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Networking: Why should I?
How do I do
it?
Do you
have two or more computers at home or in your office? These days, many of you
will answer yes. For example, in our home and home office, we have seven
computers, seven printers, a print server, an external zip drive, an external
CD-RW, a scanner and a cable modem. All of these are networked. Why?
First of all, don't let the term networking scare you. A network is not that
difficult to install, nor is it very expensive, particularly if you do it
yourself which this article and the several that follow will assist you in
setting up.
The advantages of having your computers, printers, zip
drives, external modems, etc. all 'talking' to one another are huge. With the
advent of both cable and DSL 24/7 Internet connectivity, you and your
co-workers can share a single Internet connection all at the same time. If one
of your printers quits working, you can still print your documents,
spreadsheets, email, and etc. to any other printer on the net. You've got 'bet
your business' data that you want to back up daily. Only thing is that it would
require seven floppy disks. Too bad that zip drive installed in your other
computer isn't located in yours. If you were networked, no problem! Are you
starting to see why networking has so many advantages? ...And I've just touched
the tip of the iceberg when it comes to all of the opportunities and
time-saving tasks that a network offers, be it in your office or at home.
OK, you've convinced me. Now, what do I need, how much is it going to
cost and how do I do it?
Apart from all of the devices you want to
network, you'll need three basic pieces of equipment:
- A network interface card (NIC for short) for each
computer.
- One (or more) network hub, switch or router.
- Network cable.
NIC's cost between $20 and $80
each, depending upon the brand you purchase and where you buy them. If you go
with 3Com, expect to pay upwards of $50 or more. On the other hand, one of the
so-called 'off brands' that does exactly the same thing usually sells for
around $20.
You've got primarily three choices when it comes to the
device you use to connect everything together: a hub, switch or router. Your
specific wants and needs will dictate which is appropriate for your
environment. In fact, you may need more than one or a combination of them and
I'll be helping you choose which is the right one for you in our next article.
In a nutshell, here is what each of these enables you to accomplish.
Hub: If more than two devices are to be networked, a hub is the
central device into which all networks cables are connected. Hubs typically
connect from 4-32 devices and can be "stacked" or "cascaded" together for more
capacity.
Switch: Used to segment networks into smaller
connected subnets. Networks can easily overload: switching them into separate
subnets can enhance performance easily and inexpensively while preserving
existing investments.
Router: Link local network to some form
of remote network. Used for Internet access, LAN-to-LAN connections of a wide
area (intranet), or high speed remote access for a user or a branch office over
an ISDN line.
Each of these devices has between 4 and 32 ports. You
must have one port for each computer you want to network. Hubs are the least
expensive and the least sophisticated. Expect to pay as little as $60 (or even
less) for 4-5 port hub. Switches and routers are more expensive. Once again,
depending upon brand, number of ports and where you purchase will be the
determining price factors. A Netgear 8-port switch sells for around $170 or
less, while a 5-port is presently going for about $120. Routers are going for
as little as $150.
Finally, you'll need some cable to connect
everything together. You can purchase 'pre-made' cables in lengths of 6, 10,
25, 50 and 100 feet. If you need longer lengths or if you'll be passing the
cable through walls, floors and ceilings, it will be necessary and/or easier to
buy bulk cable, install it and then add a connector to each end. 25' pre-made
CAT 5 (the preferred network cable specification) cables sell for around $10;
50' for $15. Bulk CAT 5 cable is available for about 12 cents a foot and the
connectors go for 30 cents each or less in bulk.
One important factor
to keep in mind when it comes to networking is the distance between a computer
and the hub, switch or router. The MAXIMUM is 330 feet. I'll mention this again
in forthcoming articles, but I wanted to point it out now just in case you're
wondering as you begin thinking about setting up your network.
In
addition to purchasing all of the above components separately, you can also buy
networking kits that include everything you need: NIC's, a hub, cable and
instructions. A two-computer kit that includes a 4-port hub and two 10' cables
capable of transmitting data at 100MB/sec. sells for around $100.
You
can purchase all of your networking needs from a variety of locations including
local computer and electronic supply stores, but your best buys are probably on
the Internet. The disadvantage to buying on the Net is the trouble returning
the item if it isn't what you need or if it doesn't work properly. Purchasing
from a local electronics or computer store may cost more, but you'll have the
advantage of getting additional advice and technical support, so my suggestion
is go local! Open the phonebook and check out both nearby computer and
electronic stores. Call ahead and ask if they have a technician who can answer
questions about networking. If they don't, find another place to buy if you
think you're going to need more help than I'll be giving you in the next few
weeks.
Again, networking is really quite easy and will be even easier
with the forthcoming release of Windows Millennium (Windows Me) next month. For
a preview of what to expect, click
here.
While we're on the subject of networking, here's a brief overview of
the two most prevalent network operating configurations. The first is what is
known as peer-to-peer which is what Windows 95, 98 and Me use. In this environ-
ment, which is very suitable for your home, home-office and small-business
office needs, there is no specific server computer. All of the computers work
together and aren't dependant upon one another. Any computer in a peer-to-peer
environment can be designated as a server.
For example, if you have a
zip drive installed in or connected to a specific computer, you can designate
that computer as your 'zip-server'. The computer to which your cable or DSL
modem is connected can be designated as your Internet server. Perhaps you've
got Quicken or Quick Books on three machines, in a multi-user environment, with
one of them being the machine on which all of the shared data is being stored.
Call it your accounting server. Get the picture?
The other basic
configuration is where one or more computers are configured as servers with all
of the other computers designated as work-stations. Windows NT and Windows 2000
are examples of operating systems that use this type of configuration. It's
more secure, more stable, but it costs a lot more money and is more difficult
to administer and learn.
From my perspective, peer-to-peer works just
fine for home, home-office and small businesses with up to 15 computers.
Now that you have a pretty good overview of net- working, it's time to
begin planning and doing the math when it comes to where and how much. Get a
tablet and a pencil and draw a diagram (called a schematic) of your home or
office. Take a walk around and make sure you're happy with the present
locations of your computers and printers. If you will be purchasing additional
equipment soon, where will it go? Consider all the factors including future
expansion. Plan accordingly. Put all the present and planned computers,
printers, modems, zip, jazz, external devices (modems, scanners, CD-RW, etc.)
in your schematic.
Once you're sure everything is where you want it or
plan to put it, decide how you will connect them. In other words, are you going
to be drilling holes through walls, floors and ceilings or just running your
cables along the floor and around corners?
Next you need to decide
where to locate your hub, switch and/or router. My suggestion is to locate
these devices near to where your cable or DSL modem is or will be located or in
the room where the majority of your computers are located. Add it to your
schematic and then draw in the lines represent- ing the cables that will
connect each computer to the hub or switch. With everything in place, get out
the tape measure and measure all the distances between each computer and the
hub or switch. Don't forget going up and down walls, up and around door
entrances, etc. Add up the total measurements for each connec- tion and then
add in an extra few feet to be sure. It's better to have more than you need
than to come up short.
That's it for this first networking article.
You've got some planning to do and probably a few questions which you can
direct to me or a local
network technician at your nearby electro- nics or computer store. In our next
issue, I'll help you choose the correct hub, switch and/or router for your
network and begin giving you some direction about how to setup your network
operating system so every- thing is 'talking' together.
We, at Office
Helper, appreciate the opportunity to bring you Everything Office. Don't forget
to check out this week's great tip on our website.
Thanks!
Rich Poremba
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