network cards, Ethernet hubs or switches, and so on. In addition, you must choose Ethernet 10Base-T or Ethernet 100Base-T, or if you’re setting up a small business, you might choose Ethernet 1000Base-T. All networking hardware and cabling in that case must be Ethernet 1000Base-T. With Ethernet, you can choose to use the 10100 technology or even the 101001000 technology. For more information, see the section “Defining network interface cards” later in the chapter The same is true with wireless: 802.11g wireless network adapter cards work best with 802.11g access points, bridges, and antennas. Power line 12 Mbps adapter cards also work best with power line 12 Mbps hubs and bridges. In most cases, power line adapters do not work with wireless network cards, which do not work with Ethernet hubs. Understanding Networking Hardware Depending on the type of network you choose, you’ll need to add some hardware to enable the computers to communicate. In addition to cabling, you are likely to need a network interface card and a hub. This chapter covers network cards, hubs, access points, and other Note 9 9 C H A P T E R ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ In This Chapter Understanding networking hardware Purchasing and installing a network interface card Purchasing and installing a hub or switch Working with a router ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ Part II ✦ Planning and Setting Up Networking — Hardware and Software hardware necessary to your network. This chapter also covers some hardware you can use if you’re networking your small business, such as switches and routers, which make your work network faster and more efficient. See Chapters 6, 7, and 8 for information about various types of cabling and connections. When it comes to networking hardware, you need to understand some terms to purchase the exact equipment you need. Within the definition for each piece of equipment — network cards, hub, access points, and so on — are multiple descriptors and identifiers you must understand to intelligently and correctly choose what you need for your network. Unless you use alterna- tive cabling methods described in Chapter 8 to connect only two computers, you need the some of following hardware described here. When choosing any network hardware, make sure that it is compatible with the standards for the technology. For more information, see Chapters 6, 7, and 8. Tip Cross- Reference Defining Terms In understanding the types of hardware you use with your computer, you also need to under- stand a couple of terms, such as bus and controller. These two terms are often used in conjunc- tion with networking hardware but seldom explained. Following are definitions and examples that can help you when you’re ready to purchase the hardware you need for your network. A bus is an electronic corridor that sends signals from one part of the computer to another, such as from the processor to the memory. There are multiple types of buses in your computer: ✦ serial — Usually used for mice and modems, referred to as COM ports. ✦ parallel — Often used for printers connected on the parallel port. ✦ USB universal serial bus — A faster 12 Mbps as compared to 1 Mbps for serial and parallel, external port that transfers data for mice, keyboards, modems, printers, cameras, hubs, and other devices. ✦ PS2 — Used for mice and keyboards. ✦ FireWire IEEE 1394 standard — A superfast port that transfers data up to 400 Mbps, used for video recorders and the like. ✦ Industry Standard Architecture ISA — ISA is a 16-bit bus design; a slow bus used to connect expansion boards to the motherboard. ✦ Extended Industry Standard Architecture EISA — EISA is a 32-bit extension to the ISA standard bus. EISA data transfer can reach a peak of 33 megabytes per second. NICs also use a bus to transfer information from the network card to the computer or network. Some buses used for NICs include PCMCIA and PCI. See the following section for more information. A controller is an additional card, board, or other piece of equipment that receives information from the computer’s processor and uses the instructions to manage additional hardware. When a device in the computer such as a NIC needs to connect to a device outside of the computer Ethernet wiring, for example, the controller is the hardware that manages the flow of data between the two. Sometimes NIC drivers refer to the card as a controller. Chapter 9 ✦ Purchasing and Installing Networking Hardware Defining network interface cards You use a network card in any computer you want to network by Ethernet, wireless, phone line, power line, or other networking technologies. A network interface card — also called a NIC pronounced “nick”, network card, adapter, PC Card, or network adapter card — is a device that connects a computer to the network. The network card accommodates all the electronic components, and often any network control software used to configure the net- work card. The software used to control and configure the network card is called a driver. Drivers are included on a CD or floppy disk with the card when you purchase it. Many manu- facturers also offer updated drivers on their Web sites as well. Many terms refer to the network card. In this book, the card is normally called a NIC or net- work card, unless more specific information is needed. A network card is an expansion board, similar to a sound card or video card. Depending on the type of card, it might plug into the expansion bus slot PCI card on the computer’s mother- board see Figure 9-1. Alternatively, a PC Card can plug into a slot in the case of your note- book or tablet PC; the card can come built in to the motherboard of the computer as in some Macs and PCs; or the NIC can be an adapter that plugs into a USB slot on your computer. The network card connects to the network transmission medium, such as twisted-pair or tele- phone wire, which in turn connects all the network interface cards to the network. Figure 9-1: A network interface card can be a board that plugs into your computer. Note Part II ✦ Planning and Setting Up Networking — Hardware and Software The connections between the network card and cable depend on the cable type. Coaxial cable uses a BNC connector, twisted-pair cabling uses an RJ-45 connector, telephone wiring uses an RJ-11 connector, and wireless uses antennas attached to both the card and the access point with no wiring in between. For more information about cabling, see Chapters 6, 7, and 8. NIC software Each network card must use control software, or a driver program, to make the card work. Usually, the driver is supplied on disk when you purchase the card. The driver is a small pro- gram the network applications use to talk to the network card. The card translates commands so that it can manage the flow of data to and from the computer. When you purchase a network interface card, you should go to the card manufacturer’s site on the Internet and download the most updated software driver for that particular card. Manufacturers are always updating the drivers to make the card work more efficiently; plus if the operating system you use is newer, such as XP, you want to get the most updated driver for that OS. Sometimes network cards can cause problems on installation. Depending on the other devices and software on a computer, it might be difficult to get a card to work. Sometimes the prob- lem lies in the brand of the card, and sometimes other factors are involved. See Appendix A for information about problems with network cards. You should buy all the same types of NICs for your network, especially when you’re dealing with a business network. Using the same type of NIC with the same type of network software makes installing, configuring, and troubleshooting network connections easier. If you’re using a Linux machine on your network, you can use much of the same hardware you can use with PCs and Macs; however, software drivers might be difficult to find. Often a Linux driver doesn’t come out until 8 months to a year after the hardware, especially if the hardware is cutting-edge. Types of cards Computers use different types of network interface cards. Before you purchase a card, you need to know what type of card your computer takes. See your computer’s documentation for more information. Following are the types of network cards you normally see: ✦ Peripheral Component Interconnect PCI local bus — PCI local bus enables you to plug PCI-compliant expansion cards into the computer. The most commonly used slot in today’s computers, it supports speeds of 33 to 66 MHz. ✦ Personal Computer Memory Card International Association PCMCIA card — PCM- CIA is a standard for portable computers. The card is usually the size of a credit card. There are several versions, or types, of PCMCIA cards; the types define the thickness and uses of the card. ✦ Personal Computer PC card — A PC Card conforms to the PCMCIA standard. PC Cards use a 68-pin connector with longer power and ground pins. Today, PC Card is synonymous with PCMCIA card. Tip Small Business Tip Tip Cross- Reference Chapter 9 ✦ Purchasing and Installing Networking Hardware ✦ USB Adapter card — The USB standard is so adaptable that there are several incarna- tions you can use with your network. You can use an adapter to enable you to easily connect most Windows and Mac computers to an Ethernet, phone line, or power line network. The adapter plugs into the USB port on your computer, and the networking cable plugs into the other end. You can find network cards that are a combination card, such as a modem and network card, and the deal might seem like a good one, especially if you don’t have enough slots to accommodate two separate cards. If you have enough slots, however, you should purchase two separate cards. You won’t have as many problems, and it is cheaper in the long run. If one card becomes damaged or quits working, for example, you’ll have to replace both cards if they’re on a combination card. Linux machines cannot use USB adapters or an USB device. Linux doesn’t provide for USB drivers, ports, and so on. There are other considerations when purchasing a network card, such as network topology and cabling technology. See the section “Purchasing and Installing a Network Interface Card” later in this chapter for more information. Defining hubs A hub is a device that modifies network transmission signals, thereby enabling you to extend the network for additional workstations. There are two kinds of hubs — active and passive: ✦ An active hub amplifies the transmission signals to help extend cable length. ✦ A passive hub splits the transmission signal so that you can add another client computer. Hubs come with a certain number of ports, or plugs, including 4, 5, 8, 16, and 24. You plug one computer into each port or plug. A hub is one of the easiest methods of connecting two or more computers together. If you purchase a network kit for Ethernet, phone line, or power line networks, a hub is one part of the kit. When you use a hub on your network, it makes troubleshooting connection problems a bit easier. If a cable or network card goes bad, for example, only the computer with the bad card or cable stops communicating with the network. Additionally, the other computers on the network aren’t hindered by one bad connection. Choose a hub with more ports than you think you’ll need for your business network. Consider at least doubling the number of ports you expect to need; for example, if you think you need only 4 ports, consider buying an 8- or even 12-port hub. You’ll be surprised at how quickly a network can grow. Generally, a hub is the central controlling device, although when used in a spanning tree net- work, it’s difficult to discern one central device. Figure 9-2 illustrates a four-port hub used to connect four computers in the network. The hub is the central device in this network. Figure 9-3 illustrates a spanning tree topology in which hubs are used to extend the network beyond the limitations of the number of hub ports. The second hub connects three additional computers to the network. It could also connect another hub, and another, to further extend the transmission signals. Small Business Tip Tip Tip Part II ✦ Planning and Setting Up Networking — Hardware and Software Figure 9-2: Use a hub to connect the computers to the network. Figure 9-3: Using hubs to extend the reach of the network is also called daisy-chaining. You must match the hub type with the type of cabling, network cards, and network technol- ogy. For example, if you use Ethernet 10Base-T or 100Base-T twisted-pair cabling and cards, you also must use an Ethernet hub. See the section “Purchasing a hub or switch” later in this chapter. Hub Hub Hub