by Red Bull

Created on: March 12, 2009

A computer networks is what allows computers to be connected to each other to share information, software, games, to play games together and also to share printers and internet access. Do you know how a network works?

Here are some basics. The network requires to networks card, requires to cables, software and drivers to make those cards works and they also need to be properly configured. The step one is to connect the cards to the computer. Open your desktop box and add the cards to it. If you bought your computer recently, it should already have one or more LAN cards embed in the motherboard. If not you must really install and add a new card to it. After that you need to buy a cable. You can do one but unless you are a pro, leave it to the pros only. Get a cheap cable from the nearest store. Once you connect the two computers you will have to define the IP and the gateway for each other. There are four sets of three numbers you need to configure. I recommend you to use this 192.168.1.200, then .201 and so on. This thing works all the time.

Now that the computers are properly configured you need to test if they are really working or if the lights you see flashing are lying to you. Go to the start menu and then in the run thing type CMD. Now you see that old black screen. Don't panic. Just type ping and the number of the other computer, and it should send and receive data. If not, you are doing something wrong and you need to check how that thing is doing.

This was for a cabled network. I am sure you are a hi tech human so you want something wireless. This is many times easier. Get a router. A cheap ones is never more than 25$ or so these days. Now all you have to do is to turn the computer on and leave the rest to Windows. Both XP and Vista are full 100% automatic so no need to worry. Now all you need to do is if you can send data to each other and to share the internet access.

Time to see how security is doing. If you do not have a password every cat and dog can connect to your computers and see how they are doing. To prevent this you need to insert a good password and then you need to hide the network. Sure they can scan all the frequencies until they find you but this will take too much time to be worth doing it. Finally you need to ensure the password is never shared on the email and other open lines or the security will be compromised. That's it! Now surf the web from a network thing.

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