Acquiring and Installing Network Hardware

Almost all PCs manufactured in the last several years have networking capability built in. So, it’s unlikely that you’ll need to buy NICs for your devices. If you need one for a desktop PC and you are not comfortable working inside the computer, just buy a USB network adapter. If you’re not sure, check with your local PC dealer.

If you’re new to all of this and just want to see what some of this stuff looks like, here are some websites you can visit. They’re all network hardware manufacturers, not retailers:

• D-Link: www.d-link.com
• Gigafast: www.gigafast.com
• Cisco: http://home.cisco.com
• Netgear: www.netgear.com
• SMC Networks: www.smc.com
• TrendNET: www.trendnet.com

In terms of actually purchasing the products, you can find these products at any store that sells computer supplies, including many of the large office supply chains such as Staples and OfficeMax. Of course, you can buy the devices online at any website that sells computer stuff. Shopping jaunts include websites such as www.amazon.com, www.cdw.com, www.cyberguys.com, www.officemax.com, www.staples.com, www.tigerdirect.com, and www.walmart.com, just to name a few.

After you’ve acquired the hardware, you need to install it. We can’t help you much there either. You’ll have to follow the manufacturer’s instructions on that one because there is no one-rule-fits-all when it comes to installing hardware. As a general rule of thumb, you’ll probably want to:

• Get the hub or router (if any) set up first.
• Install the network interface cards second.
• Connect all the cables last.

Once all the hardware is connected and installed, you’re ready to set up the network. That part isn’t so complicated because Windows does a great job of searching out networks. You work through that next.