The following is a list of the inner workings of a typical network:
Network interface cards: Inside any computer attached to a network is a special electronic circuit card called a network interface card. The TLA for network interface card is NIC.
Using your network late into the evening is not the same as watching NIC at night. If the network is set up to use that time to update software and back up data, the NIC has to be robust enough to handle all-day-allnight use.
Although it’s also possible to use an external network interface that connects to the computer via the computer’s USB port, most networked computers use a built-in network interface card.
Network cable: The network cable is what physically connects the computers together. It plugs into the network interface card at the back of your computer.
The most common type of network cable looks something like telephone cable. However, appearances can be deceiving. Most phone systems are wired using a lower grade of cable that won’t work for networks. For a computer network, each pair of wires in the cable must be twisted in a
certain way. That’s why this type of cable is called a twisted-pair cable. (Standard phone cable doesn’t do the twist.)
Older networks often use another type of cable, called coaxial cable or just coax. Coax is similar to the cable used to bring Nick at Nite to your TV. The cable used for cable TV is not the same as the cable used for computer networks, though. So don’t try to replace a length of broken network cable with TV cable. It won’t work. Networks require a higher grade of cable than is used for cable TV.
Of the two cable types, twisted-pair cable is the best kind to use for new networks. Coax cable is found in plenty of older networks, but if you are building a new network, use twisted-pair cable. For the complete lowdown on networking cables.
You can do away with network cable by creating a wireless network, though that option has some challenges of its own. For more information about wireless networking.
Network hub: If your network is set up using twisted-pair cable, your network also needs a network hub. A hub is a small box with a bunch of cable connectors. Each computer on the network is connected by cable to the hub. The hub, in turn, connects all the computers to each other. If
your network uses coax cable, the cable goes directly from computer to computer; no network hub is used.
Instead of hubs, most newer networks use a faster device known as a switch. The term hub is often used to refer to both true hubs and switches.
Network software: Of course, the software really makes the network work. To make any network work, a whole bunch of software has to be set up just right. For peer-to-peer networking with Windows, you have to play with the Control Panel to get networking to work. And network operating systems such as Windows Server 2003 or Novell’s NetWare require a substantial amount of tweaking to get them to work just right. For more information about choosing which network software to use for your network. To find out what you need to know to configure the software so that your network runs smoothly.
