How Networks Work

When it comes to physically connecting your network, you have two ways to go wired or wireless. A wireless network is more convenient (no wires to run), but a wired network is faster. Which you choose depends on how you use the computers you network together.

If you use your network primarily to share an Internet connection or a printer or to transfer the occasional word processing file, wireless should work just fine. However, if you plan on transferring a lot of big files from one PC to another, or using your network for multiplayer gaming, you'll want to stick to a faster wired network.

tip

There are several different ways to feed your Internet connection into your home network and share it among multiple computers. Learn more in Chapter 21, "Connecting to the Internet."

Wired Networks

A wired network is the kind that requires you to run a bunch of cables from one PC to the next. In a wired network, you install a network interface card (NIC) in each PC and connect the cards via Ethernet cable. (Note that many new PCs come with built-in Ethernet capability, so you don't have to purchase an additional card.) Although this type of network is easy enough to set up and is probably the lowest-cost alternative, you still have to deal with all those cables which can be a hassle if your computers are in different areas of your house.

How quickly data is transferred across a network is measured in megabits per second, or Mbps. The bigger the Mbps number, the faster the network and faster is always better than slower.

Most wired networks transfer data at either 10Mbps or 100Mbps, depending on what equipment you install. A 10Mbps network is called 10Base-T; a 100Mbps network is called Fast Internet; networking equipment that can work at either 10Mbps or 100Mbps rates is labeled 10/100.

Wireless Networks

The alternative to a wired network is a wireless network. Wireless networks use radio frequency (RF) signals to connect one computer to another. The advantage of wireless, of course, is that you don't have to run any cables. This is a big plus if you have a large house with computers on either end or on different floors.

The most popular wireless networks use the Wi-Fi standard. The original Wi-Fi standard, known as 802.11b, transfers data at 11Mbps slower than Fast Ethernet, but fast enough for most practical purposes.

Wi-Fi is short for wireless fidelity.

If you want a faster wireless connection, look for the latest version of Wi-Fi, called 802.11g, that transmits data at a blazing 54Mbps rate. If you tend to copy a lot of big files from one PC to another, this is definitely the way to go.

Connecting and Configuring

Whether you're going wired or wireless, you can probably find everything you need to create your network in a preassembled networking kit. These kits contain all the cards, cables, and hubs you need to create your network, along with easy-to-follow instructions. (And if you don't want to open up your computer, you can even find kits that include external network adapters that connect via USB!)

After you have installed and connected all your equipment, you then have to configure all the PCs on your network. Assuming that you're running Windows XP, the configuration process is handled by Windows' Network Setup Wizard. You launch the wizard by opening the Control Panel and selecting Network and Internet Connections, and then Network Connections. When the Network Connections utility opens, select Set Up a Home or Small Office Network from the Network Tasks panel.

tip

If your network hardware comes with its own configuration software, you should run that instead of (or addition to) the Network Setup Wizard. And always make sure to follow the specific instructions that come with your network hardware!

You run the Network Setup Wizard on each PC connected to the network. During the process, you provide details about your network connections, including any and all devices or connections you want to share such as a printer or your broadband Internet connection. The wizard does all the hard work, and when it's done, your network is up and running and ready to use.