Even a basic learning of networking is a major asset in today's humankind Even if you don't want to get into the information of the area under discussion the ability to unite your supercomputer to other computers, a router or a side-line will save you a lot of headaches. It is also a good idea to have a basic skill of the tools you need and what it does. In this article we look at the basic construction blocks of a central processing unit set of connections and elucidate what the numerous pieces of hardware do.
Of module any group will need at computers. If you are very new to the focus a good first lesson would be to crack to unite two computers each by ethernet cable or wirelessly so that they can share in sequence If you can do this, you have produced your first make contacts
stillwhen you add more computers, printers, scanners and other peripherals, as well as an internet connection things get a lot more difficult The typical home association will have most or all of these works and question networks get much more centre So, here is a basic general idea of the hardware essential to build a meet people
Cable or wireless?
The most basic obligation of any system is that the diverse apparatus are joined to each other Here, there are two choices. Cable or wireless. Ethernet cable relics the best ever of the two and residue an influential house block of most networks, mainly large production set-up where high data relocate speeds are important
That said, the next invention of wireless is set to close the gap on ethernet cable in terms of rapidity and offer a much superior collection by now wireless is favored in less important networks because it spares the cost and the mess of ethernet cables, and is easier and cheaper to insist
Modems
even ifnetworks can exist with no being allied to the internet, it is rare in today's globe And for a association to bond with to the internet a modem is essential Most advanced home or small organization networks will use a cable/ADSL modem. These usually supply speeds of up to 10 Mbps by ethernet. but in truth very few internet mass providers can grant a tie that even comes close to this rate Ethernet modems are the norm these days, while USB modems do exist and dial-up modems are still used, all the same rarely for networks.
Routers
A router is necessary for all networks as it provides the relationship linking the Local Area group (LAN), which is the home or small corporation set of connections and the Wide Area set of contacts white commonly the internet. A lot of home exchange ideas will use a collective modem, router and swop which will allow the set-up to get on to the internet and allow any computers and peripherals on the set-up to be in touch with each erstwhile In very large enterprise networks the router (or sometimes a chance is used) and switch will be different hardware strategy
Switchesand hubs
There is often a lot of loss of nerve about the change sandwiched between switches and hubs. Both allow computers and strategy contained by a set-up to converse with each last but there are some major differences concerning them. Of the two, switches are by far the better and more expensive opportunity Switches are indispensable for outsized networks because they make the hand on of in order much more helpful
When a progress receives data from a central processing unit or tangential it can influence which procedure on the set-up on the set of connections the data is projected for, and will only send it to its planned intention This will not be noticed on a small home set-up but can make a big distinction on well-built networks.
A hub is a simpler ruse that can link up somewhere sandwiched between four and 24 strategy The data will pass over the hub but it the hub will not mess about with the data in any way. so data sent concluded a hub will be sent to, and can be accessed by, all diplomacy on a network
Firewalls
Hardwarefirewall policy are not in reality essential for home networks. The firewall software on your particularized computers' in action systems' firewalls, and the safety options provided by your router, should be more than sufficient to shelter your exchange ideas
stillfor concern networks that are storing large amounts of perceptive in turn a good hardware firewall is chief All in turn from exterior the arrangement must pass from side to side this otherwise reaching the network's main flog If right configured by a system skilled this must afford all the protection a matter wishes added software firewall safeguard inside the set-up is also an decision to get hold of the meet people additional
http://www.spanishurc.org/story.php?title=powerline-ethernet-adapter
I recently bought a new notebook (HP 6930p) and made sure it also comes with extra antennas (next to the WLAN antennas on top of the display) so that I could install a Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN, pictured below) adapter which I had to buy separately.
HP un2400 wwan adapter on the HP 6930p
The good part about this wwan adapter – an HP un2400, also known as Qualcomm Gobi 1000 – is that it supports different frequency bands so it can work in many different parts of the world. This, however, and maybe that it is hidden under a cover inside this computer so you don’t have to carry extra gadgets, is the only good part about this modem.
My other computer is a netbook which also has a wwan modem – an Asus eeePC 1000HG. Just slip in your SIM card (underneath the battery), boot into WindowsXP or Ubuntu and you’re ready to go online, simple as that.
HUAWEI EM770 Mobile Broadband modem on the eeePC 1000HG
The HP un2400 modem on my HP notebook, though, will ONLY work when the (main) battery is inserted. HP names “carrier certifications” as the reasons for this requirement as:
- This prevents SIM fraud
- This prevents any possible corruption if the SIM is removed while the notebook PC powers on
Yeah…right.
Just to remind you: the 3g modem on my Asus eeePC will work either way – whether the battery is inserted or not, it just works.
And then there’s this thing called “Firmware” – which also is a very peculiar process on the HP modem. Whereas most gadgets will normally come with their own (preloaded) Firmware (which may or may not be updated by end users), this Qualcomm Gobi modem requires an initial load of the firmware prior to its use (HP’s Connection Manager will take care of this under Windows XP). Once you restart your computer, you will have to reload the firmware. The only possible reason for this – to my understanding – is that it enables the modem to adjust to different wwan environments. But that’s about it. Needless to mention that you won’t find any drivers for this device for Win7, and I’ve only come across a few users who managed to get this device working under Ubuntu after lots of fiddling.
And again, no problems with my netbook & its Huawei EM770 3g modem. Real plug & play, regardless of the operating system.
“So where’s the problem?”, you may ask, “aren’t laptops/notebooks and netbooks designed to be run from battery power anyways?” – Well, yes, BUT! I always remove the battery on my notebook when I’m about to connect it to a stable power supply for a longer period. Like when I plug it into the docking station at home, I always remove the battery. I do this to save it from being constantly charged. It’s a precaution that helps me keeping the battery at ~90% initial charging capacity after three years usage (as seen on my old HP nx8220 notebook). It’s a proven method that worked for me and saved me from spending another EUR 80,- on a spare battery.
And the worst part about this wwan adapter is that HP locked the BIOS to _ONLY_ use these modems. It wouldn’t be possible to use the 3G modem from the eeePC on the HP notebook.
Now, this is the part where I actually want to talk about alternatives to these internal solutions, which are often still considered to be the optimal solution. As described above, it’s a not-so-perfect solution for those who want to use other operating systems then Windows XP and/or Vista. It’s an epic fail that HP still needs to realize. And epic fail on all of their “EliteBooks” as HP calls this series (HP 2530p, 6930p, 8530p).
The eeePC I have is also available without such a 3g modem – the price difference used to be EUR 100,- less. People (not me, I got it cheaper :-) actually paid this difference in order to get a netbook with an internal 3g modem. As for the eeePC, the price difference is (was) justified as you had to cough up about the same amount for an external modem some time ago.
However, now, in September 2009, things are a bit different. Be it Germany or Kenya, you’re actually able to get an external USB-based 3g modem for something like EUR 20,- to 30,- – which is a decent price, I’d say. Sure, you could even get it for less (in Germany) if you go for a 24month contract with a network provider but I am only talking about prepaid solutions here.
the popular Huawei E169
And these USB sticks are the very reason for blogging all this. I think that these external 3g modems are still the best solution for the following reasons:
- they are supported by different operating systems & often well documented on the internet
- they often come with their own software so you won’t have to worry about that part
- power consumption on these devices is moderate, also because they are easier to remove (and wouldn’t require a software switch on the OS) – just unplug them
- some of these sticks come with an extra socket for an external (UMTS) antenna
- some of these sticks come with an extra flash memory capacity
- they are relatively cheap these days
- they can be used on more than one computer – just unplug them and hand them over to your friends (provided you have an unlimited data plan)
The disadvantage of course is that you’d have an extra device at the side of your notebook which blocks one of the often limited USB ports.
In the past I’ve also used thethering my Nokia phone to the computer and using its 3G capabilities to surf the net; and on my old & beloved (and now sold) HP nx8220 notebook I had used a PCMCIA (PC-Card) version of these 3G modems which I blogged about earlier. The PCMCIA version worked fine, albeit the PCMCIA port being known for quickly draining the battery (which also became obvious as it heated up pretty quickly). My new HP notebook has an ExpressCard slot, so this could also be an alternative if USB ports are really limited and already used for other devices.
To be honest, with this limitation of the internal 3G modem on my HP 6930p to Windows XP & Vista (and probably also Win7 one day), I’d probably go for another machine in future. I actually don’t know about the 3G modems on a Dell E6400 or Lenovo T400(s) – all of them seem to come with a Gobi device these days -, but I hope they aren’t as crippled as this Qualcomm Gobi? HP uses on their EliteBooks.? And signal strength (RX/TX ratio) actually isn’t so much better with the internal antennas which have to compete with the WLAN antennas for the limited space above the display. However, I understand that it isn’t the modem which sucks (some websites claim it even comes with an internal GPS chip?!) but rather HP’s policy which prevents us from using alternative operating systems and even locks the system down to this device only.
And with my policy of drawing a clear line between user data and the operating system + hardware, the external USB modem is just so much more convenient. It’s a plug & play device that adds modularity & flexibility to the system.
http://kikuyumoja.com/2009/09/01/3x-3g-modems/