Intro
Hardware
Software
ETHERNET LAN:
HOW CONNECT TWO PC
- INTRODUCTION -
In those pages I'll describe how to build a
simple LAN (Local Area Network) using ETHERNET card (or FAST ETHERNET)(common 10/100
Mb) and a "crossed" twisted pair cable;
using a crossed cable avoid the use of
an HUB (needed for 3 or more PC) making installation easy and cheap;
In my test i've used OS WIN95 WIN98 e WIN
ME (no much different is WINDOWS NT e 2000); with the time i'll add some pages
about LINUX.
Let's start; we need (for a 2 PC-based Lan):
2 PC with OS Win95-Win98-Win ME installed and the original CD-Room;
2 Ethernet Card
(NIC) (10 MB/Sec) or Fast Ethernet (100 MB/Sec) with the right driver for
the OS i use;
usually you must insert those card in a PCI slot (the old one was for ISA
Slot);
On the rear there's a RJ45 socket (similar to the telephonic one -RJ11- but
bigger); the best NIC (such as 3Com) have more socket (BNC ecc.) but we're
interested in a 10BaseT (or 100BaseT) Lan (where T means "Twisted Pair",
used with RJ45);
A good quality
"crossed" Twisted Pair cable (with RJ45 connector); for more than
2 PC you need a common twisted Pair and an HUB;
some word about cable quality: there're several category: 1,2,3,4,5;
Category 5 is the best; for a 10BaseT LAN you need category 3 up to 5, for a
100BaseT you need category 5;
You can find UTP (unshielded) and STP (Shielded) Twisted Pair cable: I think
will be better to buy an UTP, it's cheaper;
These are the step: