home networking basics 2

8/9/2019 Home Networking Basics 2

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Home NetworkingHome Networking

by David Jackson


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Topics covered

Topics coveredWh at is Home Networking?Th e reasons for setting up a Home Network.Types of Home Networks and c h oosing your tec h nology.Buying and installing t h e h ardware.

Configure th

e system and get th

eh

ardwaretalking to eac h oth er. Address any security issues to keep your Network safe.


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Home NetworkingHome Networking

S h are a single printer between computers.S h are a single Internet connection wit h allth e computers in your h ouse.

Access s h ared files on any computer in your h ouse (Pictures, MP3s, Documents & Data).Play games t h at allow multiple users atdifferent computers.S end t h e output of a device suc h as a DVDplayer or W ebcam to your ot h er computer(s)

Th e tec h nology t ha t connects computers a ndot h er electronic devices t ha t a llow you to:


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Types of Home Networking

Types of Home NetworkingS neaker Net T h e use of Diskettes, CD-R/CD-R W and U S B th umb drives.

Inexpensive, but inconvenient especiallywh en t h e computers are not on t h e samefloor.Link computers t h roug h th e p h one lines.

Link computers t h roug h th e power lines.Link computers wirelessly by W IFI.Link computers t h roug h wires by Et h ernet


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HomePNA networking


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HomePNA 2.0 or HomePNA 2.0 or P h one Line NetworkingP h one Line Networking

HPNA, P h oneLine or HomePNA networking operateover t h e existing copper telep h one wires in your h ome wit h out interfering wit h voice or D S Lcommunications.

Typical speeds of 10Mbps can be ac h ieved.HomePNA 3.0 will pus h th e speed up to 100Mbpswh en it is released.


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HomePNA networking

HomePNA ha s sever a l distinct a dv a nt a ges:

Inexpensive.

Easy to install. S tandardized.

Reliable. O

perates at a constant 10 Mbps, even wh

en th

eph one is in use. Fast enoug h for bandwidt h -intensive applications, suc h as video.

Continued on next slide


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Adv a nt a ges (Continued):

Requires no additional networking equipment(suc h as h ubs or routers).

S upports up to 25 devices.

Compatible wit h oth er networking tec h nologies.

W orks on Macs and older PCs as well asW indows systems.

HomePNA networking


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HomePNA networking

HomePNA does ha ve some dr a wb a cks, t h oug h .

Requires a p h one jack close to eac h computer.

Even t h oug h it operates at a very reasonable 10 Mbps, itis still 10 times slower t h an fast Eth ernet (100 Mbps)

A ph ysical limit of 1,000 feet (304.8 m) of wiring betweendevices

Th e overall area of coverage s h ould not exceed 10,000square feet (929 m 2).

O ccasionally, HomePNA will not work on t h e existingwiring. Reports of voices sounding "funny" or of a lot of

noise on th

e ph

one once HomePNA is installed.


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Power Line Networking


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Power Line NetworkingPower Line Networking

Ba sed on t h e concept of "no new wires.

Convenient. T h ere will always be an electrical outletnear a computer. Not every room h as a p h one jack.

Computers connect to one anot h er t h roug h any power outlet in t h e building .

Ch eapest met h od of connecting computers in differentrooms, because it requires no new wiring, and t h enetwork adds no cost to your electric bill.


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Th ere a re two competing power-linetec h nologies:

Th e original tec h nology is called PassPort,by a company named Intelogis .

A new tec h nology called PowerPacket,developed by Intellon , h as been c h osen by t h e

HomePlug Alliance as th

e standard for power-line networking.



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Power Line NetworkingTh e new PowerPacket tec h nology is faster t h anth e older PassPort system.

It is rated at 14 megabits per second (Mbps).Th is speed allows new applications, suc h asaudio and video streaming, to be available

th roug h out t h e h ouse.


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Adv a nt a ges of a power-line network:

Inexpensive. $50 U S for a complete Intelogis' PassPort kitto connect two computers.

Uses existing electrical wiring.Every room of a typical h ouse h as several electricaloutlets.

Easy to install.

A printer, or any ot h er device t h at doesn't need to bedirectly connected to a computer, doesn't h ave to beph ysically near any of t h e computers in t h e network.



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PCI card

Doesn't require a card to be installed in t h e computer,alth oug h th ere are companies working onPCI-based systems.


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Th ere a re some dis a dv a nt a ges to connecting t h roug h power-lines w h en using t h e older P a ssPort tec h nology:

Connection is rat h er slow -- 50 Kbps to 350 Kbps.Performance can be impacted by h ome power usage.

Can limit t h e features of your printer. O nly works wit h W indows-based computers.Uses large plug-in devices t h at cover t h e entire electricaloutlet.

Can only use 110V standard lines.Requires t h at all data be encrypted for a secure network. O lder wiring can affect performance.



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According to Intellon, PowerP a cket tec h nologyelimin a tes m a ny of t h ese concerns, citing t h efollowing a dv a nt a ges:

Rated at 14 Mbps.

W orks independent of line voltage and frequency of current.Th is "avoids" disruptions in t h e power-line, maintaining t h enetwork's connections and speeds.

Does not limit t h e features of your printer.

Can be compatible wit h oth er operating systems

(depending on driver availability).Can h ave t h e necessary circuitry embedded wit h in th e device,necessitating only a standard power cord to access an outlet.

Includes encryption.

In tests, s h ows no signal degradation due to older wiring.



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W iFi NetworkingW iFi Networking


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W iFi is th e wireless way to h andle networking.It is also known as 802.11 networking , or

wireless networking .Th e big advantage of W iFi is its simplicity:

you connect computers anyw h ere in your h ome or

office with out wires.Th e computers connect to t h e network using radiosignals, and can be up to 100 feet apart.



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Th e radios used in W iFi are similar to t h eradios used in $5 walkie-talkies, wit h th e

ability to transmit and receive.

Th ey convert t h e digital 1s and 0s into radiowaves and back into 1s and 0s.



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Th ere a re currently t h ree different W iFi systems:

Th e 802.11b and 802.11g standards transmit at2.4 GHz, w h ile th e 802.11a standard transmits at5 GHz. T h e h igh er frequency allows h igh er datarates.



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Th ere a re two coding tec h niques:

Th e 802.11a and 802.11g, known as ort h ogonalfrequency-division multiplexing ( O FDM), provideh igh er data rates

Th e 802.11b, w h ich is called Complementary CodeKeying (CCK).



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W iFi ha s t h e a bility to c ha nge frequencies:

802.11b cards transmit directly on any of t h ree bands.

Th e 802.11a and 802.11g split t h e available radiobandwidt h into dozens of c h annels and frequencyh op rapidly between t h em.

Th e advantage of frequency h opping is t h at it is muc h

more immune to interference and allows dozens of W iFi cards to talk simultaneously wit h out interferingwith eac h oth er.



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802.11b can h andle up to 11 megabits per second,alth oug h 7 megabits per second is more typical, andmay fall back as low as 1 or 2 megabits per secondif th ere is a lot of interference.

802.11a and 802.11g can h andle up to 54 megabitsper second, alt h oug h 30 megabits per second ismore typical.



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E th ernetE th ernet NetworkingNetworking


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Eth ernet is t h e most common networking system.

Th e equipment needed for an Et h ernet-based networkcan be as simple as two network interface cards (NIC)

and a cable, or as complex as multiple routers, bridgesand h ubs.

It is th is versatility t h at makes it so useful to businesses.W e will focus on t h e basics for creating a h ome networkusing t h is met h od.

For t h is demonstration, a typical four-port Router wit h aW AN (wide area network) for a Cable or D S L modem willbe used.



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Eth ernet h as many advantages:

Fastest h ome-networking tec h nology (100 Mbps).

Can be inexpensive if th

e computers are close to oneanot h er.Extremely reliable.Easy to maintain after it is set up.Virtually unlimited number of devices t h at can beconnected.

A great deal of tec h nical support available.



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D is a dv a nt a ges:

If you h ave more t h an two computers, you'll need

additional equipment.

Can be expensive if wiring and jacks need to beinstalled.

S et-up and configuration can be difficult.

Tec h nical jargon and t h e number of options can beconfusing.



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E th ernet is a va ila ble in two speeds:

10 Mbps and 100 Mbps.

Most NICs are capable of operating at eit h er speed, butyou s h ould c h eck to be sure before purc h asing.

Get cards capable of t h e 100 Mbps data rate.

You will need a NIC card for each

computer.

E th ernetE th ernet NetworkingNetworkingBuying and installing t h e h ardware.Buying and installing t h e h ardware.


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Th ere a re two different w a ys to connect E th ernetc a rds:

Coax and Cat 5 cabling.Coax was once t h e more popular of t h e two, but today justabout everyone uses Cat 5 because it is easier toconfigure.

Cat 5 h as a cable t h at looks a lot like a telep h one cable.You run one cable from t h e router to eac h computer.



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Th e h ub or router takes t h e signalfrom eac h computer and sends it to all of th e ot h er computersand devices in your h

ome.



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Follow th e manufacturers installation guide for eac h of th e NIC cards and t h e Router

Because of t h e large number of possibleconfigurations in an Et h ernet network, you likely willnot h ave any type of automated installation software.

Th

is means th

at you mayh

ave to manually configureall th e options.

If you h ave problems, t h e best source of informationis probably t h e manufacturer of your NIC cards.



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Configuring t h e systemConfiguring t h e systemE a sy NetworkingE a sy NetworkingTh ere are several " h ome-networking kits" available,and t h ey often include an installation CD t h at makesconfiguration very easy.

W indows XP comes wit h a "Network S etup W izard" t h ath elps wit h network configuration.

Th ere are also contractors w h o will set up a network inyour h ome for a fee.

Th e software or contractor will take you t h roug h eac h stepof naming t h e computer, s h aring files, s h aring printers and

s h aring an Internet connection .


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However, if you h ave problems, or if your kit does not includea configuration program, you'll need to know h ow to set your network up manually.

You also need to understand a manual setup if you plan todo-it-yourself.

To assist you wit h setting up your network, we'll discuss t h efollowing tasks:

Na ming t h e PCS ha ring filesS ha ring printersSecurityS ha ring a n Internet connection


Configuring t h e systemConfiguring t h e systemE a sy NetworkingE a sy Networking


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O nce you h ave t h e h ardware installed, you are ready toconfigure your network.

Th e first configuration step is naming t h e PCs in t h enetwork. Before your computer can become part of anetwork, it h as to h ave a n a me and a workgroup .

Eac h computer in your h ome network needs to h ave adifferent name, and t h ey all need to be in t h e sameworkgroup.


Configuring t h e systemConfiguring t h e systemNa ming t h e PCNa ming t h e PC


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Here's h ow you c a n n a me your PC a nd cre a te a workgroup:1. In W indows XP , click th e S tart button (bottom left h and corner)

and select t h e Control Panel.

2. If not already in th

e "Classic view", select th

e Classic viewoption (upper left corner of t h e window - you can switc h between t h e classic view and t h e category view).

3. Click on t h e "S ystem" icon.4. S elect t h e "Computer Name" tab.5. You will see t h at t h e computer h as a "Full Computer Name"

and a "W

orkgroup". Click th

e "Ch

ange" button to ch

ange th

em.6. In th e first box, enter t h e name you wis h to give t h e computer.You can name it anyt h ing, but eac h computer in your h omemust h ave a its own unique name.

7. In th e second box, enter t h e name you plan to use for t h eworkgroup -- make sure all of t h e computers h ave t h e sameworkgroup name. You may want to write it down to make sureth at you enter t h e exact same workgroup name on eac h computer in your h ome network


Configuring t h e systemConfiguring t h e systemNa ming t h e PCNa ming t h e PC


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1. In W indows 98/M E , move t h e mousepointer over t h e Network Neig h bour h oodicon on t h e desktop and click t h e rig h tmouse button once.

2. S elect Properties from t h e menu. T h eNetwork Properties window will pop up,listing information about t h e networkadapter(s) and protocols installed on t h atcomputer.

E th ernetE th ernet NetworkingNetworkingConfiguring t h e systemConfiguring t h e systemNa ming t h e PCNa ming t h e PC


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E a sy NetworkingE a sy NetworkingNaming t h e PCNaming t h e PCW indows 98/MEW indows 98/ME

3. Wh en t h e windowopens, click t h e

Identific a tion tab. Youwill see t h ree boxes.

4. In t h e first box, enter th e name you wis h togive t h e computer. Youcan name it anyt h ing,but eac h computer inyour h ome must h ave

a its own unique name.


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E a sy NetworkingE a sy NetworkingNaming t h e PCNaming t h e PCW indows 98/MEW indows 98/ME

In th e second box, enter th e name you plan to

use for th

e workgroup-- make sure all of t h ecomputers h ave t h esame workgroupname. You may want to

write it down to makesure t h at you enter t h eexact same workgroupname on eac h computer in your network.


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File S ha ringFile S ha ringW indows XPW indows XP

Microsoft recognized t h e growing popularity of h omenetworks and first implemented Internet Connection S h aring(ICS ) in W indows 98. T h is feature (muc h improved) is alsoavailable in W indows XP.

ICS lets you connect one computer to t h e Internet bywh atever means (modem, D S L, IS DN or cable) and s h are

th at connection wit h any ot h er W indows 98/ME computer onth e network. T h oug h simple in t h eory, t h e first implementationof ICS proved problematic for many users. W indows 98 v.2improved IC S , and W indows XP makes it even simpler.


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File S ha ringFile S ha ringW indows XPW indows XP

1. In W indows XP , click t h e S tart button (bottom left h andcorner) and select t h e Control Panel.

2. If not already in t h e "Classic view", select t h e Classic viewoption (upper left corner of t h e window - you can switc h between t h e classic view and t h e category view).

3. Click on t h e "Network Connections" icon.4. Righ t click on t h e icon under t h e "LAN or Hig h S peed

Networking" option. S elect Properties from t h e menu t h atappears.

5. You will see t h at t h e computer h as a "Full Computer Name"and a " W orkgroup". Click t h e "C h ange" button to c h angeth em.

6. S elect t h e "Advanced" tab.7. Click on t h e "Allow oth er network users to connect..." option.8. Follow th e directions in t h e dialog t h at appears.


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1. Go to t h e Control P a nel a nd double-click Add/Remove Progr a ms.

2. Select t h e W indows Setup t a b a nd open t h e Internet Tools option.

3. E n a ble t h e Internet Connection S ha ring component by clicking on t h ebox next to it a nd t h en clicking on OK.

4. Once t h e ICS components a re inst a lled, t h e ICS wiz a rd will pop up.Follow t h e prompts a nd keep clicking Next. If your Internet connectionis not a lre a dy configured on t h is computer, t h e wiz a rd will open t h eInternet Connection W iz a rd (don't get t h ese two wiz a rds confused!) sotha t you c a n set up a n Internet connection. Simply follow t h e prompts.W h en you're done, you'll be returned to t h e ICS wiz a rd.

5. Th e ICS wiz a rd will g a th er some inform a tion a nd prompt you to insert a 3.5-inc h diskette. Th is diskette will t h en be used to configure t h e ot h er W indows 98/M E computers on your network for Internet a ccess.

By def a ult, t h e ICS components a re

not inst a lled on your computer. Youonly run ICS on t h e computer t ha t isa ctu a lly connected to t h e Internet:

File S ha ringFile S ha ringW indows 98W indows 98


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4. Once t h e ICS components a re inst a lled, t h e ICS wiz a rd will pop up.Follow t h e prompts a nd keep clicking Next. If your Internet connectionis not a lre a dy configured on t h is computer, t h e wiz a rd will open t h e

Internet ConnectionW

iza

rd (don't get th

ese two wiza

rds confused!) sotha t you c a n set up a n Internet connection. Simply follow t h e prompts.W h en you're done, you'll be returned to t h e ICS wiz a rd.

5. Th e ICS wiz a rd will g a th er some inform a tion a nd prompt you to insert a 3.5-inc h diskette. Th is diskette will t h en be used to configure t h e ot h er W indows 98/M E computers on your network for Internet a ccess.


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Wh ile file and printer s h aring are still relatively easy oneith er operating system, Internet-connection s h aringusing only software can be a good deal trickier.

In most cases, if you are s h aring a h igh -speedconnection wit h several computers in your h ome (andespecially if you are doing it wirelessly) it is easier topurc h ase a wireless h ub/router and let it do t h econnection s h aring for you. Lynksys' or Netgear'swireless h ubs/routers are inexpensive, very easy to setup and also h ave t h e added benefit of providing ah ardware firewall to protect your network.



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Th eTh e Demonstration