Introduction to Computer Networks

What can a Network do For You?

A Computer network can be two computers connected:

A computer network can also consist of, and is usually made for, more than two computers:

Characteristics of a Computer Network

You can play a CD music from one computer while sitting on another computer You can connect a printer (or a scanner, or a fax machine) to one computer and let other computers of the network print (or scan, or fax) to that printer (or scanner, or fax machine) You can create files and store them in one computer, then access those files from the other computer(s) connected to it

Network Cables
Cable is used to connect computers. Although we are planning to use as much wireless as possible, you should always have one or more cables around. In our network, we will use Category 5 cable RJ-45. The ends of the cable appear as follows:

Hub
A hub is rectangular box that is used as the central object on which computers and other devices are connected. To make this possible, a hub is equipped with small holes called ports. Here is an example of a hub:

Although this appears with 4 ports, depending on its type, a hub can be equipped with 4, 5, 12, or more ports. Here is an example of a hub with 8 ports:

When configuring it, you connect an RJ-45 cable from the network card of a computer to one port of the hub.

Routers: Wired or Wireless

Like a hub, a router is another type of device that acts as the central point among computers and other devices that are part of a network. Here is an example of a wired router:

A router functions a little differently than a hub. In fact, a router can be considered a little "intelligent" than the hub.
Like a hub, the computers and other devices are connected to a router using network cables. To make this possible, a router is equipped with holes, called ports, in the back.

Wired Network Cards

In order to connect to a network, a computer must be equipped with a device called a network card. A network card, or a network adapter, also called a network interface card, or NIC, allows a computer to connect to the exterior.

Network Setup (Peer-To-Peer)

Physical Connections Wired Networking
After installing the operating systems on the computers that will primarily participate in the network, you can "physically" connect the computers and the router. You can start connecting the pieces whether the computers are on or off.

Wiring the Network

1. Shut down all computers and the router (if necessary) 2. Turn on one computer you will use to setup the router 3. Your router should have come equipped with a piece of paper or a brochure of just a few pages that lists the instructions to follow to setup the router. One of the early instructions may ask you to insert the CD that came with the router, in the CD drive and wait for the instructions. Follow these instructions faithfully 4. After setting up and configuring the router, turn it off and turn off the computer you used to set it up (this step is optional) 5. Connect each of the other computers to the router using an RJ-45 cable for each connection:

If you had turned off (some of) the machines, first turn on the router. Then, after a few seconds, turn on the computers. If you receive some messages indicating that a network was detected, fine.

Network Connections Network Setup on First Computer

Connecting a Network
1. On one of the computers that runs either Microsoft Windows XP (HE or Pro), click Start -> (All) Programs -> Accessories -> Communications -> Network Setup Wizard 2. The first page of the wizard will present a message and a bulleted list but nothing to choose:

Read the text and click Next

3. The second page of the wizard also displays a message:

Read the text and click Next

4. In the third page of the wizard, if you have already created a connection to the Internet, you can accept the first radio button. If you haven't gotten or configured a connection to the Internet, as is the case for the computers in our series of lessons so far, click the second radio button:

5. Click Next

6. In the fourth page of the wizard, as we are not dealing with the Internet at this time, click the Other radio button

7. Click Next

8. In the fifth page of the wizard, read the options of the three radio buttons. Because we are not setting up, or concerned with, the Internet right now, click the This Computer Belongs To A Network That That Does Not Have An Internet Connection radio button

9. Click Next

10. In the sixth page of the wizard, in the Computer Description text box, type a short description such as the role or the position of the computer. There are no real rules to follow for this text, only suggestions. For example, because this description will show in Windows Explorer or other windows, don't make it too long. You can also include any characters you want 11. In the Computer Name text box, type a name for the computer. For this name, there are rules you must follow:

12. After entering the description and the name of the computer, click Next 13. In its seventh page, the wizard prompts you to enter the name of your network. It suggests MSHOME. You can accept this name or change it:

14. After typing a name for the network (you can still change the name later), click Next 15. In the eighth page of the wizard, read the text:

For our project, accept the Turn On File And Printer Sharing radio button and click Next

16. In the ninth page of the wizard, read the text:

Click Next

17. After clicking Next, the wizard will start creating the files used to setup a network, based on your previous selections:

When it has created the files, it would present a new page of the wizard. In the tenth page of the wizard, read the text. Normally, you should create a setup disk:

To create a setup disk, you will need either a floppy drive or a flash drive (also called a jump drive) (or any portable drive that the computer allows). For our lessons and if your computer has a 3.5 floppy drive, accept the Create A Network Setup Disk radio button. Click Next 18. In the eleventh page of the wizard, you may be presented with the only portable medium available. If your computer found more than one medium, such as a floppy drive and a flash drive, you would be presented with the option to choose which one you would use. Here is an example:

If necessary, select the drive you would use and click Next. If you select the floppy drive, make sure you insert a floppy disk in the drive. The following page would ask you whether you want to format it, which you should do:

And Click Next

19. After clicking Next, the wizard would copy the necessary files in the medium (flash drive or floppy). After copying the files, it would give you instructions on what to do next:

After reading the instructions, remove the disk and click Next

20. In the last page, read the text:

Click Finish

21. After clicking Finish, a message box will ask you whether you want to restart the computer:

Click Yes

Connecting Additional Computers

1. 2. 3. On the next computer, click Start -> Network Places Under Network Tasks, click Set Up A Home Or Office Network In the first page of the wizard, read the text and click Next

4. In the second page of the wizard, read the text and click Next

5. In the third page of the wizard, accept the first radio button and click Next

6. In the fourth page of the wizard, in the Computer Description text box, type a short description that can define or indicate what this computer is used for 7. In the Computer Name text box, type a name that will distinguish this computer in the network. One of the rules you must observe is that the name must be unique in the network. This means that you cannot use the same name you have already given to another computer in the same network:

8. After entering the description and the name of the computer, click Next 9. In the fifth page of the wizard, it is somewhat important (but it is not a requirement) that you enter the same name you specified for the network of the first computer:

If you specify a different name, you will end up with various networks, which can be annoying or confusing but would work fine

10. After entering the name of the network, click Next

11. The wizard will try to check if that name was already specified for another computer of the same network. If it finds that another computer is using that name, then it would allow this computer to "join" the network. If it finds out that no other computer is using that name, then it would create it. After checking the name, the wizard will present you with a summary page:

Click Next

12. The wizard will then create the necessary files to make this computer part of the network. After creating the files, it would present a page giving you to option to create a setup disk. This time, decline by clicking the last radio button 13. Click Next

Click Next

14. Click Finish

15. You will be asked whether you want to restart the computer or not. Click Yes

Viewing the Connected Computers

1. On one of the computers, click Start -> My Network Places. If you don't see that option in the right column of the Start menu, depending of your configuration, click Start -> Settings -> Network Connections. Then, under Other Places, click My Network Places. As an alternative, you can click Start -> Control Panel or Start -> Settings -> Control Panel. Under Other Places, click My Network Places. Under Network Tasks, click View Workgroup Computers

2.

Configuring Active Directory

At first we should install a Server O.S. on the Server Machine such as Windows 2003 Server. Now we will set the Active Directory. The advantage of Active Directory is that we need not create users on the clients computer, we will create user on the Server machine only and all the clients can access those user accounts on the machines. After installing Windows 2003 Server the first screen appeared is

1.

Read the text in the window and click Add Or Remove A Role

2.

The first page of the wizard presents a summary of the actions you must have taken before continuing:

Click Next

3. A dialog box will display briefly and then display a list of the roles you can assign to the server. In the list, click Domain Controller (Active Directory)

4. Click Next

5. Click Next to Run The Active Directory Installation Wizard

6. Another wizard, titled Active Directory Installation Wizard, comes up. Read its text and click Next

7. In the second page of the wizard, read the text again, and click Next

8. In the third page of the wizard, you must specify whether this is the first or an additional domain controller. As this is the first, accept the first radio button and click Next

9. In the fourth page of the wizard, accept the first radio button and click Next

10. In the fifth page, you must enter the name of the domain. The name should be followed by an Internet domain name (.com, .net, .org, .us, etc). If you have a domain in mind, type it. If you don't have a domain in mind, for our lessons, type netconsulting.com

11. Click Next

12. In the next page of the wizard, a suggested NetBIOS name displays, intended for earlier versions of Windows":

Click Next

13. The next page allows you to specify where the Active Directory information would be stored:

Click Next

14. The next page specifies where the domain's public files would be stored:

Click Next

15. After a few seconds, the next page allows you to install DNS. Read the options:

Click Next

16. The next page allows you to set the default permissions:

Click Next

17. The next page prompts you to create a password used to start the server in "Restore Mode". Enter a password in both text boxes:

18. Click Next

19. The next page displays a summary of your selections:

Click Next

20. The wizard will start creating and configuring Active Directory:

After a while, if you don't have the Microsoft Windows Server 2003 CD in the drive, you may be be prompted to supply it:

Do so After a few seconds, you may receive a message box informing you that your computer has a static IP address. Click OK When the dialog box comes up, simply click OK Another message box will come up. Click it and click OK. The wizard will continue copying files.

After a few seconds, the last page of the wizard will display. Read its summary and click Finish

21. You will be asked to restart the computer:

If you have a CD in the CD drive, remove it and click Restart New 22. When the computer comes up, click the Options button and make sure that the name of the domain is selected in the Log On To text box. Make sure that Administrator is specified in the User Name text box. Enter your administrator's password 23. Click OK

24. After the computer displays the desktop, a dialog box titled Configure Your Server will let you know whether the installation of Active Directory was successful:

Click Finish

Joining the Network

Joining a Domain
Creating a Computer Account
After creating a domain, you can can add client computers to it. To create a computer account, you have various alternatives: If using the Manage Your Server window, you can click Manage Users And Computers In Active Directory You can also click Start -> Administrative Tools -> Active Directory Users And Computers

You can also click Start -> Control Panel -> Administrative Tools -> Active Directory Users And Computers
Any of these actions would open the Active Directory Users and Computers window. In the left frame, expand the name of the domain. Then you can right-click the name of the domain -> New -> Computer. This would open the New Object - Computer dialog box.

Click Next, Click Next, Click Finish

Joining a Domain
After creating an account for a computer, you can add it to the domain. To join a domain using Microsoft Windows XP Professional:
1. First display the System Properties dialog box. To do this,

You can right-click My Computer and click Properties...

You can display Control Panel and double-click System

2. In the System Properties, click Computer Name 3. Click Change...

4. In the Computer Name text box, enter the desired name of the computer. If you had already created an account in the domain for this computer, type that name
5. In the Member Of section, click the Domain radio button 6. Click the Domain text box and enter the name of the domain

7. After specifying the name of the computer and the domain to join, click OK
8. You would then be asked to asked to provide a user name and a password for a user who has the permissions to join let a computer join a domain

9. After entering a user and a password, click OK. If you have the right to add computers to the domain, you would receive a Welcome message and click OK:

10. Once you click OK, you will be asked to restart the computer, which you should do. Therefore, in the System Properties dialog box, click OK 11. When asked whether you want to restart the computer, click Yes 12. After the computer has restarted, when it displays the Log On To Windows dialog box, click the arrow of the Log On To combo box and select the name of the domain 13. If necessary, change the User Name in the top text box. In the Password text box, enter the password associated with the user name 14. Click OK