PCs on a Network

A+ Guide to Hardware, 4e : 

A+ Guide to Hardware, 4e Chapter 10 PCs on a Network

Objectives : 

A+ Guide to Hardware, 4e 2 Objectives Learn about different types of physical network architectures Learn how networking works with Windows Learn how to install a network card and connect to a network Learn how to set up and secure a wireless network Learn about troubleshooting tools and tips for network connections

Introduction : 

A+ Guide to Hardware, 4e 3 Introduction Topics covered in this chapter: Technologies used to build networks How Windows supports a network connection How to connect a computer to a network How switches and routers interface networks How to setup and secure a wireless network How to troubleshoot a network connection

Physical Network Architectures : 

A+ Guide to Hardware, 4e 4 Physical Network Architectures Elements providing an overview of networks The different sizes of networks The different technologies used by networks Some networking terms Network types commonly encountered Ethernet Wireless networks Telephone networks Mostly outdated token ring and FDDI networks

Sizes of Networks : 

A+ Guide to Hardware, 4e 5 Sizes of Networks A network links two or more computers PAN (personal area network) Consists of personal devices at close range LAN (local area network) Covers a small local area such as a home, or office MAN (metropolitan area network) Covers a large campus or city WAN (wide area network) Covers a large geographical area; e.g., the Internet

Networking Technologies : 

A+ Guide to Hardware, 4e 6 Networking Technologies Factors driving network evolution: The type of data the network is intended to support The data capacity on the network How a network is to fit among other networks Bandwidth (data throughput or line speed): Analog systems: measured in cycles/sec (hertz or Hz) Digital systems: measured in bps, Kbps, or Mbps As networks grow, the need for bandwidth grows

Additional Terms Used in Networking : 

A+ Guide to Hardware, 4e 7 Additional Terms Used in Networking Node (host): one device on a network; e.g., server Network adapter: interfaces a PC with a network Network interface card (NIC): fits in a PCI slot Adapter (MAC, physical, or hardware) address: 48-bit (6-byte) id number hard-coded on card Example: 00-0C-6E-4E-AB-A5 Network protocols: rules of communication Packets (datagrams or frames) Basic unit of data transmitted on a network

Slide 8: 

A+ Guide to Hardware, 4e 8 Figure 10-1 Ethernet network card showing its MAC address

Introducing Ethernet : 

A+ Guide to Hardware, 4e 9 Introducing Ethernet Ethernet types (categorized by speed): 10-Mbps Ethernet 100-Mbps or Fast Ethernet 1000-Mbps or Gigabit Ethernet 10-Gigabit Ethernet Types of cabling used: Two kinds of twisted-pair Unshielded twisted pair (UTP): four pairs of twisted wire Shielded twisted pair (STP): protected from EMI Coaxial cable: single copper wire with braided shield Fiber-optic: glass strands inside protective tubing

Slide 10: 

A+ Guide to Hardware, 4e 10 Table 10-2 Variations of Ethernet and Ethernet cabling

Slide 11: 

A+ Guide to Hardware, 4e 11 Figure 10-4 Fiber-optic cables contain a glass core for transmitting light

Introducing Ethernet (continued) : 

A+ Guide to Hardware, 4e 12 Introducing Ethernet (continued) Topology: arrangement of nodes in a network Bus topology: connects all nodes with a line (no hub) Star topology Connects nodes to central hub (or switch) The hub broadcasts a data packet to every device Switch uses a table to route packet to receiving device Scale networks by adding switches Star bus topology: Multiple switches form a bus network Nodes connected to each switch form a star

Slide 13: 

A+ Guide to Hardware, 4e 13 Figure 10-6 Nodes on an Ethernet network can be connected to one another in a star or bus formation

Slide 14: 

A+ Guide to Hardware, 4e 14 Figure 10-10 A star bus network uses more than one switch

Introducing Ethernet (continued) : 

A+ Guide to Hardware, 4e 15 Introducing Ethernet (continued) Attenuation: the weakening of a transmitted signal Repeater: device used to amplify a signal in a LAN Amplifier repeater: simply amplifies incoming signal Signal-regenerating repeater Reads and copies the signal (without noise) Transmits an exact duplicate of the original Ethernet uses a signal-regenerating repeater A switch or hub can act as the repeater

Slide 16: 

A+ Guide to Hardware, 4e 16 Figure 10-14 A repeater on a network restores the clarity of the signal, which degrades over a distance because of attenuation

Wireless Networks : 

A+ Guide to Hardware, 4e 17 Wireless Networks Use radio waves or infrared light to connect PCs Popular in places where cables are difficult to install 802.11wireless (Wi-Fi or Wireless Fidelity) Types: 802.11g (most popular), 802.11b, 802.11a Two new standards: 802.11k and 802.11r Ad hoc mode: directly links two wireless devices Access point (AP): connects wireless device to LAN WiMAX (802.16 Wireless/802.16d and 802.16e) Used in public hot spots and as a last mile solution Bluetooth: short range standard; e.g., optical mouse

Slide 18: 

A+ Guide to Hardware, 4e 18 Figure 10-16 Nodes on a wireless LAN connect to a cabled network by way of an access point

Telephone Networks : 

A+ Guide to Hardware, 4e 19 Telephone Networks Plain old telephone service (POTS) Switching creates closed circuits between phones VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Uses packets of data to communicate Cellular WAN Made up cells created by base stations Cellular WAN standards GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access)

Slide 20: 

A+ Guide to Hardware, 4e 20 Figure 10-20 A cellular WAN is made up of many cells that provide coverage over a wide area

Telephone Networks (continued) : 

A+ Guide to Hardware, 4e 21 Telephone Networks (continued) General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) New communication protocol using data packets Two types of transmission: Full-duplex: allows both users to talk and transmit Half-duplex: allows only one user on a channel Satellite phone: communicates with satellites Cordless phone: communicates with phone base Radio phone: uses VHF radio waves

Token Ring and FDDI : 

A+ Guide to Hardware, 4e 22 Token Ring and FDDI Token Ring is physically a star, logically a ring Components of a token ring: Controlled Access Unit (CAU) Multistation Access Unit (MSAU or MAU) Token Ring LAN card connecting node to MSAU UTP or STP cables with two twisted pairs RJ-45 or Universal Data Connector (UDC) Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI) Uses a token that travels in a ring like a Token Ring Data frames travel on the ring without the token

Slide 23: 

A+ Guide to Hardware, 4e 23 Figure 10-21 Full-duplex and half-duplex transmissions

Windows on a Network : 

A+ Guide to Hardware, 4e 24 Windows on a Network Major software components on a network An operating system installed on each PC Network operating system (NOS) for larger networks Peer-to-peer network (workgroup) Each PC has the same authority on the network Client/server model (domain) Access to network resources controlled by an NOS Server is called a domain controller A few network operating systems Windows 2003 Server, Novell NetWare, Linux

Four Suites of Protocols : 

A+ Guide to Hardware, 4e 25 Four Suites of Protocols TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) Primary protocol used on the Internet IPX/SPX (Internetwork Packet Exchange/Sequenced Packet Exchange) Designed for use with Novell NetWare NetBEUI (NetBIOS Extended User Interface) Supports NetBIOS (Network Basic Input/Output System) AppleTalk Proprietary networking protocol suite for Macs

Slide 26: 

A+ Guide to Hardware, 4e 26 Figure 10-25 An operating system can use more than one method to address a computer on the network, but at the network level, a MAC address is always used to address a device on the network

Four Suites of Protocols (continued) : 

A+ Guide to Hardware, 4e 27 Four Suites of Protocols (continued) Using a protocol on the network Install a NIC card in the computer Connect network cable to network device; e.g., a switch NIC card binds to higher level protocol; e.g., TCP/IP How to identify which protocols are used in Windows Look at the properties of a network connection More than one OS protocol can be used on a network New protocols may be installed Network printers can be accessed in various ways

Slide 28: 

A+ Guide to Hardware, 4e 28 Figure 10-26 Three Windows XP network protocols are installed and two protocols are bound to this network card

Addressing on a Network : 

A+ Guide to Hardware, 4e 29 Addressing on a Network Four methods used to identify devices and programs Using a MAC address Using an IP address Using character-based names (host, domain, NetBIOS) Using a Port address IP addresses Used in TCP/IP to identify any device on the network 4 bytes (octets) separated by dots; e.g., 190.180.40.120 System allows for up to 4.3 billion IP addresses First part identifies network, last part identifies host

Slide 30: 

A+ Guide to Hardware, 4e 30 Figure 10-27 Computers on the same LAN use MAC addresses to communicate, but computers on different LANs use IP addresses to communicate over the Internet

Installing a NIC and Connecting to a Network : 

A+ Guide to Hardware, 4e 31 Installing a NIC and Connecting to a Network Components needed to connect a PC to a network NIC and network port or wireless NIC card in the PC Patch cable Device for the PC to connect to, such as a router NIC card selection criteria NIC should match type of bus on motherboard NIC should match speed and type of network Wireless NIC should match network technology

Installing a NIC Using Windows 2000/XP : 

A+ Guide to Hardware, 4e 32 Installing a NIC Using Windows 2000/XP Overview of installation steps Determine whether driver or NIC is installed first If NIC precedes driver, install NIC and turn on PC Follow instructions in Found New Hardware Wizard Verify driver installation using the Device Manager Update the driver if necessary Connect patch cable to NIC port and network switch Configuring Windows 2000/XP to use a network Name computer in System Properties dialog box

Slide 33: 

A+ Guide to Hardware, 4e 33 Figure 10-32 Windows XP uses the Computer Name Changes dialog box to assign a host name to a computer on a network

Installing a NIC Using Windows 2000/XP (continued) : 

A+ Guide to Hardware, 4e 34 Installing a NIC Using Windows 2000/XP (continued) Questions to ask before configuring TCP/IP Will the PC use dynamic or static IP addressing? What are the IP address, subnet mask, default gateway? A question to ask if static IP addressing is used Do you use DNS? If so, what are the IP addresses of your DNS servers? Is a proxy server used to connect to other networks? If so, what is the IP address of the proxy server? Gateway: device that connects two networks

Installing a NIC Using Windows 2000/XP (continued) : 

A+ Guide to Hardware, 4e 35 Installing a NIC Using Windows 2000/XP (continued) Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) Properties dialog box Used to configure TCP/IP under Windows XP Dialog opened from Properties of Local Area Connection NWLink or NetBEUI protocol Used for network communication (excluding the Internet) Can be used in combination with TCP/IP Installed from Properties of Local Area Connection

Slide 36: 

A+ Guide to Hardware, 4e 36 Figure 10-34 To configure TCP/IP under Windows XP, use the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) Properties dialog box

Installing a NIC Using Windows 9x/Me : 

A+ Guide to Hardware, 4e 37 Installing a NIC Using Windows 9x/Me Overview of installation steps: Physically install the NIC and turn on the PC Follow instructions of the Wizard Verify the installation using Device Manager Assigning a computer name Access Identification tab in Network dialog box Enter names of computer and workgroup Verify assignment in Network Neighborhood window Installing and configuring TCP/IP using Windows 98 Use functions in the Network window

Slide 38: 

A+ Guide to Hardware, 4e 38 Figure 10-40 To configure TCP/IP in Windows 98, select the binding and click Properties to view the TCP/IP Properties dialog box

Installing a Wireless Adapter in a Notebook : 

A+ Guide to Hardware, 4e 39 Installing a Wireless Adapter in a Notebook Wireless adapter uses a USB port or PC Card slot Installation package includes a CD and accessories Overview of steps for installing a Linksys adapter Install the software from the setup CD Plug the wireless adapter into a USB port Launch Found New Hardware and follow instructions Managing the issue of an unsigned driver Find approved driver or continue installation Deciding which installation utility to use Choose manufacturer’s utility over Windows XP’s

Slide 40: 

A+ Guide to Hardware, 4e 40 Figure 10-45 Plug the wireless USB adapter into the USB port

Installing a Wireless Adapter in a Notebook (continued) : 

A+ Guide to Hardware, 4e 41 Installing a Wireless Adapter in a Notebook (continued) Information displayed about a current connection: MAC address of access point device used by adapter The current channel the connection is using Transfer rate, throughput, link quality, signal strength Configuration changes you can make: Mode or network type The SSID (service set identifier) Encryption settings Tx rate TCP/IP configuration

Slide 42: 

A+ Guide to Hardware, 4e 42 Figure 10-49 Opening screen to configure a Linksys wireless adapter

Installing a Wireless Adapter in a Notebook (continued) : 

A+ Guide to Hardware, 4e 43 Installing a Wireless Adapter in a Notebook (continued) Connecting to a public hot spot using Windows XP Open Wireless Network Connection dialog box Select unsecured network from list and click Connect Open a browser to test the connection View link in Wireless Network Connection Status box Two ways to troubleshoot a connection Add network SSID in Wireless network properties Provide MAC address to network administrator

Slide 44: 

A+ Guide to Hardware, 4e 44 Figure 10-57 Enter the SSID of a hot spot to which you want to connect

How to Set Up Your Own Wireless Network : 

A+ Guide to Hardware, 4e 45 How to Set Up Your Own Wireless Network Two principal steps: Buy a wireless access point Configure AP and wireless PC for communication Providing security is critical for a successful network

Security on a Wireless LAN : 

A+ Guide to Hardware, 4e 46 Security on a Wireless LAN Methods for securing a wireless connection: Disable SSID broadcasting Filter MAC addresses Data encryption; e.g., WPA (WiFi Protected Access) Change firmware default settings Update firmware Use a firewall Virtual private network (VPN)

Slide 47: 

A+ Guide to Hardware, 4e 47 Figure 10-60 With tunneling, packets can travel over a wireless LAN and the Internet in a virtual private network (VPN), but WEP or WPA applies only to the wireless connection

Choosing a Wireless Access Point : 

A+ Guide to Hardware, 4e 48 Choosing a Wireless Access Point Selection criteria The ability to use multiple security measures Supports for the 802.11 b/g wireless standards Good hardware reviews from other users An access point can be a standalone device An access point can also serve multiple purposes

Configure and Test Your Wireless Network : 

A+ Guide to Hardware, 4e 49 Configure and Test Your Wireless Network Installing the hardware Position device and plug it in Connect the device using a network or USB cable Access point configuration is saved on firmware Configuring the access point Change default password to the administrative utility Select basic wireless settings, such as the channel Set up data encryption Choose whether to filter MAC addresses Save the settings and test the connection

Slide 50: 

A+ Guide to Hardware, 4e 50 Figure 10-65 This wireless access point supports several encryption methods

Troubleshooting a Network Connection : 

A+ Guide to Hardware, 4e 51 Troubleshooting a Network Connection Some symptoms indicating a faulty NIC: You cannot make a connection to the network. My Network Places does not show any other PCs An error message displays during driver installation Displaying TCP/IP connection information Use Ipconfig under Windows 2000/XP Use Winipcfg under Windows 9x/Me Ping (Packet Internet Groper) diagnostic tool Sends a signal to a remote computer If remote PC is online and senses signal, it responds

Summary : 

A+ Guide to Hardware, 4e 52 Summary Network: system interconnecting two or more PCs Basic network types: PANs, LANs, MANs, and WANs Bandwidth: amount of data transmitted per unit time Ethernet topologies: bus, star, star bus Wireless standards: 802.11g/b/a/k/r, WiMAX, Bluetooth

Summary (continued) : 

A+ Guide to Hardware, 4e 53 Summary (continued) Telephone technologies: POTS, VoIP, Cellular WAN, satellite phone, cordless phone, and radio phone OS level protocols: TCP/IP, IPX/SPX, Net BEUI, AppleTalk IP address: 32-bit address identifying network node Local Area Connection dialog box: used to install and modify communication protocols