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Preparing Your PCs for Network Access C-1
February 2005
Appendix C
Preparing Your PCs for Network Access
This appendix describes how to prepare your PCs to connect to the Internet through the
NETGEAR RangeMax™ Wireless PC Card WPN511.
For adding file and print sharing to your network, please consult the Windows help information
included with the version of Windows installed on each computer on your network.
Preparing Your Computers for TCP/IP Networking
Computers access the Internet using a protocol called TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/
Internet Protocol). Each computer on your network must have TCP/IP installed and selected as its
networking protocol. If a Network Interface Card (NIC) is already installed in your computer, then
TCP/IP is probably already installed as well.
Most operating systems include the software components you need for networking with TCP/IP:
•Windows
®
95 or later includes the software components for establishing a TCP/IP network.
• Windows 3.1 does not include a TCP/IP component. You need to purchase a third-party TCP/
IP application package such as NetManage Chameleon.
• Macintosh Operating System 7 or later includes the software components for establishing a
TCP/IP network.
• All versions of UNIX or Linux include TCP/IP components. Follow the instructions provided
with your operating system or networking software to install TCP/IP on your computer.
In your IP network, each computer and the wireless access point must be assigned unique IP
addresses. Each computer must also have certain other IP configuration information such as a
subnet mask (netmask), a domain name server (DNS) address, and a default gateway address. In
most cases, you should install TCP/IP so that the computer obtains its specific network
configuration information automatically from a DHCP server during bootup.