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Chapter 2: Setting Up and Getting Started
16
Installing Ethernet cards and drivers
After you have determined the type of Ethernet you
are using for your network, you need to install
Ethernet cards and drivers on the computers that do
not have Ethernet already installed. Use the
documentation that comes with your Ethernet cards
for instructions on installing the card and any required
drivers.
Plug your Ethernet cable into your computer’s jack and
the router or the cable or DSL modem at this point, if
you have not already done so.
Connecting network cables
We recommend using category 5 (
Cat 5
), unshielded,
twisted-pair cable (about 1/4-inch diameter with a thin
outer-jacket, containing eight color-coded wires), and
equipment compatible with this type of cable. This
type of cable is equipped with RJ-45 connectors (like
a large telephone jack connector, but with eight pins)
on each end.
Cat 5 cables are available in two different types;
straight-through cables, used to connect computers to
a router, and crossover cables, used to connect two
computers.
To determine which type of cable you have, hold both
ends of the cable with the connectors facing away
from you and with the spring clip on the bottom. For
straight-through cable, the wires on both connectors
are attached to copper pins in the same order (same
colors, left to right). For a crossover cable, the wires
on each connector are attached to the copper pins in
a different order (different colors, left to right).
Setting up a network using a router
If you are setting up a network for more than two
computers and you will be connecting your network
to a high-speed Broadband Internet connection (cable
or DSL modem), we recommend the use of a router.
A router lets you access the Internet connection from
any network computer. The router can assign IP
addresses to the computers on the network and can
provide firewall protection for your network as well.