Info & FAQs
Help & Index
Clearance Sale
Community & News
Policies & Feedback
Resources & Support
Discounts & Services
Contact Us
Featured Products
| Home >> Cases & Fans >> Resources - Cases >> BYO: Build Your Own >> How to Build a Home Network? >> |
Part IV: Installing and Configuring the HardwareCustomer Reviews: " Excellent explanation and step by step. " Click here for more reviews.How to build a Home Network? By Jerry Saeva Now that you have the cables placed in the appropriate room(s), you need to install some hardware into the computers that will be on the network. In addition, if you are using a hub or router, this must be "installed" and/or configured. Note: some newer computers are coming with network cards installed in them (or integrated on the motherboard). Make sure to check for this before purchasing a NIC for that computer. Also note that, although this manual has mentioned some other types of network interfaces besides Ethernet, this section focuses only on the use of Ethernet-based hardware. Installing the Network Interface Cards (NIC) Each computer on the network must contain a NIC, with one exception: if you are going to use a network setup (chosen earlier in this manual) that will utilize “Internet Connection Sharing? one of your computers (the one connected to your cable or DSL modem) will require TWO cards. This paragraph discusses installing an NIC into a desktop computer. If one of your computers is a laptop, the process is similar, except that you will have to purchase a PCMCIA NIC instead of an ISA or PCI card. Here are the steps to install a NIC into your computer…repeat this process for each computer in the network. Step 1: Choosing the NIC with the right bus type. The most common type of bus slot available on your motherboard will be a PCI slot. PCI slots are rather short and are almost always white. The other type of slot that is still common on many computer motherboards is the ISA slot. ISA slots are longer than PCI slots and are black. You will need to determine which type of slot is available in your computer before you purchase the NIC to make sure you get the right type. If you have a choice, get a PCI type NIC.  Step 2: Read the NIC manual. This may sound like a silly step (and typically a step skipped by most people), but some manufacturers have integrated installation programs for the drivers of their cards, requiring you to install the driver first, while others require you to install the NIC first, especially if the card states it is "plug-and-play" If the manual directs you to install the driver before the NIC, then do so now by running the installation program referred to by the instruction manual. Step 3: Insert the NIC into the computer. Shut down the computer and turn it off. Open the case and find the available slot on the motherboard. Remove the cover plate on the back of your computer’s case for the slot that you chose. Insert the card into the slot and press it in firmly. Screw the card to the case and replace the case’s cover. Step 4: Load the driver. Power on the computer. If you have already run an installation program, then follow the instructions (if any) that are shown when the operating system boots. If you have not already run an installation program, then the card should be auto-detected by Windows and Windows will ask you for the driver for the new hardware. Follow the instructions for the "new hardware wizard" and reboot the computer when prompted. The OS may prompt you for both the driver CD/Floppy and the Windows 98 CD. NOTE: If you are installing two or more NICs in the same computer then you will need to repeat steps 1-4 for each card. (two NICs may be needed on one of the computers if you are using the Internet Connection Sharing feature in Windows) We will later have to ensure that the proper network protocols and network client is installed and assigned to the NIC(s) in the computer. This will be discussed in the Configuring the network protocols and client section. Setting up Cable/DSL router One of the many benefits of using a Cable/DSL router instead of Internet Connection Sharing is the easy setup. Many routers require very little work to setup and may work by simply plugging them in and rebooting the computer and the cable/DSL modem. Since all routers have different configuration interfaces, this section will touch on the areas that you may have to change on your router to configure it properly, but keep in mind that you will have to read the owner’s manual of your router for more details. Note: this section assumes that all the computers to be connected to the router have already been fitted with one NIC each. Refer to Installing the Network Interface Cards (NIC) for details on how to add the NIC card to the computer. Step 1: Determine if your Cable/DSL modem uses DHCP or a fixed address. Before you begin setting up the router, you should know if your cable or DSL modem uses Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) to supply an address to your computer or if your Internet Service Provider (ISP) has given you a fixed network address. DHCP is a method in which the device attached to the modem (in this case, the router) asks the modem for the address to use when communicating on the Internet. Each time the router is restarted, the modem may supply the router with a different address. If your ISP does not support DHCP, then they would have given you a specific IP address when they setup your connection. An IP address will be a series of 4 numbers between 0 and 255, separated by periods, such as 192.168.10.123. If you are unsure, call your ISP. Almost all cable ISPs (such as RoadRunner) use DHCP. Step 2: Connecting the power and network cables. Follow the directions for your router on how to connect power to the router. The only other connections you need to make are the network cables to the router. Note: most routers will have a separate labeled port for the connection to the modem, most commonly called "WAN" (see photo). Connect the other end of the network cables to the appropriate device (PC or Cable/DSL modem).  Step 3: Configuring the router for DHCP or fixed address. All routers will have their own unique configuration user interface. A common aspect of these interfaces is that many of them are available using a web browser. If your router doesn’t have a browser interface, you will have to install the setup/configuration software that came with the router. Again, you will have to read your manual. Once you are familiar with the router’s configuration interface, go to the screen/page that allows you to enable or disable DHCP. Note that the router is not only a DHCP client to the modem, but also a DHCP server to all the PCs connected to it. You are looking to change the DHCP settings for the router to the modem (may be listed as “WAN configuration?. When you have found the correct section of the configuration, either enable DHCP or disable it and enter the specific IP address that you received from your ISP. IMPORTANT: after you save your changes to the router configuration, you need to reset (power off/on) BOTH your router AND the modem. Other configuration options of the Cable/DSL router Depending on the make and model of your router, there may be many other features that can be configured to get the most from your router investment. This section will briefly describe some of the features that are available on some routers. You will have to refer to your router’s manual to see if it has any of these features and if so, how to use and configure them.
 NEXT: | Part V: Configuring the Software |  BACK: | Part I. Introduction | Part II. Choosing a Network Setup | Part III. Network Cabling |
OTHERS: | Go to Top | Directron Home | Other System Manuals | How to build a home network - Oct 11, 2003 Reviewer: Ali Excellent explanation and step by step. Watch out for ip problems - Jan 3, 2002 Reviewer: Terry My cable company uses MAC address to determine what computer is connected to the service. So if I get a new NIC into my computer I must phone them with the NIC number in order to access the NET. Therefore I believe that if you use a router, you may need to have its MAC address in order for the cable company to communicate with it. Is this true? |
Customer Feedback through Yahoo!
Related Sections
| Black NZXT BETA EVO Classic Series ATX Mid-Tower Computer Cas... Only $44.99 | |
| GIGABYTE GA-P55-UD5 Intel LGA1156 ATX Motherboard, Intel P55,... Only $199.99 | |
| Acer Aspire 1410-8414 11.6in WXGA Laptop LX.SA90X.059, Intel ... Only $429.99 | |
| Black MSI Wind Top AE1900-09SUS All-in-one PC 9S6-6638-75S, 1... Only $469.99 | |
| Sparkle SX98GT512D3G-VP GeForce 9800GT 512MB PCI Express 2.0 ... Only $89.99 | |
| PowerColor AX5770 1GBD5-MDH Radeon HD5770 1GB PCI Express 2.0... Only $166.99 | |
| Winsis WB-27 Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case, 3x 5.25in bay... Only $34.99 | |
| Black Logisys Enhanced SOHO Computer Case CS305, w/ 480W Powe... Only $28.99 | |
| Kingston SSDNow V Series 128GB 2.5in SATA II MLC Internal Sol... Only $229.99 | |
| Kingston SSDNow V Series 64GB 2.5in SATA II MLC Internal Soli... Only $129.99 | |
| Black Lite-On iHAS324-08/09 24X SATA DVD Burner, 8X DVD+RW, 6... Only $28.99 | |
| G-Cube Black ChatRoom 2.4GHz Wireless Optical Mouse, Model: G... Only $24.99 | |
| G-Cube Peace 2.4GHz Wireless Optical Mouse, Model: G7H-60P... Only $24.99 | |
| Canon imageCLASS MF4350D Monochrome Laser MFC Printer 2711B00... Only $199.99 | |
| Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 SATA 3Gb/s 3.5-inch 1TB Internal Ha... Only $83.99 | |
| Earsaver Home 1X3 - AMD Phenom II X3 705e Processor, 4GB Mush... Only $484.99 | |
| Kingwin 850W ATX12V / EPS12V Computer Power Supply LZ-850, Ac... Only $119.99 | |
| Black Logitech Performance Mouse MX, Darkfield Laser Tracking... Only $89.99 | |
| Zalman CNPS10X Extreme CPU Cooler, for Intel Socket 1366/775 ... Only $58.99 | |
| AMD Athlon II X3 435 Rana 2.9GHz 2000MHz Socket AM3 Tri-Core ... Only $89.99 | |
| Guillemot Hercules Series 2.0-channel Stereo Speaker 5W(RMS) ... Only $12.99 | |
| Acer Veriton VX270-ED5300C Desktop System PS.V740Z.024, Intel... Only $344.99 |