What is networking?
Creating a network is something many people find daunting, but it's actually one of the simplest and most rewarding things you can do with two or more computers.
Networking means connecting two or more computers and/or printers together so they can share information and resources. A network in one location, such as an office or home, is a Local Area Network or LAN. A network in more than one location is a Wide Area Network or WAN.
LANs use the Ethernet protocol. Ethernet supports various speeds, including 10Mbps (10Base-T), 100Mbps (100Base-T) and the new 1000 Mbps (Gigabit).
What do I need to create a LAN?
Most desktop and laptop computers, as well as many PDAs, are Ethernet-ready. This means the operating system understands the Ethernet protocol.
Adapters
Ethernet adapters accept the RJ45 plug which is on the end of the blue Cat 5 cable. Your computer may already have an Ethernet adapter built-in. If not, it's very simple to add one.
If your computer has a USB port, you can connect a USB LAN Key for quick and easy access to a LAN.
Desktop PCs use a Network Interface Card or NIC to connect to a LAN.
Laptops either have an Ethernet adapter built in or use a PCMCIA Network Card. PDAs use a Compact Flash Network card.
Even if your PC already has a NIC, you may want to upgrade to one that supports a faster Ethernet.
Switches
Each device on the LAN is connected, via a blue Cat 5 cable, from its Ethernet port to a switch. A switch distributes network information to the devices on the LAN. So when you copy a file from one PC to another, the switch sets up and manages the connection. You choose a switch based on how many devices you want to connect. You need a port for each device. Switches generally have 5, 8, 16 or 24 ports.
What are Kbps, Mbps and Gigabit?
One kilobit per second (Kbps) equals 1000 bits per second (bps). Kbps is also written as "kbps" that carries the same meaning.
Likewise, one megabit per second (Mbps) equals one million bps and one Gigabit equals one billion bps. Network performance is best measured in bps, but sometimes numbers are given in bytes per second (Bps).
Then, one KBps equals one kilobyte per second, one MBps equals one megabyte per second, and GBps equals one gigabyte per second. Many times people write KBps, for example, when they mean Kbps, and it is important to be clear on this distinction.
Find out more
Want to find out more or need to know something specific? Send an enquiry to NetComm about Networking now.
