There's a couple of reasons why you may want to network your computers:  Share a single printer between computers; Share a single Internet connection among all your computers; Access shared files such as data (text, audio/video, images), files, programs, and operations on any of your computers;  Play games that allow multiple users at different computers; Send the output of a device like a DVD player or Webcam to your other computers and many others.

What is computer networking? It is simply a group of two or more computer systems linked together.  The computers are able to communicate and exchange information because they use software that observes the same set of parameters, or protocol.  Connecting your computers is not as easy its definition.  It requires a combination of hardware, software and network administration skills to be able to arrive to an effective network infrastructure.

Things you need to connect your computers:

Hardware
--------

Network Interface Cards (NIC) or refer to as the network card/adapter.  This hardware allows the computer to communicate to the network.  Network cards differ primarily in terms of connection speed, the most common is 100 Mbps or 1000Mbps connections.  Mbps stands for millions of bits per second or megabits per second and is a measure of the total information flow over a given time or bandwidth.

You will also be needing a Hub to act as a central traffic control for the network. The hub manages receiving and transmitting data from networked devices. Every computer and device that you want to be part of the network must have a cable that runs from the NIC that is installed inside it to the hub.  Each connection is known as a port.  Hubs come in many different port configurations that can meet your needs.

Finally, you need cables to connect each computer to the hub. The primary types of cable used include twisted pair and fiber optic cables. The most popular type of wiring used in most offices these days is known as Category 5 (Cat 5) cable. This type of twisted pair cable can support network speeds up to 100 Mbps.  Other method of data transmission is called wireless transmission  that is emerging as the premier technology for building new computer networks.

Topology
--------

Topology refers to the layout of connected devices on a network, some calls it the network shape.  Network topologies are categorized into the following basic types: bus, ring, star, tree, and mesh.

Software
--------

The controlling software in a network environment is the network operating system in the server (Windows, Mac OS, Linux, Unix, and NetWare). A component part resides in each client and allows the application to read and write data from the server as if it were on the local machine.  Client workstations can also act as a server allowing users access to data on another user's machine. These peer-to-peer networks are often simpler to install and manage, but dedicated servers provide better performance and handle higher transaction volume. In large networks, multiple, dedicated servers are used.   Two types of high-level network design are called client-server and peer-to-peer.

Protocols
---------

All of a network's devices must be set up with the same network protocol in order for them to communicate with other computers or peripherals on the network.  A protocol is a set of rules or procedures implemented in both hardware and software to facilitate communications and provide a well-defined interface between different hardware and software systems. The protocol rules govern format, timing, sequencing and error handling.  The commonly used protocols are TCP/IP, FTP, SMTP, IPv6, SOAP, and POP technologies.

Connecting your computers to be able to communicate with each other brings a lot of advantages and is a great way to improve efficiency.  On the other hand, computer networking also posed a lot of challenges like managing shared resources and especially in the area of Security.  Unprotected networks invites intruders (also referred to as hackers, attackers, or crackers) to read your email, using your computer to attack other systems, sending forged email from your computer, or examining personal information stored on your computer.

Next week, we will be discussing the challenges and risks brought about by unprotected networks and the available tools, processes and policies to secure your network infrastructure.

-o0-

A Secret No More
Who is this I.T. consultant (ITC) who has been making false claims about his real status in the country?  One of which is this ITC claims to be the duly designated representative of the Philippine I.T. industry.  This ITC has been invited to speak in other countries because of his claim but has angered his host after they found out about his true designation.  Another one is this ITC is reported to be representing different companies and organizations in numerous transactions and events without the knowledge of the his/her superiors.  Whether this ITC is making good in his representations is another story, but one thing's for sure - this ITC has been getting a lot of benefits and perks.  I'm just wondering what fulfilment are you getting from all your lies?  You definitely have GUTS, that I have to give you.  Despite your supposed achievements, you still failed to gain the respect of your peers that is why your secret is a secret no more.

For your questions, comments, suggestions, press releases and stories, simply e-mail techtvhost@yahoo.com or visit www.infochat.com.ph for more articles.  God Bless us all!!!