Make any changes you want. 4. Click OK and OK again to close the dialog boxes.
Chapter 11 ✦ Accessing the Network with Various Operating Systems
Operating systems for notebooks
If you’re using Windows 98, 2000, or XP on your laptop or notebook, you’ll have no trouble configuring the networking software. You just follow the steps for installing and configuring
the software on a desktop computer. Apple also makes notebook computers that use various operating systems, including Mac OS
8, 9, and X. Connecting these to the network is very similar to connecting any Mac computer. For information about adding the networking hardware to a notebook or laptop computer,
see Chapter 9. For more about configuring software for network use, see Chapter 10.
Hardware for notebooks and laptops
When using a notebook on the network, remember that you usually insert a PC Card into the network adapter slot on the notebook. Older laptops may not have the appropriate sockets
connections for the PC Cards. If that is the case, you need to plug a direct cable between the laptop and your desktop computer to connect them. You can purchase an adapter cable,
called a pigtail, that plugs into the portable computer and then fits an RJ-45 or other network- ing connector.
You can also use a universal serial bus USB adapter. See Chapter 10 for more information.
Make sure you do not insert or remove a PC Card when the computer is turned on unless you use the software included with the notebook to enable you to remove the card check your
computer’s documentation. You could damage the card andor the slot. Generally, when you install a PC Card, it will configure itself when you turn the computer
on. A PC Ethernet adapter costs between 40 and 130 for a notebook computer. Be careful when buying your network card. If you buy a bargain card, you first must check to see that
it’s certified as compatible with your operating system. Many cheaper cards might not be XP-compatible, for example. Wireless cards are in the same cost range; Macintosh cards
can be a bit more expensive.
Mac PowerBooks and iBooks generally come with wireless capability built in. Often they have slots for PC Cards as well, depending on the type of notebook you buy.
You also want to avoid the higher-end combo cards for your notebook or laptop, if possible. Combo cards include a modem and network card in a single unit, and they are notorious for
compatibility nightmares. Most notebooks and laptops use Windows-compatible or a Mac operating system that
enables easy configuration of the network. Check to make sure the computer has slots for networking andor wireless capabilities.
Looking at handheld computers
Handheld computers and pocket PCs are popular with teens, as well as with businesspeople. You can carry your handheld in your pocket and use it anytime: at work, at home, or on the
road.
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Handhelds enable you to schedule your time, update your address book, take memos, send and receive e-mail, complete spreadsheets, write reports, and more. You also can synchronize
the information on your handheld computer with the programs on your desktop computer to make sure that you don’t miss an appointment or lose an address.
If you have salespeople, customer representatives, or other employees in the field, con- sider supplying them with handhelds instead of notebook computers. Handhelds are much
cheaper, and many programs are available for scheduling, travel expenses, and other busi- ness forms on them.
Following is a brief list of some of the things you can do with handhelds: ✦
Use the date book to view the time, schedule events, view a week or month in the date book, and add and delete dates in the schedule.
✦ Create address book entries for work and personal use, and view, modify, add, and
delete entries. ✦
Create a to-do list, and then add, modify, and delete entries. ✦
Take, arrange, add, and delete memos. ✦
Use additional programs, such as the calculator or expense application. ✦
With the appropriate software and a modem, send and receive e-mail on the Internet. ✦
Create brochures, presentations, business cards, calendars, fax cover sheets, letter- heads, memos, and more document types.
✦ Customize envelopes and labels, run a shipping manager program, print postage
Many handhelds also offer accessories, such as modems, full-size keyboards, cradles for syn- chronizing with your desktop, and more. The number of programs now available for hand-
helds is unbelievable.
Looking at handheld brands
Many different brands of handheld computers exist, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. Probably the most popular manufacturers are Sony, Palm, Toshiba, HP, and
Compaq. Several operating systems also exist for handhelds; Palm OS, Windows CE, and Pocket PC are three of the most popular operating systems.
You can buy a handheld for 100, or you can spend 1,200. The least expensive ones have fewer features and often don’t have built-in networking. Mid-range cost handhelds have some
sort of networking, whether it’s Bluetooth, 802.11b Wi-Fi, or infrared. You can also buy Ethernet adapters for some handhelds.
For more information about wireless networking, see Chapter 7. Note that there is little difference between a handheld and a PDA personal digital assistant.
Older Palms PalmPilot and Sony Clies were called PDAs. Sometimes newer handhelds are called PDAs as well. Just make sure that if you purchase a PDA for network use, the PDA’s
specifications name a network protocol or connection. Not all PDAs, or handhelds for that matter, have network capability.
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Chapter 11 ✦ Accessing the Network with Various Operating Systems
Palms
Palms use the Palm OS operating system, but include software for installing copies of the programs to Windows computers. Palms come with a cradle for synchronizing the two com-
puters, so your schedule, task list, address book, and other information are always up-to- date. The Palm operating system is compatible with both PCs and Macintosh.
The Palm Tungsten C is one of the latest models that you can network. The Palm runs on a superfast processor and uses the latest Palm OS. This Palm uses built-in Wi-Fi technology. It
also includes a wireless Web browser and infrared support. Its cost is around 500.
HP iPAQ Pocket PC
HP makes many iPAQs, but some are made to use Bluetooth technology, and others are com- patible with wireless 802.11b, so be careful when purchasing an iPAQ. For around 400 to
500, you should be able to get an iPAQ that does everything you need and includes network- ing capabilities.
Pocket PC is the operating system in iPAQs, and you can run the same type of programs that you can with a Palm — perhaps even more programs, such as Word, Excel, and other
Windows programs. Often you’ll see “Bluetooth- and IrDA-compatible” on the packaging. Bluetooth is a radio chip
that communicates with other Bluetooth devices. These devices can be phones, printers, com- puters, and so on. The range is fairly short for Bluetooth, no more than 10 meters, and the
technology is radio frequency hopping. IRDA Infrared Data Association cable converts com- puters that do not have infrared ports with an infrared connection by plugging into a USB port.
Toshiba Pocket PC
For around 600, you can get a 802.11bIrDA wireless handheld that also has a powerful Intel processor, color LED, 96MB storage capacity, and much more. Toshiba has another handheld
for around 300 with only IrDA connectivity.
NEC handhelds
NEC makes a larger handheld for 900. The MobilePro 900 weighs 1.8 pounds and has a larger footprint than the smaller handhelds. It has a PC Card slot and IrDA compatibility. It’s called a
handheld, but with the size, power, and such, it could be called a notebook. The MobilePro uses the HPC 2000 operating system.
NEC also makes smaller handhelds that use Windows CE operating system or the Pocket PC. You can use IrDA, or you can get a PC Card expansion jacket to use on an Ethernet or wireless
network. You purchase your handheld for more than just the networking; you want certain features
that some have and others don’t. Just make sure of the connectivity and capability before purchasing if you want to use the handheld on the network.
Using handhelds on the network
Each handheld uses some sort of operating system — such as Windows CE or an OS created by the manufacturer. Most operating systems are also compatible with Windows. This com-
patibility enables you to attach your handheld to your desktop computer via a cradle or other means so that you can sync the data and exchange information with a copy of the soft-
ware on the desktop computer.
In the past, you could use a handheld only with one computer. You could, of course, share the handheld’s folder after syncing it, but you couldn’t connect the handheld directly to the net-
work. Newer models of handhelds have changed that. As you can see from the previous
Part II ✦ Planning and Setting Up Networking — Hardware and Software
examples in this chapter, you can use wireless 802.11b, Bluetooth, infrared, Ethernet adapters, and other methods of connecting handhelds to your network. You can purchase
pocket pack network adapters, wireless PC Cards for handhelds, an Apple connector for FireWire, USB adapters, Bluetooth adapters, and more.
Considering tablets
Tablet PCs have gained popularity and versatility over the last year. With a tablet, you can write notes with a stylus and then have the computer convert the handwriting to typed text,
such as you would see in Word. Tablets are highly mobile and enable powerful computing with the Windows XP Tablet PC Edition as your operating system. Windows XP is nearly the
same on a tablet as it is on a desktop or notebook computer. The differences are in orienta- tion and input devices. Other operating systems are used with tablets, including Macintosh
OSs, Windows 2000, and so on.
Networking on a tablet using Windows as the operating system is the same as networking on any other PC. You can network using a USB adapter, PC Card for Ethernet, or PC Card for
wireless.
If you have trouble setting up your wireless networking encryption with a tablet PC, consider the following. The access point usually shows a passphrase or a key for encryption, and nor-
mally a PC Card or NIC enables you to use the same key so the two can communicate. If you have trouble sharing the key, try counting the alphanumeric characters in the key. For exam-
ple, 64-bit encryption contains 10 characters, 128-bit encryption contains 26 characters, and 256-bit encryption contains 58 characters for the key. Sometimes when you set the encryp-
tion, the number of characters is not correctly translated; by counting them, you can be sure the number is correct. If the number is not correct, you should remove the encryption, close
the configuration utility, start the utility again, and reapply the encryption key.
Compaq makes a tablet PC that uses the Windows XP Tablet PC Edition operating system. This tablet has nearly every type of networking capability you could want or need: Ethernet,
Fast Ethernet, 802.11b, and many great PC features for 1,850. Toshiba also makes tablet PCs of various price levels: 2,000 and 2,400, for example. The
tablet comes with the Windows XP Tablet PC Edition, various networking capabilities, a vari- ety of software, and many other features.
Other makers of tablets include Acer and Wyse. CalComp and Summa make accessories for tablets as well.
Adding a Macintosh to Your Network
Years ago, you couldn’t add a Macintosh to a PC network or vice versa. A real division existed, not only between the users of these computers but also between the technologies.
Luckily, the technologies have expanded and bridges have been built to enable both com- puter types to share files, printers, and other resources.
With Macintoshes, you can create a Mac-only network by stringing an AppleTalk cable between computers and setting some Share options in the System menu. Most Macintoshes
come with networking software.
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Chapter 11 ✦ Accessing the Network with Various Operating Systems
If you have a PC network, however, and a Macintosh on the side that you would like to con- nect, you can do so easily now. Both Apple and Microsoft realize the importance of intercon-
nectivity between the Macintosh and PCs. With advanced networking technology, Macs can be integrated with PCs easily.
Networking the Macintosh
Apple advocates wireless networking with their computers as the only way to go. True, wire- less is easy to set up and has many advantages. You can use all wireless, including your PCs
and Macs, and your network can be exactly what you want and need. Alternatively, you might have a wired network with your PCs and want to introduce wireless Macs. That solution
works well too. If you want to use wireless over your network, see Chapter 7 for information about setting it up.
You might, however, want to wire a Macintosh to your wired network. That can work too. Most Macintoshes contain a 10100Base-T Ethernet port on the back of the computer. The built-in
Ethernet support connects with twisted-pair, thin coaxial cables, fiber-optic transmission media, or other standard Ethernet cables. Connect to an Ethernet 10100 twisted-pair by using
an RJ-45 connector. You set up a Macintosh to an Ethernet network just as you set up a PC.
All Macs include built-in networking. All Macs include two types of built-in networking tech- nologies: Ethernet and AirPort wireless. Early Macs G3s and Power Macs used Ethernet and
LocalTalk networking. Some older Macs had infrared instead. But newer Macs have the newest Ethernet and wireless technology for adding them to your network.
You might use a Macintosh in your company’s art or typesetting department. The Macintosh has excellent art, drawing, painting, and desktop publishing programs. In addition, the music
programs for Macintosh are more advanced than for the PC. The capability of networking a Macintosh with PCs means more flexibility and convenience in your work.
The Mac’s networking hardware
If you want to use Ethernet networking for the Mac or Macs on your network, you set them up the same as you would a PC. Ethernet cables and hubs connect the Macs in minutes. Then
you configure the software. The Mac has built-in Ethernet cards. Mac notebooks have the PC Card slot; you simply add the PC Card.
Setting up the wireless networking takes a little more time, but not much. The wireless AirPort card is built into Mac desktops, servers, and notebooks. You need an access point —
in Apple language, that’s a base station. An AirPort base station has a modem and an Ethernet jack inside, so you can use it to dial your Internet service provider or a work network, or you
can plug into the jack with your cable modem or DSL line for wireless Internet access. You can alternatively use the Ethernet jack to plug into your wired network at home.
Apple has two types of wireless: AirPort and AirPort Extreme. AirPort is based on 802.11b standards with speeds up to 11 Mbps. AirPort Extreme is the newer wireless technology, and
the faster technology. AirPort Extreme is five times faster than AirPort; AirPort Extreme runs at 54 Mbps. AirPort Extreme is based on 802.11g wireless standards and ranges for around
150 feet. The base station sells for around 200. AirPort Extreme can work with AirPort tech- nology as well as with Extreme technology. The AirPort cards work with either technology.
For more information on prices, ranges, and other features of AirPort cards and AirPort Extreme cards and base stations, see Chapter 7.
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Bluetooth technology is also integrated into the OS X operating system and comes built into certain Mac computers, such as the PowerBook G4. If your computer or operating system
does not come with Bluetooth and you want to use it, you can purchase a D-Link USB adapter. FireWire is another built-in technology with Macs. FireWire is a high-powered bus that trans-
fers large amounts of data quickly and over longer distances. Apple has doubled the standard of IEEE 1394b on some computers, such as the PowerBook G4 and the Power Mac G4. Use
FireWire with applications such as digital video, professional audio, high-end still cameras, and home entertainment devices.
IEEE 1394b FireWire is also available with Windows 2000 and XP computers.
The Mac’s networking software
Whether you use wireless or wired networking, you have to set up sharing on the Mac. Adding a Mac to any network is generally easy as far as setting up protocol. Many Macs examine the
network, similarly to Windows XP machines, and set up the protocol for the already wired network. You can also change the protocol settings, if necessary. Chapter 10 describes setting
up networking software.
Figure 11-4 shows the Network dialog box in the Mac OS X operating system. This Mac pro- vides built-in Ethernet with TCPIP settings already in place; however, you can change set-
tings, if you prefer. You can also use AppleTalk for network, say, if you’re using all Macintosh computers.
Another configuration you need to complete for networking the Mac is network sharing. The Sharing folder is located in System Preference, as is the Network folder, as shown in Figure 11-5.
Figure 11-4: Macs contain built-in Ethernet support.
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Chapter 11 ✦ Accessing the Network with Various Operating Systems
Figure 11-5: Network configurations are found in the System Preferences on the Mac. The Sharing folder enables you to choose the services you want to share, including file and
printer sharing, Windows file sharing, and so on. Figure 11-6 shows the Sharing dialog box with several services checked for sharing.
For more information about sharing Windows files with your Macintosh, see the section “Accessing Windows data” later in this chapter.
If you have all Macintosh computers in your small business, consider using the AppleShare IP ASIP server. This is networking software that includes file sharing, Web hosting, e-mail ser-
vices, Internet access, and print sharing all on one computer.
Accessing Windows data
Most popular applications — Word for Windows and other Microsoft Office applications, America Online, Quicken, and so on — are available for Macintosh now. And most of these
programs give you the option of saving your files in formats for Macintosh or for Windows. Both the Mac and Windows support common file formats like DOC, XLS, PPT, JPEG, GIF,
and so on.
You can share these files by e-mail, with a CD-R, with a Zip disk, and even over a network with the SMBCIFS protocol. SMB is Server Message Block and is a common networking protocol
used by Microsoft Windows. CIFS is Common Internet File System, a protocol also developed by Microsoft. CIFS runs over TCPIP, which enables users to share files with multiple platforms.
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Part II ✦ Planning and Setting Up Networking — Hardware and Software
Figure 11-6: Share files and printers, plus other services, with your Mac.
Nowadays, Windows users can browse Mac file servers and Macs can browse Windows. The difference isn’t as important, as territorial, or as difficult as it used to be. The following infor-
mation is focused primarily on Mac OS X and higher operating systems.
Use the Mac OS X or higher for the easiest and most reliable Windows compatibility. Other Mac operating systems can share files with Windows computers, but you might need a third-
party program to connect the two operating systems.
Looking at the details
Sharing a network and networking services with Windows is made easier by the industry- standard services used in today’s networking. TCPIP protocols enable the Mac and a
Windows computer to use the same file server, printers, and other network services. Sim- ilarly, wireless networking products are compatible with Wi-Fi certified 802.11b products
for both Mac and Windows.
Since the Mac and Windows versions of most applications are the same — Microsoft Office applications, PDF Portable Document Format files, audio and video files, and so on — you
can transfer files over a network, making file exchange easy and quick. No translation is necessary.
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Chapter 11 ✦ Accessing the Network with Various Operating Systems
The Mac OS X v10.2 has built-in Windows file sharing based on the open source technology called Samba. Samba is a freeware software program that enables computers other than
Windows, such as the Mac and Linux, to use SMBCIFS to access files, printers, and network services.
All you have to do is click the option in the Sharing dialog box ➪ System Preferences, as shown in Figure 11-7, and you can share Windows files and networking. You don’t need additional,
third-party software. In addition, you can stop sharing at any time in the same dialog box.
Figure 11-7: Share the Windows network.
Looking at Windows folders and files
As with any program, Mac OS provides several ways to connect to another computer Chap- ter 13 goes into accessing a network in more detail. With the Mac OS X, you can connect to
another computer by choosing Go ➪ Connect to Server. The Connect to Server dialog box appears, as shown in Figure 11-8; your dialog box may look different than the one here.
Depending on your network setup, you have the choice of a clientserver, a workgroup, or a local network. You can also choose in the At box to connect to a specific computer via IP
address from the drop-down list box. When you select a computer to connect to, that computer’s drive becomes available in an
icon on your desktop, as shown in Figure 11-9.
Part II ✦ Planning and Setting Up Networking — Hardware and Software
Figure 11-8: Look at the computers on the network.
Figure 11-9: Go to another computer on the network.
A Windows computer
Chapter 11 ✦ Accessing the Network with Various Operating Systems
You can then go into any shared folders on the networked Windows PC and copy, add to, and otherwise work with the files. Figure 11-10 shows a pictures folder on a Windows computer,
opened on the Mac.
Figure 11-10: Open files on a Windows computer over the network.
Connecting through various technologies
You can network to connect a Mac to a Windows PC, including Ethernet cabling, wireless technology, virtual private networks VPNs, USB, FireWire, and so on. For more information
about each of these technologies, see Chapters 6 through 9. The following information is about how these technologies relate to networking Mac and Windows.
Ethernet attaches to both PCs and Macs using the 10100 NIC, a hub or switch, and Ethernet cabling. TCPIP is the only built-in protocol for Macs, so it follows that you use IP addressing
to connect the two computers.
For more information about TCPIP and IP addressing, see Appendix B. Wireless networking also suits both the PC and Mac. Macintosh uses the Apple AirPort Extreme
wireless technologies, based on the 802.11g standard. Apple AirPort technologies are based on 802.11b standards; therefore, you can use these technologies with any wireless cards and
access points you use with Windows, as long as you match the standards.
With wireless, the Mac OS X has built-in services that detect which wireless connections are available and connects automatically to the fastest and strongest signals. Plus Mac’s wireless
connections support 128-bit encryption with Wired Equivalent Privacy WEP.
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For more information about wireless technologies, see Chapter 7. You can also connect to a Windows network using VPNs, perhaps to connect from home to
work or from the road to home. You need a VPN client to do this and the Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol PPTP, which are both included in the Mac OS X. The Mac comes with
USB and FireWire ports so that you can use Bluetooth devices, such as printers, scanners, storage drives, and the like, with the Mac and Windows.
Using Linux with Your Network
You might want to use a Linux computer if you have someone in your family who is an experi- enced Linux user or who plans to spend a great amount of time learning Linux.
You could use Linux on a slower, outdated computer, such as a Pentium or Pentium II. You could also use Linux on a desktop for a user, but Windows is a lot easier and more efficient.
Another problem with Linux is that not as much hardware and software is available that’s compatible with it, unlike with Windows or Mac.
If you plan to use Linux with your network, it will likely be for a server. You can use a Linux server, for example, if you have a broadband connection and you want to supply Internet ser-
vices like File Transfer Protocol FTP or an Apache Web server. Broadband is a term describ- ing very fast Internet connections, like Digital Subscriber Line or a cable modem.
Most families, however, won’t use a Linux computer with their network. Linux has a steep learning curve, and it isn’t very useful for games or most desktop applications. If you do add
a Linux computer to your network, you can share files and printers with Windows computers. Most Linux distributions can be used with Windows networks through the Samba program.
Samba takes care of all of the Windows networking tasks, such as file and printer sharing. Samba configuration can be difficult, however.
Linux servers are secure and stable, although the reliability of your security depends on your ability to configure appropriate networking and operating system features. Networking ser-
vices are readily available for any distribution. You choose the server depending on the dis- tribution you’re most familiar with. Linux computers are also very secure, seeing how they
use a permissions system from Unix. Each file and directory has read, write, and execute access for the owner, for the group, and for the whole computer.
A Linux computer has a superuser called root. Root overrules all permissions for every file; therefore, the root password is the most important password on the computer. Every user
other than root is subject to limitations and permissions. Ethernet and wireless work with Linux the same as with Windows. Linux has its own open-
sourced tools, GUI-interfaces, and console-based tools and services for most networking tech- nologies. If you want to learn more about networking with Linux, and more specifically your
distribution, check www.justlinux.com.
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Chapter 11 ✦ Accessing the Network with Various Operating Systems
Summary
In this chapter, you’ve learned about attaching accessing your local area network with vari- ous computers and operating systems. You’ve learned about connecting the following:
✦ Windows NT and 2000
✦ Windows 98, Me, and XP
✦ Notebooks and tablets
✦ Handhelds
✦ Macintoshes
✦ Linux
In the next chapter, you learn about sharing resources on the network.
✦ ✦
✦
Working with Networked
Computers
I
n this part, you learn about configuring your computers to work over the network, as well as how to find files and resources over
the network. You first must designate your resources — files, folders, printers, and drives, for example — as shared. In sharing resources,
you choose whether the resources are available to everyone or only to certain users. Chapter 12 explains sharing in detail.
Chapter 13 shows you how to log on to the network and navigate your way to various locations. In addition to navigating the network,
you need to know how to find computers and other resources. Chapter 14 explains how to use Windows’s popular applets to accom-
plish this task. And Chapter 15 covers printing on the network.
✦ ✦
✦ ✦
In This Part