Setting up the Network

Windows 9x operating systems provide built-in networking capabilities that allow you to organize a peer-to-peer network fairly easily. Such a network can be deployed in an office as well as at a home.

To interconnect two PCs into a Local Area Network (LAN), the following equipment is required:

• Network adapters (one for each of the networked PCs)

• Coaxial cable and a BNC connector, 2N-2 items, where N is the number of networked computers (Fig. 10.1)

  
  Fig. 10.1. Coaxial cable and BNC connector

• T-connector (N items, where N is the number of networked PCs) and two terminators with a resistance of 50 ohms (Fig. 10.2)

  
  Fig. 10.2. T-connector and terminator (50 ohms)

Let's consider for example the procedure of connecting two computers into a local area network.

To create this simple network, proceed as follows:

1. Open the computer's case and install the network card into a free slot. Then close the case.

2. Do the same for the second computer.

3. Connect the two network cards with a coaxial cable using a T-connector (Fig. 10.3).

   
   Fig. 10.3. Connecting the coaxial cable to the network adapter via a T-connector

4. Install a terminator (50 ohms) into the free jack of the T-connector.

Connection of the PC to the Local Area Network is shown in Fig. 10.4.

Fig. 10.4. Connecting the PC to the LAN

Don't connect the pieces of cable by soldering or twisting. Use a BNC barrel connector (Fig. 10.5).

Fig. 10.5. Connecting cable pieces using a BNC barrel connector

Within a LAN, computers might be interconnected both by coaxial cable and by the so-called twisted pair. In the latter case, it is necessary to use special cables and RJ-45 connectors. The network adapter must have an appropriate connector (Fig. 10.6 and 10.7).

Fig. 10.6. RJ-45 connector with the twisted pair cable

Fig. 10.7. Connecting the RJ-45 connector to the network adapter

To connect two or more computers to the network, you'll require additional equipment — hubs. Hubs are not needed when using coaxial cable.

Reboot both computers so that Windows 9x can analyze the hardware configuration changes and detect network adapters. If Windows 95 can't detect network adapters automatically, you can perform the installation manually (Fig. 10.8):

Fig. 10.8. Onstalling the network cards

1. Open the Control Panel window and double-click the Add New Hardware icon.

2. The Add New Hardware wizard will open its first window. Click Next to continue.

3. In the next window, set the No radio button (the program will not search for hardware for you), and then click Next.

4. Select the Network cards option from the equipment list and click Next.

5. From the list in the next window, select an appropriate network card (the one that you have installed) and click OK.

6. Restart the computer.