Documentation for WinProxy

Setting up your own local area network

Overview: LAN

This section shows how to set up a local network in your home or office (if you already have a functioning network, feel free to skip to the next section). In the next few pages, we'll take a look at:

• The basics of network hardware
• Basic hardware requirements for your local network
• Installing the hardware and setting up a local peer-to-peer network
• Inspecting and changing network settings

Network Hardware Basics

Cables: We recommend Category 5 cables for new users. Officially called Ethernet 10/100BaseT, they're the most common type of network cable and provide a good upgrade path should you need it. Cat 5 allows either 10- or 100-megabyte communication. These terms have simple meanings, so don't let them put you off:

• The "10" or "100" in 10/100BaseT refers to network connection speed-i.e., 10 Megabits or 100 Megabits per second. Most networks actually top out at less, though most users would never know.
• The "T" in BaseT refers to the wire type, twisted-pair, which consists of pairs of thin wires twisted around each other. It also refers to the connector, commonly called an RJ-45, which resembles a bigger and wider telephone connector.
• "Base" means that the cable is used for baseband (i.e., simple, single frequency) rather than broadband (multiplex or analog) networks.

Cables can be purchased in different lengths and often different colors. They come with a male RJ-45 plug at each end. Cards and hubs have female RJ-45 jacks.

Network Cards: A wide variety of network cards-officially called Network Interface Cards and nicknamed NICs- is available. Most do at least an adequate job. If you're a novice networker, the primary things to look for are:

NOTE:Running Windows95/98? Look in ControlPanel/System/DeviceManager/ Properties/IRQ for a list of available interrupts, as well as to determine if the card can utilize remaining interrupts.

Hubs: Ethernet is a standardized way of connecting computers together to create a network. A hub is an ether-net device used in conjunction with 10BaseT and 100BaseT cables. The cables run from the network's computers to ports on the hub. Using a hub makes it easier to move or add computers, find and fix cable problems, and remove computers temporarily from the network (if they need to be upgraded, for instance).

Hubs are available in most computer stores. It's probably a good idea to buy one with more ports than you need, just in case your network expands. Look for:

• A connection jack compatible with your cabling.
• A cascading jack which allows you to add an additional hub later, if necessary, without replacing the entire unit.
• Lights on the front. These can be useful when you're trying to diagnose network connection problems.

Hardware For Your Specific LAN Requirements

The kind of hardware you use depends on the kind of access and/or modem you're using. If you're using dial-up access you'll need:

• One network card for each computer.
• One hub.
• A cable for each connection to the hub.

If you're using cable modem, DSL modem or direct access you'll need:

• One network card for each computer.
• One additional network card to connect to the modem (your WinProxy machine receives two cards, one for the modem and one for the local network).
• One hub.
• A cable for each hub connection.
• An additional cable for the connection from the computer to the modem. If the modem is the type that con nects directly to the hub, make this last cable a cross-over cable instead and you'll still be able to connect directly to the network card as shown.

Before you rush out and buy a ransom's worth of network hardware, however, take a few moments to draw a topography-a diagram which shows the relation between the network's various components. Doing so lessens the chance that you'll buy unnecessary cables or forget to buy a hub.

Let's look at a very simple topography. Assuming that you already have Internet access through an ISP, you're probably connected to the Internet in this manner:

Figure 1.1: Topography for a simple Internet connection.

Now let's look at the topography for a simple LAN. The network shown here-the number of client machines can be far greater, of course-is the standard configuration for most setups, including dial-up access and cable-modem access:

Figure 1.2: This topography shows a standard setup for a simple local area network with cable or DSL modems.

As you can see, only one computer-the WinProxy computer-has a modem. The other computers are connected to each other and to the WinProxy computer by a device called a hub (more on this later).

The computer using the modem and receiving the WinProxy installation must be a Windows 95/98/NT/2000/Me/ XP machine. Other computers on the local network can be any kind-including Macs, Unix boxes, and WfWG3.11-as long as they're capable of "speaking" TCP/IP.

Once you've drawn your network topography, including all components, make a list of everything you need.

NOTES:1. Many cable modem providers insist on installing the cable modem card themselves, and may insist upon using their own card. Before purchasing your own cables and cards, check to see what the provider's policy is.
2. If you have only two computers, it's possible to save the expense of a hub by connecting them back-to-back. To do so, run a cross-over cable directly from one network card to the network card on the other machine. IP addressing will still be done as described here

Hardware Installation/Setting Up The Peer-To-Peer Network

The best way to install an NIC is to simply follow the manufacturer's directions. Win95/98 usually finds a new card when it starts up and then configures it for you. If it doesn't, consult the directions that came with the card.

Run a cable between each card and the hub (except for the external network card if you have a cable modem setup). Although you can probably get away with plugging/unplugging a cable from a card while the computer is running, it's safer to do it when the computer is turned off. You can usually plug or unplug from the hub at any time.

You'll need at least one protocol assigned to each card once it's installed. Choose NetBEUI (NetBios Extended User Interface) at a minimum; you can have others as well. There isn't any problem with having multiple protocols on your local network. You'll need the TCP/IP protocol later in order to run WinProxy, but it's not needed now when setting up a basic peer-to-peer network. Set up your basic network first, get it working, and we'll add TCP/IP later on.

During the card setup, you'll be prompted for certain settings. If not already installed, be sure to add for each machine:

• Client for Microsoft Networks
• File and Printer Sharing

You can make changes to your settings at any time in the future. You must reboot the computer for the changes to take effect.

Inspecting and Changing Network Settings

At this point, let's double-check the computer network setup at Control Panel/Networks. In the window under the Configuration Tab, you'll see a list of adapters and protocols.

A typical setup is represented by a couple of small computer-shaped icons, one captioned Client for Microsoft Networks, and the other File and Printer Sharing. You'll also see small green icons, similar in shape to a network card-one for each network card, and one for the Dial-Up Adapter (the Dial-Up Adapter counts as a network connection, with its own set of addresses and protocols). Finally, you'll see a series of wire-and-node icons, each listing a different protocol-and-adapter combination, written in a form something like NetBEUI -> NE2000 Compatible Card.

Figure 1.3: The Configuration Tab under Networks allows you to fine-tune your network settings.

If you haven't already added Client for Microsoft Networks, do so now:

• Highlight an adapter.
• Click through the path Add/Client/Microsoft/Client for Microsoft Networks.

To add a protocol capability to a network card:

• Highlight the network card.
• Click through the path Add/Protocol/Microsoft/Your Protocol. Click on the

Identification Tab, where you'll see three entry boxes titled:

Computer Name: A name assigned by you to a computer (each computer on the network should have a unique name). Avoid punctuation marks. These names are frequently used in network configurations, and you'll save confusion later by assigning distinctive names now. Old486 is a good name if you only have one 486 computer, but if you have several, assign them names like PapaBear, MamaBear, etc. NetBEUI uses this name to find things so it can perform its networking magic. You'll sometimes see this computer name referred to as "the NetBios name."

Workgroup Name: A group name you can assign to all the computers on your network (or you can use the default).

Computer Description: A caption that gives users on your local network information about an individual computer. An example: Maria's Computer.

SECURITY ALERT:The designated protocol will usually be assigned exactly as you've requested. (In Windows 95 and 98, however, Microsoft assigns the NetBEUI protocol to all network adapters when you assign it to any single network adapter). If you don't want that protocol in the other locations, highlight each one you don't want and click Remove.

A Final Word On Your LAN

Congratulations! You now possess a working local network. You can see the other computers, move files between them, and print documents.

To prepare for WinProxy and the Internet, you'll need to add the TCP/IP protocol to each of the computers on your local network. You'll learn how to do so in the next chapter. Once that's done, it's on to WinProxy!