Hardware Basics for Networking

Overview

Network Cards

Cables

Hubs and Switches

Routers

Print Servers

KVMs

Overview

When setting about to Network a bunch of PCs together, certain specialized pieces of Hardware need to be sourced and purchased to allow it all to happen. Prices vary considerably in every facet of PC Networking, and although you generally do get what you pay for, in many cases the more expensive equipment is simply overkill for the job at hand.
Much can be achieve with inexpensive and even 2nd hand equipment found at swapmeets, although if your income depends on the reliability of it all, it's worth the extra dollars to pay a consultant to organize the right gear for the job and oversee the installation of it all.

Below I've given brief descriptions of the more mundane parts and accessories used in a Computer Network.

Network Cards

Commonly referred to as NICs (Network Interface Cards)
NICs come in many brands and price ranges. You get what you pay for, but I believe the best value for money comes from brands like Netgear and D-Link in the $40-100.00 price range, as you are less likely to get conflicts with other devices and motherboards. They come in 4 different forms depending on where they need to be fitted
1. PCI Cards.
2. ISA Cards
3. USB Ethernet Devices (As supplied by Telstra & Optus. Treat the same as a card)
4.PCMCIA Cards (for laptops)

There are three basic speeds - 10, dual speed 10/100 or 100 mbit. Broadband modems are 10 mbit so they will only work with 10 or 10/100 cards.

To fit a network card, my best advice if you haven't done this before, is to get someone who has to show you how to do it, or pay a professional.
That being said, it's not too hard to DIY if you're game and straight forward 90% of the time first go.
But there are some precautions you'll need to take -

Try not to use two of the same brand of cards on the same Motherboard. This will avoid odd, inexplicable conflicts and makes it easier to tell them apart when configuring them later.

If your PC has a sticker on the cover saying "void if removed" you will void your warranty if you break the seal.

Take static precautions.

Electronic parts are sensitive to static electricity and the slightest zap can kill expensive parts.

Turn the power off at the socket but leave the PC plugged in. This provides an Earth for the Case and reduces the opportunity for static electricity to develop.

Touch the case before anything else and maintain contact while touching other things.

Better still, use a static strap. The best $5.00 you'll ever spend. Clip it on the case and the other end on your wrist for a constant connection that frees up both hands for working.

At the very least, keep one hand firmly on the case at all times.

Don't poke anything you don't need to.

Be careful not to accidentally unplug leads or bump other cards.

If the PC refuses to boot up once the card is fitted, switch it off, remove the card and see if starts without it.

If it doesn't, check all the leads are plugged in firmly and remove and replace the all cards, especially the video card, and try again.

When the PC boots up with the new card in place, the "New device wizard" will automatically start. Follow your nose. It's self explanatory.

When the wizard starts, select "Automatic Search" and tick the box for the drive, or browse to where ever you have the drivers.

Windows 2000 & XP may not start the wizard if it already knows what it is and will automatically install it. Check if it's already in the device manager before freaking out.

Reboot if and when it asks you to.

OzTechnologies.com have a range of Network Cards to choose from.

Cables

Cables come in two basic types.

Standard (or Straight Through) - Used to connect PCs to hubs or Broadband Modems.

Crossover - Used to connect two PCs together without a hub.

 

 

 

Hubs and Switches

Hubs and Switches perform much the same task in that they provide a central "hub" for a bunch of computers to link together.
The difference is that a Switch is somewhat smarter and will relay the data traffic in a sensible manner, whereas a Hub will broadcast the data willy-nilly to everywhere at once.
They come in all shapes, brands and sizes to suit any sized Network and budget and, as with Network Cards, have three basic speeds - 10, dual speed 10/100 or 100 mbit. If you plan on plugging a Broadband Modem into a hub, it will not work in a straight 100 mbit hub or switch and will also need to be connected to an uplink port or using a crossover cable to a standard port.
An uplink port provides a "crossover" and is usually used for stacking (or cascading, Daisy Chaining etc) hubs together.

OzTechnologies.com have a range of Switches to choose from.

Routers

What's a Router?

A router is fairly inexpensive and the ultimate pain-free solution for sharing a Broadband Internet connection. The beauty of these things is, you plug the modem into one side of it and your LAN into the other and it takes care of all the logging in to the ISP, sharing the connection to a Local Area Network and securing you from Hackers.

You can think of a Router as being another PC with its own Operating System (called firmware), except all it does is connect to the Internet, share the Internet connection to a PC or Network and stop unauthorized access.

Routers range in price and features enormously. The beauty with the cheaper ones is that they are designed for ordinary people with a minimum amount of technical ability to get working, and this amongst many other features, makes them a viable and in many ways superior method of connecting to, and sharing, a Broadband Internet Connection. They are usually configurable through a Web Browser and generally have Wizards to get you on-line in minutes. Bear in mind that dearer ones rise dramatically in price as well as the technical knowledge necessary to make them go.

See the Router Review page for more details about common Routers for homes and small businesses.

See Oztechnologies.com for details, pricing and orders for the better Routers on the Market today.

Print Servers

Sometimes called Print Ponies, a Print Server is a device that allows a printer (or several) to be shared on a Network without the need for another PC to act as a Server to share the printer. The Print Server pictured has ports for three printers on the left, which will then be shared on the PC Network via the RJ45 port on the right hand side.
Many have their own spooling and memory which work together to reduce Network performance degradation and resource consumption on the PCs.
For any home or office where medium to large amounts of printing to Networked Printers takes place, Print Servers are a must.

OzTechnologies.com have a range of Netgear & Linksys Print Servers to choose from.

KVMs

KVMs (Keyboard/ Video/ Mouse) allow a number of PCs to share the same keyboard, Monitor and mouse, which can save heaps in Hardware costs and storage space.
They range from cheap and prehistoric looking things with a dial to change PCs to more modern push-button designs and keyboard shortcuts so that you don't even need physical access to the KVM to control it.
On researching for this section I came across a truly amazing rack mountable KVM that comes with it's own keyboard and fold away LCD Screen from A-Ten International Technology Group. Now I want one...

See OzTechnologies.com for a range of Linksys KVMs.