Connecting the Cables


Now it's time to get connected. Position your system unit so that you easily can access all the connections on the back, and carefully run the cables from each of the other components so that they're hanging loose at the rear of the system unit.

Connect in Order

It's important that you connect the cables in a particular order. To make sure that the most critical devices are connected first, follow the instructions in Table 2.1.

Table 2.1. Connecting Your System Components

Order

Connection

Looks Like

1.

Connect your mouse to the mouse connector.

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2.

Connect your keyboard to the keyboard connector.

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3.

Connect your video monitor to the video connector..

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4.

Connect your printer to the parallel connector. This connector is sometimes labeled "printer" or "LPT1." (Note that some printers connect to a USB port instead of the parallel port.)

graphics/02inl04.gif

5.

Connect a cable from your telephone line to the "line in" connector on your modem or modem board. Connect a cable from the "line out" connector on your modem to your telephone. (You can skip this step if you're using a cable modem or DSL modem to connect to the Internet; wait until you have the rest of your system up and running, then follow the instructions you were given by your Internet service provider.)

graphics/02inl05.gif

6.

Connect the phono jack from your speaker system to the "audio out" or "sound out" connector.

graphics/02inl06.gif

7.

Connect any other devices to the appropriate USB, FireWire, parallel, or serial connector.

graphics/02inl07.gif

8.

Plug the power cable of your video monitor into a power outlet.

graphics/02inl08.gif

9.

If your system includes powered speakers, plug theminto a power outlet.

graphics/02inl08.gif

10.

Plug any other powered external component into a power outlet.

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11.

Plug the power cable of your system unit into a power outlet.

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Connect by Color

Most PC manufacturers color-code the cables and connectors to make the connection even easier just plug the blue cable into the blue connector, and so on. If you're not sure what color cable goes to what device, take a look at the standard cable color coding in Table 2.2.

caution

graphics/cautionguy_icon.gif

Before you connect anything to your system unit, make sure that it's turned off.


Table 2.2. Connector Color Codes

Connector

Color

VGA (analog) monitor

Blue

Digital monitor

White

Video out

Yellow

Mouse

Green

Keyboard

Purple

Serial

Teal or turquoise

Parallel (printer)

Burgundy

USB

Black

FireWire (IEEE 1394)

Grey

Audio line out (left)

Red

Audio line out (right)

White

Audio line out (headphones)

Lime

Speaker out/subwoofer

Orange

Right-to-left speaker

Brown

Audio line in

Light blue

Microphone

Pink

Gameport/MIDI

Gold




Absolute Beginner's Guide to Computer Basics
Absolute Beginners Guide to Computer Basics (2nd Edition)
ISBN: 0789731754
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 253

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