Network Know-How: An Essential Guide for the Accidental Admin

292 Pages·2009·11.25 MB·English

by  John Ross

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Are the machines in your office living isolated lives? • Automate household appliances and distribute digital
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Do you have a few computers at home that you want audio and video to your home entertainment center
A N E S S E N T I A L G U I D E F O R T H E
to connect to each other and the Internet? The best
way to share files on a group of computers is to create • Troubleshoot network slowdowns and failures OO A C C I D E N T A L A D M I N
a network. But how do you do that? No matter which operating system you use, and even
if you’ve never installed or run a network before, you’ll RR
Network Know-How is your guide to connecting your
get what you need to know in Network Know-How.
machines, filled with practical advice that will show you KK J O H N R O S S
how to get things done. You’ll learn the nitty-gritty of ABOUT THE AUTHOR
network setup, design, and maintenance, from running
John Ross has worked on wired and wireless network-
cables and placing wireless access points to configuring KK
ing for Motorola, AT&T, and other manufacturers. He
file sharing and printing. This practical and comprehensive
guide will teach you how to implement security, create is the author of more than two dozen books, including NN
Internet Power Tools (Random House), Connecting with
intranets, and more. You’ll learn how to:
Windows (Sybex), Wiring Home Networks (Sunset OO
• Connect Windows, Macintosh, and Linux computers Books), and The Book of Wireless (No Starch Press).
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• Implement network addressing
• Configure your network adapters, hubs, switches,
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and router
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• Share music, photos, and documents
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THE FINEST IN GEEK ENTERTAINMENT™
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This book uses RepKover—a durable binding that won’t snap shut. COMPUTERS/NETWSHELVE IN:
ORKING
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NETWORK KNOW-HOW
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We are in great haste to construct a magnetic telegraph
from Maine to Texas; but Maine and Texas, it may be, have
nothing important to communicate.
—Henry David Thoreau, Walden
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NETWORK
KNOW-HOW
An Essential Guide for the
Accidental Admin
by John Ross
San Francisco
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NETWORK KNOW-HOW. Copyright © 2009 by John Ross.
All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or
mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without the prior
written permission of the copyright owner and the publisher.
13 12 11 10 09 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
ISBN-10: 1-59327-191-3
ISBN-13: 978-1-59327-191-6
Publisher: William Pollock
Production Editor: Kathleen Mish
Cover and Interior Design: Octopod Studios
Developmental Editor: Tyler Ortman
Technical Reviewer: Mike Kershaw
Copyeditors: Eric Newman and LeeAnn Pickrell
Compositor: Riley Hoffman
Proofreader: Rachel Kai
Indexer: Sarah Schott
For information on book distributors or translations, please contact No Starch Press, Inc. directly:
No Starch Press, Inc.
555 De Haro Street, Suite 250, San Francisco, CA 94107
phone: [phone]; fax: [phone]; [email protected]; www.nostarch.com
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
Ross, John, 1947-
Network know-how : an essential guide for the accidental admin / John Ross.
p. cm.
Includes index.
ISBN-13: 978-1-59327-191-6
ISBN-10: 1-59327-191-3
1. Home computer networks. 2. Computer networks--Management. I. Title.
TK5105.75.R667 2009
004.6--dc22
2008052768
No Starch Press and the No Starch Press logo are registered trademarks of No Starch Press, Inc. Other product and
company names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. Rather than use a trademark
symbol with every occurrence of a trademarked name, we are using the names only in an editorial fashion and to the
benefit of the trademark owner, with no intention of infringement of the trademark.
The information in this book is distributed on an “As Is” basis, without warranty. While every precaution has been
taken in the preparation of this work, neither the author nor No Starch Press, Inc. shall have any liability to any
person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by the
information contained in it.
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B R I E F C O N T E N T S
Acknowledgments .......................................................................................................xiii
Introduction...................................................................................................................xv
Chapter 1: How a Network Will Improve Your Life.............................................................1
Chapter 2: Types of Network Connections.........................................................................9
Chapter 3: Hubs, Switches, and Routers..........................................................................27
Chapter 4: How Computer Networks Are Organized........................................................35
Chapter 5: Designing Your Network................................................................................47
Chapter 6: Installing the Network Control Center and Ethernet Cables.................................55
Chapter 7: Ethernet Network Interfaces............................................................................69
Chapter 8: Wi-Fi Networks............................................................................................77
Chapter 9: File Servers..................................................................................................93
Chapter 10: Connecting Your Network to the Internet......................................................107
Chapter 11: Connecting Your Computer to a Network....................................................117
Chapter 12: Sharing Files Through YourNetwork...........................................................131
Chapter 13: Network Security......................................................................................151
Chapter 14: Printers and Other Devices on Your Network................................................191
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Chapter 15: Other Things You Can Connect to Your Network: Audio, Video,
Home Entertainment, and Beyond.................................................................................203
Chapter 16: Other Network Applications.......................................................................225
Chapter 17: Troubleshooting........................................................................................239
Index.........................................................................................................................253
vi Brief Contents
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C O N T E N T S I N D E T A I L
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS xiii
INTRODUCTION xv
1
HOW A NETWORK WILL IMPROVE YOUR LIFE 1
What’s a Network? ..................................................................................................2
Sneakernet ..............................................................................................................3
Data Networks and What You Can Do with Them ........................................................4
File Sharing ................................................................................................5
Sharing an Internet Connection .....................................................................6
Instant Messages .........................................................................................7
Sharing Printers and Other Hardware ............................................................7
Home Entertainment ....................................................................................7
Video Cameras and Home Security Devices ...................................................8
Home Automation .......................................................................................8
2
TYPES OF NETWORK CONNECTIONS 9
Packets and Headers ..............................................................................................11
Error Checking ..........................................................................................13
Handshaking and Overhead ......................................................................13
Ethernet ................................................................................................................14
Wi-Fi ....................................................................................................................16
Powerline Networks................................................................................................16
Other Alternative Wiring Methods ............................................................................17
DTE and DCE Equipment .........................................................................................18
Point-to-Point Networks ............................................................................................19
Ad Hoc Wi-Fi ...........................................................................................20
Infrared ....................................................................................................20
FireWire (IEEE 1394) ................................................................................21
Connections Through a Telephone Line .....................................................................21
Remote Terminals ...................................................................................................23
Clients and Servers .................................................................................................23
3
HUBS, SWITCHES, AND ROUTERS 27
Hubs and Switches .................................................................................................28
Hubs .......................................................................................................29
Switches ..................................................................................................30
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LANs and WANs ...................................................................................................31
Bridges and Routers ...............................................................................................32
Combination Boxes ................................................................................................33
4
HOW COMPUTER NETWORKS ARE ORGANIZED 35
TCP/IP Networks....................................................................................................36
Names and Addresses ...............................................................................36
Network Tools .......................................................................................................41
IPConfig ...................................................................................................41
ifconfig ....................................................................................................43
ping ........................................................................................................43
TraceRoute ...............................................................................................44
5
DESIGNING YOUR NETWORK 47
Identifying Current and Future Nodes .......................................................................48
The Control Center .................................................................................................50
Home Run Wiring .....................................................................................51
Trunks and Branches: Using Secondary Switches ..........................................53
What About Wi-Fi? ................................................................................................54
6
INSTALLING THE NETWORK CONTROL CENTER AND
ETHERNET CABLES 55
Connectors, Wall Plates, and Surface Boxes ..............................................................55
Ethernet Cable .......................................................................................................56
Pushing Cable Through Walls ..................................................................................57
The Control Center .................................................................................................58
AC Power ................................................................................................61
Modems, Routers, and Switches ..................................................................62
Adding a DSL or Cable Connection .............................................................64
Terminating the Network Cables .................................................................66
Adding a Telephone ..................................................................................67
Tabletop Control Centers for Small Networks .............................................................67
7
ETHERNET NETWORK INTERFACES 69
Built into the Motherboard .......................................................................................70
Setting the BIOS Utility ...............................................................................71
Adding a Network Interface to an Old Computer .......................................................72
Internal Expansion Cards ...........................................................................72
USB Adapters ...........................................................................................73
Network Adapters for Laptops ....................................................................73
Finding the Driver Software for Your Adapter ...............................................74
Status Lights on Network Adapters ...........................................................................75
viii Contents in Detail
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