Make your contibution to CF.com - Networking 101!

apj101

apj101

VIP Member
ok folks I've noticed one or two questions recurring in the networking section and thought it a good idea to begin to write a few of them up into a sticky, following on from the popular 101's of other sections

But then i thought wait... why not let the cf.com communtiy make a contribution! And so this is the first of many posts on that theme.

So to start with I ask anyone who is willing/eager to write me a brief tutoiral/101 on
See below for new topic

try to
-start from the begining
-include pictures if possible
-cover possible problems, dont go into too much detail
-dont worry about wireless options (that will be covered in another section)
-describe the eqipment needed, and the various options, maybe link into ebuyer/newegg for items and prices.
-include sharing folders, and printer if you can
-be concise

anyone can submit, and by all means you dont have to submit a complete answer just a small section will be really apprecaited (eg just explain how to share a printer). And feel free to plagiarise (copy from) other web sties, i dont mind as long as it makes sence;)

i will of course name all those who contributed at the end of each section in the 101, so your efforts will not go unnoticed (unless you wish to remain anonymous)

depending popularity/success of this method is I will be posting further topics for promotion to the 101 in the near future,

i will keep a close eye on this thread, and have high hopes of the number of responses.

For legal reason please give a link to any website from which you copy information

This post is prunded occationally to keep it small and flowing
 
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As apj requested, here is a network 101.

The Salad
So you want to learn about networking? If not, you wouldn’t have read this far.
Let’s go over your choices. The different categories to consider are:
  • Ethernet
  • Wireless
  • Phone-line
  • Power-line
  • Bluetooth
  • And Firewire, if you want.
Ethernet and Wireless are the obvious mainstream choices so that’s what we will cover in detail but here’s a brief explanation of the others so you can have a better idea.
wireless-ap-bridge.gif
Phone-line uses your existing phone line wires in your house, and yes, you can use your phone at the same time. Power-line is much the same by using your existing 110 volt power lines that run through your house. Each of these require special hardware for your computer. Power-line is also very dangerous because of blackouts or brownouts caused mainly by storms and power fluctuations.
Bluetooth is a wireless protocol and requires only a Bluetooth adapter for your computer. Bluetooth does not need an access point but the drawback is its short range of only about 30 ft and a much slower transfer rate. Bluetooth is expected to take over infrared ports but not quite replace other wireless technologies that offer a larger range.
Firewire is a wired connection which has some impressive features, namely its speed for such an easy connection. The problem with it for now, it isn’t an accepted standard and there is a lack of decent hardware.

The Soup
With your computers connected through a network, you could:

•Share a single printer between computers
•Use a single Internet Connection
•Share files such as images, spreadsheets and documents
•Play games that allow multiple users at different computers
•Send the output of a device like a DVD player or Web cam to your other computer(s)
•And much more
wireless-wired-router.gif

With wireless, you have the added benefit of mobility. Now if your house consists of all desktops then there isn’t much need of a wireless network besides the “impress your friends” aspect of it. There is one other benefit that I fell must be noted. It is wireless! No mess of extra cables and no drilling holes in your ceiling only to have to have it replaced because you screwed up. It’s a touchy subject for me.

The Main Course
Let’s compare speeds shall we. Ethernet comes in 3 common speeds: 10Mb, 100 Mb and 1000 Mb (a gigabit). 10Mbit is kind of slow for today’s standards, perhaps if you were using an old corporate network this is where you may find this but being the prices as they are today you can get a 100Mb card for the same price as a 10Mb.
In fact, nowadays most cards are 10/100Mb auto-sensing which simply means the card will run at either speed depending on what the rest of the network is running at, so if you want to run a 100Mb network all your devices must be capable of 100Mb.
For most common purposes this will be fine although if you have the money you could go up to a Gigabit, but I really meant to say you need to have the money… we will just stick with the 10/100 series cards.
In the other hand we have wireless, here speeds get slower. There are 3 technologies in the works right now: 802.11 a, b, and g. B runs at 11Mb, A at 52Mb and G at 54Mb. Read on to learn more about Wireless and Wired connections.

[edited by apj101 to remove the discussion on wireless which will be covered later, and was a little outdated ;)]
The Potatoes
Now, onto the rock-solid wired Ethernet. Ethernet is the most popular and considered the networking topology standard for most computer connections. There have been many kinds of Ethernet, but the most popular is 10/100Mbps running over copper twisted pair wires. 100Mbps Ethernet is also called 100baseT or Fast Ethernet.

Connections between 10/100 Ethernet adapters are made using cables that run to an Ethernet HUB or Switch. Hubs electrically connect your computers together and act like traffic cops making your network more efficient. When only two computers are present, a special kind of Ethernet cable can be used called a crossover cable. A 10/100 mbps is a good choice these days for basic home networks. This kind of hub will allow you to hook up 10Mbps and 100Mbps devices and network cards on the same network. Furthermore, even if the devices communicate at different speeds, the hub will allow them to talk. Now that the prices have come down to under $50.00, the versatility and speed of these hubs can not be beat. 10/100 Ethernet Hubs are only half duplex - each client can only send OR receive data at a particular time. To take full advantage of your 10/100 Ethernet cards, look into an Ethernet Switch. A switch can operate at full duplex allowing your computers to send and receive at the same time.
Ethernet switches allow your Ethernet cards to operate in Full Duplex mode instead of Half Duplex. Full Duplex means that you can be sending and receiving data at the same time. Switches also route traffic directly between ports instead of broadcasting traffic across all ports. This basically means that each port on a switch gets dedicated bandwidth instead of shared bandwidth. When transferring large files between multiple computers, this can make a big difference in how well your LAN operates. Consumer level switches now run only about 20% more than hubs making them a great deal for the speed. Switches are also being incorporated into many of the popular DSL / Cable modem routers being manufactured. I would not be surprised to see some network gear manufacturers stop producing consumer level hubs in the next year or so.
10/100 Ethernet cables have 8 wires of which 4 are used for data, the other wires are twisted around the data lines for electrical stability and resistance to electrical interference. The cables end in RJ-45 connectors that resemble large telephone line connectors.




router-with-hub-ap.gif
router-4port.gif






Two kinds of wiring schemes are available for Ethernet cables: Patch cables and Crossover cables. Crossover cables are special because with a single cable, two computers can be directly connected together without a hub or switch. If a cable does not say crossover, it is a standard patch cable. If you are connecting computers to a hub or switch, you need patch cables. There are also different grades of cable quality. The most common are CAT5, CAT5e and CAT6. CAT5 is good for most purposes and can transfer data at 100Mbps. CAT5e is rated for 200Mbps and CAT6 is rated for gigabit Ethernet. I like to run CAT5e whenever possible because there is usually not a cost difference from CAT5 if you look hard enough.

Ethernet has many advantages:
  • It is the fastest home-networking technology (100 Mbps).
    It can be inexpensive if the computers are close to one another.
    It is extremely reliable.
    It is easy to maintain after it is set up.
    The number of devices that can be connected is virtually unlimited.
  • There is a great deal of technical support and information available.
And a few disadvantages:
  • If you have more than two computers, you'll need additional equipment.
    It can be expensive if wiring and jacks need to be installed.
    Set-up and configuration can be difficult.
  • The technical jargon and the number of options can be confusing.
Dessert, anyone?
Here are a few examples of what you will need for setting up a network:
For Ethernet 100Mb network with 3 computers and an internet presence you will need:
Option 1
  • 1 Cable/DSL modem
    1 Router with 4 port switching
  • 3 network adapter cards
Option 2
  • 1 Cable/DSL modem
    1 4 port switch or hub
  • 3-4 network cards, if you choose 3 you will not be able to share files securely and you will need to buy 3 additional IP address from your ISP and if you choose 4 you will need advanced knowledge of NAT and an operating system that supports it.
Hint: Go with the first.

For Wireless 802.11x (any of the 3) with 3 computers and internet presence you will need:
  • 1 Cable/DSL modem
    1 Wireless AP
  • 3 wireless adapter cards
For a combination of the 2 you could use a combination router which has wireless AP and 4 port switch built in. Another useful thing is a built in Print server port but that will be covered on a later article. Next you have a chart to help you further decide on which technology is best for you.

The Chart



chart.jpg


​




The Refreshing End of Meal Mint
All in all, I am a huge fan of wireless networking for the ease of installation, lowering cost, and convenience of being able to go where ever I want in my home with a pretty fast connection. But I always have my Ethernet to fall back on to transfer my big files and have a more stable connection to my network.
Be sure to stay around and look for our upcoming articles on the same subject, we are also open to any suggestions you may have for future related articles, and yes, we are also planning on making product reviews. If you have any questions about this article or networking in general you can mail me or post at TS boards under the networkingcategory where many people will also be able to help.
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source:
http://www.techspot.com/articles/networking101/networking-2.shtml
 
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good start :)!!

I quite like the layout, but dont want to focus on wireless at this stage.

This is good at explaining the principles, as to what a network is, how is can be used, the equipment need etc (would like some links though:))

The pictures are great!

I also want to focus on the "how to do it", as well as the "what is it"... if you get my meaning.

I was thinking of a guide to setting up say a home network, using the wizard, or without the wizard, how to set the workgroup, how to share a folder, how to share a printer.

I really like the effort and think this will definatly make a good "What is networking" section of the 101. Thanks

Anyone else?
 
This article was copied verbatim from the original source.
http://www.techspot.com/articles/networking101/networking-2.shtml

TechSpot Terms of Use:

"Material may not be copied, broadcast, stored (in any medium), shown or played in public, reproduced, republished, downloaded, posted, broadcast, transmitted, adapted or changed in any way except for your own personal non-commercial use. You agree to use this site only for lawful purposes and in a manner which does not infringe the rights of, or restrict or inhibit the use of or enjoyment of this site by any third party."
 
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Omicron said:
This article was copied verbatim from the original source.
http://www.techspot.com/articles/networking101/networking-2.shtml

TechSpot Terms of Use:

"Material may not be copied, broadcast, stored (in any medium), shown or played in public, reproduced, republished, downloaded, posted, broadcast, transmitted, adapted or changed in any way except for your own personal non-commercial use. You agree to use this site only for lawful purposes and in a manner which does not infringe the rights of, or restrict or inhibit the use of or enjoyment of this site by any third party."
Click to expand...
i think its fine to do this on forums, as they meet the criteria laid down in the term of use.

And of course i knew it was copied, didn't think geoff would have had all day to sit and write that.

Anyone else?
 
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If you just want data, i have a cisco.netacad.net account and can access there lessons on Networking. They go over pretty much...everything? They're just designed to prepare you to pass the A+ examinations, just to relate to a level of difficulty. Nothing too in depth.

On second thought I can't really Copy-Paste all their info. Probably illegal, and thats ALOT of info. I'll do my best to paraphrase everything.

EDIT: I'm gonna focus on printer sharing I think, setting a network printer up and permissions and such.
 
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OK, here we go. These are simple informative documents. Not really meant to be a "guide", but if someone wants to use the info in here or expand on it I don't mind. All info was was derived from the cisco.netacad.net lessons/site, and I don't take credit for any of it. I just picked through there lessons and grabbed what I thought was the most essential and easiest to understand. Sorry, no pics.
 

Attachments

Ok, heres my small contribution, setting up your network to share files, assuming you have windows xp and there is a bit at teh end for other windows operating systems. with pics, here they are in PDF and .doc format:

Doc - 1.08MB
PDF - 765Kb

I wrote them all myself, so there are probably a few errors in it, please change them if they require it

Lee :D
 
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ok folks just woke up (10:30) will review these after breakfast,

can someone now include a brief discussion on how to connect a

linux box to a windows box for file and printer sharing!
 
apj101 said:
linux box to a windows box for file and printer sharing!
Click to expand...
If no one else does i'll have a go in a bit, but i've got french and maths coursework to do that needs to be in for tomorrow

Lee :D
 
@4W4K3: thanks very much for those, i like the backgound they coverd in ideas such as setting up the pirnter and drivers in the first place. Contextually they were great, a little heavy on some areas i think we can safely brush over the types of interface for printers; would be great to get some pictures in there too.

@lee101: that was perfect, exactly the style i was looking for for thise section. Good job

any takers on the next challenge

a brief discussion on how to connect a

linux box to a windows box for file and printer sharing!

inlcude links and description of principles (be brief ;) )

i'm really impressed so far
 
i said i was going to have a go at the linux-windows box thing, but i might not be able to do it soon, firstly i can't get any linux distro to boot up so i can't really go that in depth with it, and i seem to have a load of work from school to do. I am still willing to do it but it may tale a week or so, just letting you know

Lee :D
 
[-0MEGA-] said:
why did you delete all the other posts?
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sorry, omega; its not a personal attack,i did say in the original post that i would be pruning the thread to keep it small, i didn't want new contributors to have to go trailing all the way though just to find the latest request right at the end.

Dont worry i still have your ideas on my hdd, and they will be in the final product in some form.

Care to put foward a few lines on the latest topic?
 
Well here is one way to transfer files using Linux and Windows using a program called "BadBlue"

Step-by-Step: Linux-Windows File Transfer in Seconds

Follow these steps to get Windows-to-Linux file sharing working in a matter of a few minutes:

4 Download and install BadBlue

4 Define a folder called Uploads to permit Linux machines to send files to Windows

4 Define a folder called Downloads to permit Linux machines to receive files from Windows

4 If you don't know the IP address of the Windows PC running BadBlue, open a command window and type ipconfig. This will reveal the IP address of the Windows PC on the LAN.

4 From a Linux system, open Mozilla and surf to the BadBlue server on the network using its IP address. For example, type http://11.22.33.44 in Mozilla's address bar if running BadBlue on the default port of 80. Or type http://11.22.33.44:81 in the address bar. Of course, you'll need to substitute the real IP address for 11.22.33.44 and the real port number for 81.

4 To move files from Linux to Windows: using BadBlue's main menu in the Linux browser, click on the Folders tab, the press the Upload files button.

4 To move files to Linux from Windows: using BadBlue's main menu in the Linux browser, click on the Folders tab, the select the appropriate download folder and right-click on the file(s) you need to retrieve.

Source: http://www.badblue.com/ (Free download)

And for printer sharing: http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/SMB-HOWTO-10.html

(Is it OK that I'm not writing these myself? Just trying to provide some info if that's OK.)
 
(Is it OK that I'm not writing these myself? Just trying to provide some info if that's OK.)
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well i was kinda hoping that people would write them themselce, obviously incorporating stuff from online sources

And for the linux, samba would be a better choice that badblue, but that certainly an option i hadn't thought of
 
computer_pirson said:
Do you want someone to write an actual Networking 101, or is this like a network FAQ?
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probably more like a networking faq, but more a guide covering how to do certain areas, and common problems. I'll peice together the answerss that people post the current question i am asking, in this case see my above post.

Doesn't look good though, not getting as many replies as i was hoping for.

Care to write something up for submission?

EDIT:
I just sent computer_pirson a pm, but thought i'd include it here as it outlines thing well

apj101 to computer_pirson said:
hi computer_pirson, i;m glad to see your so keen.

How i was going to work it was, i asks a series of bite size question, people reply, i collate them all and put them into a networking 101, i will of course proof read them and correct mistakes first, and format them to be readable.

Currently i;m asking for information on sharing files between win boxes and linux box (using samba preferably) for which i only want 4-5 lines

Future question will be around pinging other machine, checking internal external ip address (and explaining the difference), working with wireless... and so.

If you would like to submit as little or as much as you like, if you want you could write a little on the current topic, and contribute as we go on
Click to expand...
 
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