Is there a 'Primer' for home Networking?? Please Help!

[net1994]

Hi, I am studying for MCSE 2000 exams and of course, the best way to do this is to set up a small home network. I have installed Windows 2000 Advanced Server and also dual boot between this and Win 98 & W2K Server. Well I want to buy another PC (like an e-machine or something like that), so I can hook it up to this one and create a small home LAN to test all of my exam objectives (well at least the ones I can do with only 2-3 PC?s).

The only thing is that I don?t really know where to begin once I get this other PC. I know that I should get a Hub to hook this and the other PC?s up, but beyond this, I am lostL. Does anyone know of a Web site that explains all of this tuff for the beginner, and then more in-depth? I would like to know about sharing my Internet connection from one PC, with the rest; be it DSL or just a 56k modem. How can I do this on my new LAN? What about the different kind of Hubs I should buy or look for? What about the different flavors of 10Base T NIC cards, like ones with PXE? How much should I expect to spend?

Thanks a lot and any & all help will be greatly appreciated.

 

[konichiwa]

You should check out the Hot Deals forum -- there is a deal going on right now for a Netgear RT314 router (which I personally own) for, I think $50, which is an incredible price. This will allow you to connect 4 PCs as well as your (ethernet-based) cable/xDSL modem.

You will get much better performance out of this router than a hub. You can also try Practically Networked

 

[Dyngoe]

Hello again,
Well, it seems you're all over AT trying to get started. Good for you! To learn LAN based networking, go to www.homepclan.com. This is a great site to get started on. As for buying another computer, what is your financial situation? The cheap emachines sell for ~$150 and have a c366 or comparable and have onboard sound and video. Why not build yourself a PC you can upgrade in a month or two. Heck, I built a Duron600 for less than $250. Granted I didn't buy a video card or a sound card, but it is possible. I can now upgrade this PC to a fairly modern PC rather cheaply. Again, this is just my $.02. Keep searching around AT for advice and you'll find it. It's almost a prolific as psychiatrists in California.
As Always,
D

 

[net1994]

Thanks for the Tip about the site www.homepclan.com, but when I went there, its 'under construction?' I then got directed to another retail site. Do you have any other Home Lan sites I can check out? Thanks a lot Dyngoe

 

[konichiwa]

Try Practically Networked

 

[net1994]

For konichiwa:

For the RT314, can use it to share a 56k connection? Or can I use it to run my Lan WITHOUT a on-line connection? And what would you say are the benifits of this, compared to a Netgear regular Hub? Thanks

 

[konichiwa]

<< can use it to share a 56k connection? >>

I don't think so, because it doesn't have any phoneline ports, only RJ45 (there may be a workaround that I'm not familiar with, however)

<< can I use it to run my Lan WITHOUT a on-line connection? >>

Yes, I believe so.

<< what would you say are the benifits of this, compared to a Netgear regular Hub? >>

1) Much faster, a router is inherently faster than a hub
2) Ability to share independently of computer hardware/software, your OS, etc
3) Built-in firewall and many other utilities used for internet sharing and security

 

[JackMDS]

You can run a LAN with no connection to the Internet, in matter of fact most of the LANs, that are used in business have no Internet connection (the guys in my accounting department need to collect money not Internet).

Having shared Internet Connections on a LAN is a big plus where it is needed.

There are some Routers that can be used with external 56K modem.

Click here for example.

It is a little hard to find comprehensive Introduction to LAN on the Internet, but reading in few places can create a ?Picture?.

Try to read this: The Glory of LAN

This:
The joy of Windows Networking

And This:

Hub, Switch, Router, DHCP, LAN, WAN, NAT, etc

 

[pinhead]

I just picked up a copy of &quot;Networking By Example&quot; at my local library today. Pretty basic and makes sense. I have a bit more than a clue about networking but only know the parts I've had to deal with, so I have some gaping holes in my personal knowledge base. This book has filled a few of them and has been easy to read, covers lots of topics and options for networking. Hope this helps.