Intro to Computers

 The Beauty Of Networking.

The fundamental reason anyone connects two PCs is to make life easier. It does so most obviously by letting you share files. Let�s say, for example, you have a small office with five computers that aren�t networked. Now let�s say one of your business partners finishes the company�s latest business proposal on her PC. For you to look at the proposal on your PC, she must save it to a diskette, pop the diskette out of her computer, walk over, and hand it to you. You then must insert the diskette and retrieve the file. To pass it on, you must get up and walk it over to the next person and so on.

�We call that a �sneaker �net,�� says Jim A. Johnson, business unit manager in the Small Business Networking Group for Intel. Running around with a diskette is an inefficient way to do things. If you network your PCs, however, each person could access that business proposal from any PC. That means efficiency, no footwork, and fewer worries about �Who has the diskette?�

Networks also help save money by sharing peripherals. Let�s say a family of four has three computers: one for Mom, one for Dad, and one for the kids. They can afford only one good monochrome laser printer, however. So if Mom is using her standalone and wants to print, she has two fairly unappealing options. She can unplug the printer, pick it up, and connect it to another PC when she needs to print, or she can save the document she needs to print to a diskette, kick Dad off the PC connected to the printer, load up her file, and print her document. With a network, everybody has access to that single printer. There�s no need to move hardware, diskettes, or family members to do the job.

Printers are the most common peripheral a network lets you share, but let�s say only one of your three PCs has a CD-ROM drive. If you need to access a CD-ROM, you could put it in the PC with the CD-ROM drive and access it from the other PCs through the network. The same process works with hard drives, modems, scanners, tape backups�you name it. Why have three of something when one (and a network) will do?

The third, and increasingly important, capability of networks is communications. �A network turns your PC from just a personal computer into a communications device,� Johnson says. You can share files, hardware, and even E-mail. A network lets you send and receive inner-office E-mail and can offer easier ways to send and receive Internet E-mail and connect to the World Wide Web (more on that later). Anyone with E-mail, for business or personal use, can attest to its value.

So by now the concept of a network, and all the things it has to offer, probably sounds good. But it�s still just a concept. For a better grasp of the power of networking, you must first understand how one works.

 Networking 101.

Users who have seen networks in action, but are unfamiliar with their inner workings, often assume they�re big, messy, confusing combinations of hardware, software, and cable that require a team of experts to keep them running. For many networks, that�s a fair assessment. Over the years, however, networks have become more standardized and a little less improvised. The following primer of network concepts should lay out the basics. (NOTE: The following is not a tutorial on how to build a network and you should not use it as one.)

The easiest way to dive into networks is to start from the bottom. To do that we start with a couple of basic definitions. Most networks you�ll encounter are of the local-area network (LAN) variety. That means the computers that make up the network are usually in close proximity (the same room, building, or group of buildings) and physically connected by local cables. The LAN�s big brother is the wide-area network (WAN) which uses an outside source, such as telephone lines, to connect LANs separated by long distances. Our discussion will stick to the peer-to-peer and client/server LANs.

 Peer-To-Peer Networks.

The simplest way to create a network is to connect two or more PCs. Of course, it�s still a bit more complicated than just plugging in a cable. The first thing you need is a place to plug in that cable: the network interface card (NIC, a circuit board containing the hardware necessary for connecting a computer to a network). These cards install in your PC like any other expansion card.

A variety of NICs are available. Intel makes several types, and Johnson says the most popular one is the Intel EtherExpress PRO/100+ Management Adapter, which transmits data at 10 megabits per second (Mbps) or 100Mbps, depending on what type of transmission method you require.

Ethernet is the most common type of LAN transmission method. At 10Mbps it�s called Thin Ethernet, and at 100Mbps its called Fast Ethernet. Of course, the 10Mbps standard uses cheaper cabling than the faster variety, but most experts like the fast one, as the slower speeds can become a hindrance as you add faster computers to your network.

Laying out the cabling is often the most demanding part of setting up any network, says Byron Sands, director of the Communications Product Group at Compaq Computer Corp. �If all the computers are in one room you can just lay the cables on the floor between desks,� he says. �If it�s a larger operation, or you don�t want to see those cables out, then you probably need someone to put them in the wall for you.�

Regardless of whether it�s on the floor or in the wall, when you create a peer-to-peer network you can string the computers together one-by-one or connect them to a single device called a hub. Intel�s Johnson likens this piece of hardware to an extension cord, �The extension cord, in a power setting, lets you plug in multiple plugs into the cord. The hub is the same type of idea; you plug all of your PCs into this hub.� From that hub, all the PCs can communicate.

Whether you string your PCs together, or use a hub, all the computers in a peer-to-peer network operate as equals. That means no single unit is in charge, and users on any one machine can access files and hardware on the others. So, for example, if you set it up this way anyone can access your hard drive, or CD-ROM, and you can do the same.

Of course, one of the most important reasons for setting up a network is printer sharing. In a peer-to-peer network an option is simply to connect the printer to one of the PCs. This works, but it has its drawbacks. �The problem with hooking up a printer directly off a single PC is a big print job running through your PC can cause you to lose some of your processing power, which can be a real irritant,� Johnson says. Intel offers a solution called the Intel NetportExpress PRO/100. If you�re using a hub, you just plug this unit into the hub, then plug in your printer (or printers�the high-end version has two parallel ports and one serial) and everyone can access it without bogging down a single PC.

One advantage of the peer-to-peer network scenario is it doesn�t require specialty software if you�re running an operating system such as Windows 95 (Win95) or even Windows 3.11. Both operating systems offer simple peer-to-peer networking capabilities. Most people will tell you these systems are not the best for networking, but they�ll suffice in most small peer-to-peer scenarios.

 Client/Server.

Another type of network, client/server, becomes necessary when there are simply too many computers to successfully operate a peer-to-peer network. The fundamental difference between the two types is that the client/server setup requires at least one more important piece of hardware called a server. It�s generally a PC that is more powerful than the other PCs connected to it on the network. Whereas all computers in the peer-to-peer network are equals, in the server/client network all the individual PCs (the clients) operate through the server. That means each client PC connects through its NIC to a hub that then connects to this server. If you want to share files, they must reside on the server. If there is a single printer for all, it�s run through the server. If you send E-mail messages, they travel first through the server.

In a small company using a client/server network a single server will probably handle the job. In a larger company, where there may be hundreds or even thousands of clients, it often takes multiple servers to do the job. There might be a single server that handles file sharing, another that connects to the database, another for E-mail, and still another for printing. That�s essentially how the Internet works. When you use the Web, you�re tapping into data from servers around the world.

Another important distinction between the two major network types is that while peer-to-peer usually requires no specialty software, client/server does. Something has to handle all of those extra chores, and that something is a network operating system (NOS, the foundation software that lets computers work together and communicate). Two popular NOSes are Microsoft Windows NT and Novell NetWare.

Rick Balazs, product manager for Novell�s NetWare for Small Business, says Novell offers different versions of NetWare for different networks. A small business probably won�t have anyone dedicated to keeping the network running, so it needs a NOS that reflects that. �We�ve made it easier to install and administer,� he says. �We�ve taken the �fear factor� out of networking, so if you have a little bit of computer experience you can install our product.

�As we move from the desktop computing world to a more networked world, there�s nothing to be afraid of. We�re making the process as easy as possible.�

 One Big Network.

Another concept worth discussion is how being part of a LAN can make it easy to connect to everyone�s favorite network: the Internet.

The key to the Internet�s booming popularity is its ability to let huge networked companies, or a single user, connect to the rest of the world. All that talk about global economies and stuff is for real. When you can buy a book from a company a world away through the Internet, things are changing.

One of the coolest things about networks
is how they can make connecting to the
�Net easier for everyone involved. For example, Compaq offers a product called the Compaq 808 that acts as both a hub and an easy connection to the Internet through a
fast Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) line. ISDN lines carry voice, video, and data more quickly and efficiently than a standard analog phone line. Compaq�s Sands says this device lets multiple users connect to the Internet at once. �When someone launches their browser, the 808 automatically calls up the Internet service provider (ISP) and connects them to the Internet,� he says. �The next person (on the network) who launches their browser won�t have to wait
for the dial-in because the channel is already open.�

This concept is important, he says, because without a network each person in an office must dial in individually. That means every employee needs a modem and an ISP account.

Intel offers a similar product, called the Intel InBusiness Internet Station, that supports both the ISDN line and the regular analog phone line. The ISDN line is faster, but costs more. The speed difference grows more touchy when you add one, two, or more users on the same line, but either way, you�re saving money and time by using a networked connection rather than individual dial-up connections.

 Network Computer Or Networked PC?

Finally, we couldn�t write an entire story about networks without clearing up a topic that confuses many people. Network Computers (NC) and networked computers are not the same thing. Pretty easy to see why people get the two mixed up, is it not?

Briefly, an NC is a sealed computer that has limited built-in capabilities and requires a client/server environment. Most of these machines lack items such as diskette drives or CD-ROM drives. The point of an NC is that the server side
of things controls everything. For
example, the server always provides new software. This setup exists because the people who run networks love it, says Intel�s Johnson.

�It�s a sealed, fixed-function PC. That means there�s very little chance to get viruses,� he says. And there is less chance that eager computer users can install programs on their machines that don�t belong. NCs appear primarily in businesses, where folks desire simple network computing and a central administration area. There has been talk, however, of home NCs that take advantage of the Internet and new features and functions connected with the Java programming language. One of the biggest selling points of these types of computers is that with less hardware the machines will cost less than a standard PC.

A networked PC, on the other hand, is a fully-featured PC (like those most of us use) that�s part of a network. A regular PC has more flexibility than an NC since you can add hardware and software to it. Networking such a PC offers the ability to share files and hardware and improves communication capabilities. These computers, however, are usually more expensive than the NC variety.

The increased capabilities of the sub-$1,000 PCs have put an interesting spin on the NC vs. Networked PC debate. These computers, which generally come with all the standard PC equipment come close to the asking price of some NCs, which should make the debate even more interesting.

While computer manufacturers, industry experts, and consumers might not be able to decide which type of computer to connect to a network, almost everybody agrees that making that connection will be a vital part of computing in the future.

�All PCs should be networked,� Johnson says. �To not have your PC networked in one fashion or another is really losing out on a big opportunity to become more productive in what you do.�  

Compaq

(800) 345-1518 (281) 370-0670 http://www.compaq.com

Intel

(800) 538-3373 (503) 264-7354 http://www.intel.com

Novell

(800) 453-1267 (801) 222-6000 http://www.novell.com