Corey's Network Corner
~~Corey
Seaton
Let's Install That Hardware
<<for pictures of the Network hardware,
click
here>>
Greetings and salutations
everyone…
As promised last newsletter, I
was going to tell you how to install your home networking hardware…
Here goes.
I’ll be assuming
for this article, that you have only 2 computers, and that they are
PC’s.
Firstly, make sure that you
shutdown the PC nicely, and turn it off. Next, turn the power off at the
wall, and remove all the plugs from the back of the computer. Take your
Phillips head screw-driver (the one that looks like a plus sign), and
remove all the screws from the back of the PC (when I say all of them, I
mean the ones towards the outside, not the ones that hold in your power
supply, or anything like that.)
Once the case is off, have a
look for a spare slot to put in your card (either ISA or PCI as
discussed in the last article). Once you have found a spare, take out
one of the metal covers that block the back slot (these usually screw
in, but in some cases, they actually need punching out). Now you’re
ready to place the card in. I personally find it easier to put the front
section in first, so it’s sitting through the slot, and then press it
back down. But the key here is to press firmly,
BUT DO NOT FORCE IT
IN!
I can’t stress that enough. It is quite possible to damage
either the card, or in the worst case scenario, the actual mother board.
Once the card is actually in
place, screw it back down. That’s it. You’ve successfully installed
your first NIC!
I’d suggest leaving the case
off for the moment, because you might need to get back into it once
you’ve booted your computer. Saves you a little time down the track.
Repeat this procedure for the
second PC and you’re done! Just connect in the blue cabling, and all
should be well!
In the next issue, we’ll deal
with the installation of the drivers in Windows.
Have a good month, and I’ll
catch you next time.
Happy Networking!
Corey
Corey Seaton is a Systems Support
Officer with Queensland Health. He also moderates an email group
on Home Networking. Why don't you join and talk to others who are
networking their home PCs? Networking
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