DO IT YOURSELF.  BUILDING  HOME NETWORKING
 
 

Building a basic LAN for your home takes  little time but yields many rewards. In this  section, we'll help you choose an operating system for your LAN, pick a wiring scheme, add network cards and connectors, and configure your hardware.  A word to the wise before you get started: keep a written record of all the details about your network, including the settings you make and the  hardware you buy. Your notes will come in handy when you expand or change your network down the road.
 

Pick your (network's) brain: operating systems

Depending on which operating system(s) you have (yes, you can have different ones on the same network), you'll have some different network options and advantages.  If you have a PC purchased in 1995 or later, your system probably came with Windows 95 whether you wanted it or not. If you're not a network nerd and are willing  to put up with occasional program and  system crashes, it's easiest to stick to the  path of least resistance and run Windows 95.  If you have a PC with less than 16MB of  RAM, or a 486 processor that's slower  than 100 MHz, Windows 95 will probably overtax the system. If you must run  Windows software, run Windows 3.1 or  Windows for Workgroups.

If you have a 150-MHz or faster Pentium with at least 48MB of RAM (64MB is  better), you might try Microsoft's Windows  NT 4.0 Workstation. It's slower than Windows 95 and requires a more  powerful machine, but NT Workstation runs most Windows-based software and crashes a lot less often than Windows 95. Another advantage is that NT lets you set up separate file-storage "accounts" for different family members. Unless the users have access privileges, they won't be able to snoop on one another's data, even though they're using the same PC.
 

Wired

The two best home wiring options are thin  Ethernet (also called 10Base2) and unshielded  twisted-pair cabling (also called UTP or  10BaseT). Your choice will depend on how  much you're willing to spend and how your home is set up.
 

Thin Ethernet

 Thin Ethernet cable looks very much like  the wire used for cable TV. It's rugged but stiff, making it a challenge to run the cable through walls, and it's inexpensive and requires the least hardware to connect. The cable is run from one computer to the  next, to the next--until you get to the last computer, where you add a cap called a  terminator. Thin Ethernet runs at only 10 mbps, much slower than UTP. And, depending on your home's setup and the  number of machines you're connecting, it  may be inconvenient to run cable in a line  through every room.
 
 Thin Ethernet requires a BNC connector, a little metal cylinder with two  nubs near the outside edge.  You can buy standard  lengths of cable that  already have connectors, or you can buy the connectors at any good computer store and crimp or twist them on using  special tool.

 UTP

 UTP cable looks like telephone cord and is more flexible than thin Ethernet. If you're willing to buy more expensive adapter cards and a hub, UTP can   run at 100 mbps--way faster than thin Ethernet. With prices going down  every day, there may soon be little difference in cost between the two  systems.  In a UTP network, the wires run out from a central hub (a box to which all  the computers are connected, and through which data is routed) like the spokes of a wheel.

A UTP network may work better for your home than thin Ethernet, but setting up a hub requires some fiddling, and many users opt  for the simplicity of the thin Ethernet system.

With UTP, you'll need an RJ-45 connector, which looks sort of like the connector on a telephone cord. Again, standard
lengths usually come with the connector in place, or you can  buy a crimping tool for about $5 and install the connectors
yourself.

If you go with UTP, you'll also need to purchase a basic 10BaseT hub for  about $60 (for a simple eight-port model); any computer store should be able to sell you one. Be sure to get one that has several more ports (or  connections) than you have computers: you don't want to have to buy a new hub when you decide to add to your network.

Whichever system you choose, check local building codes to make sure the cable is approved for your location. In a fire, some cables can emit toxic fumes as they burn. If you're using twisted-pair cable in a home, always choose cable labeled as Multi-Purpose Plenum (MPP), and make sure that  it's installed properly.

Hook it all together

After you select and install your cabling  system, the next step is adding network  interface cards (or NICs) and connectors. A NIC is the piece of hardware that physically connects the cables to your computers.

The brand of card isn't important, but make sure each one works with your operating system. An absolutely safe bet for  matching your OS is to check the box to   see whether the card is compatible with  the Novell NE2000 card. The NE2000 is a  time-honored design that works with all of  the operating systems for   IBM-PC-compatible computers.

Network cards come in two basic flavors,  ISA and PCI. Most computers can use  ISA cards, which are a little slower and   less sophisticated. ISA cards are designed  for a standard 16-bit slot. PCI cards work  in newer Pentiums, are a faster and more   advanced, and fit in a PCI slot. PCI cards  are a bit more expensive but probably worth the cost if your computer can use  them.

Make sure that the card you choose also  has the correct cable connector, UTP or  thin Ethernet. Many cards come with both  kinds, enabling you to change your cabling system later without buying new cards.
 
At your local computer superstore, you should find basic 10-mbps Ethernet network interface cards for about $25. The cheapest cards require you to run an installation program to set them up. Avoid cards that aren't  plug-and-play and don't have installation software!
 
 

Thin Ethernet and adapter cards

Now it's time for the fun part: getting into your computer's guts. If you're  using thin Ethernet cable, read the directions just below; if you're using UTP,  skip down to the second set of steps.

1. Turn off your computer, remove the cover, and insert a card into a free slot.

2. You now need a T-connector and two 50-ohm terminator  plugs. As you might suspect, the T-connector is T-shaped,    with two BNC ports to which you can attach cables.  Terminator plugs look like T-connectors without BNC ports,  and cap off the end of the network. Both the T-connector and the terminator plugs should come with your network card. If not, you can pick them up where you buy the cards.

3. Attach a T-connector to the BNC port on your network  card. For a two-PC network, put a terminator plug on one of   the ports on each of the T-connectors.

 4. Connect the two computers by attaching the Ethernet  cable to the other T-connector port. If your network has           more than two PCs, the ones in the middle of the network will have cables  attached to both T-connector ports, while the PCs on each end of the network will have one cable and one terminator each.  Once you've connected all the cables, you've completed the hardware part  of the network installation.
 

UTP cable and adapter cards

1. Turn off your computer, remove the cover, and insert a card into a free slot.

2. Plug one end of the UTP cable into the NIC port. Your 10BaseT hub  should already be plugged into an electrical outlet that's centrally located  among all the computers in your network.

3. Insert the other end of each computer's UTP cable into a port in the hub, and your hardware installation is complete.

 Once your cables are in place, you need to configure your NIC to select an I/O port address and an interrupt request (IRQ)  number. An I/O port address is where the  network card transfers information to and from the network. The IRQ  number is a label assigned to each I/O device (such as a printer, mouse, or modem) attached to your computer.

One important piece of advice: write down any and all settings you make for  your network cards and keep them in a       safe place. You may need to know some of the settings when configuring other  network software.

First, boot up one of the computers in the  network. If you bought a plug-and-play  card and are running an operating system  like Windows 95 that knows how to take  advantage of it, the card should set itself up  automatically. The OS will recognize your card and set up the IRQ and I/O address  correctly.

If your operating system doesn't recognize  a newly installed network card, you'll need  to help it out. In Windows 95, you can use  the Add New Hardware icon on the  Control Panel; in other operating systems,   the procedure may be different. The Add  New Hardware program will walk you  through locating and configuring your card's I/O and IRQ addresses.

If your operating system still doesn't recognize the card, or if the card doesn't work correctly, you may need to configure it through DOS. Consult   the documentation that came with your card to find out how to do this.

Windows NT and Windows for Workgroups aren't always quite so clever at recognizing a new network card. However, you can make them find the  card by opening the Control Panel, double-clicking the Networks icon, and  using the Add Adapter option. Many versions of Unix, including Linux and  FreeBSD, will find most cards on their own. And all operating systems,  including Windows, are constantly changing how you can add new hardware, so check your documentation before you get started.

To make sure your card is installed correctly, double-click the System icon in the Control Panel. When the System Properties dialog box appears, click the Device Manager tab; then double-click Network Adapters. If there's a red  mark over the icon beside your card's name, you need to try reinstalling the  card. If there's no red mark, your card is ready to go.

The whole setup process should take about an hour from the time you break   the shrink wrap on your network cards. Once the hardware and software are running, you'll be able to set up your computers to share files and  printers.

OK, you've got your computers all wired  together; now you can start sharing modems,  printers, and files, which is what a network is  all about. In this section, you'll learn how to  set up and share peripherals, add portable PCs and Macs to your LAN, and  get your email up and running.

Having a LAN means multiple machines can share an Internet connection.  One of the best packages for this is Deerfield Communications' WinGate 2.1  Lite (free for up to two computers, $60 for three, $110 for up to six), which   lets all the PCs on your network share a single modem or ISDN connection. This means you can sit at your PC reading a story on CNET while your kid  logs on to the Web from another PC to do homework. Your surfing will be slower since you're both using the same modem and the same Internet account, but you need only one ISP account
 

File and print sharing

1. To share files or printers between two computers running Windows 95,  double-click the Network icon in the Control Panel, and then click the File And Print Sharing button on the Configuration tab.

2. Select the two checkboxes to give others access to your files and/or  printer. Close the two dialog boxes.

3. In Windows Explorer, right-click the name of the disk (or directory, or  printer) that you want to share; then select Sharing from the menu. That  brings up the Sharing tab in the disk's (or printer's) Properties dialog box,  where you can specify what access you want others to have.

4. When you're done, other network users running Windows can access the files by double-clicking a Network Neighborhood icon or by using Windows Explorer or File Manager. To add printers, users should open the Printers file   in the Control Panel, double-click Add Printer, and follow the wizard  instructions for adding the new printer.  For Windows NT, the sharing process is much the same, except that you get more options for the kinds of access you grant other users.