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Networking: The Connected House

Winter 2000-2001 Copyright ©, Myles White 2001, 2001

According to several sources, nearly two-thirds of consumers shopping for a computer this year are repeat buyers, either replacing older systems or adding a second or third system to home. Other sources suggest that nearly 2 million Canadian households (roughly 30 per cent of the households that already have one computer) have two computers or more. That’s why we are suddenly being deluged with home networking products and solutions.

Ø        Why you may want to network

v        Small business

v        To share external peripherals such as printers and scanners or internal peripherals such as CD-ROM drives

v        To share documents (databases, spreadsheets, word processing, desktop publishing, artwork, etc) for collaborative projects

v        To share CRM data (sales, shipping, expediting, etc.) and TechSupport data

v        To share applications so that workstations can have fewer expensive resources such as larger hard drives

v        To share Internet connections

v        Home business

v        All of the above, plus allowing kids to use the Internet without tying up or having access to adult computers

v        Multi-PC Home

v        Sharing peripherals, Internet, and transferring files from office notebook for working at home

Ø        Network solutions

v        Client / Server

v        Server sits idle (i.e., not used as workstation), keeps data and applications, which are then shared out to connected workstations

v        Requires advanced network software, such as Novell Netware or Windows 2000 Server

v        Peer-to-peer

v        Any computer on the network may be used as a server, workstation, or both.

v        Free software has been in Windows since Windows for Workgroups 3.11, but third-party solutions, noteably Artisoft Lantastic, still exist.

Ø        Robust Peer-to-Peer Solutions

v        Hard-wired Ethernet

v        Each PC needs a network interface card (NIC)  

v        There are two speeds, 10 Mbps and 100 Mbps affordable by most consumers. 1 Gigabit solutions are also available, but at high cost ($500 per NIC and much more expensive cable and hubs/switches).

v        Two PCs may be connected by an Ethernet “Crossover” cable, but with three or more, you also need a hub or switch to which all computers are attached.  

v        A hub, the least expensive solution, may provide 10 or 100 Mbps service, but it will divide that speed among the computers in your network

v        A switch costs more, will also provide 10 or 100 Mbps speed, but it provides that full speed to each pair of computers that are "talking" to each other at any one time.

v        PCs may be anywhere in the building, but to run cables will probably require renovations (it’s not a good idea to snake cables down the hall, over doorways, or under carpets). See Phoneline and Wireless, below, for alternatives to renovating.

v        Speeds from 10 Mbps to 100 Mbps at affordable prices (yes, there are Gigabit solutions, but they’re not yet affordable by consumers).

v        About $70 per system, plus hub ($129 for a hub to over $300 for a switch), and category 5 cabling.

v        Suitable for all applications listed above.  

v        Note: "Ethernet" is the name of a network protocol (which tells how the computers on the network talk to each other). It is not a brand name, despite being invented by Xerox. Many companies sell Ethernet-compliant products.

v        Home Phoneline Networking Assoc (PNA)

v        NICs may be internal or connected through USB or Parallel port

v        Easy to set up, with no renovation. PCs may be in any room with a phone jack

v        Super-high frequency is not supposed to interfere with voice or other data transmission (Internet or Fax)

v        Prices range from $99 to $149 per PC.

v        Products available from Intel (www.intel.com), 3Com (www.3com.ca), and D-Link (www.dlink.ca)

v        Speeds range from 1 Mbps to 10 Mbps.

v        Higher-speed versions suitable for all applications noted above, but the slow-speed versions would not give satisfactory results when trying to share applications. If planning to use with a notebook, keep in mind that your company’s network administrator may take a dim view of having the PNA drivers on your notebook because they could interfere with existing network drivers you use at the office

v        PNA networks are NOT compatible with hard-wired Ethernet protocols and you’ll most likely have to choose one or the other.

v        Wireless networking (WiFi)

v        So far, wireless networking based on the 11 Mbps IEEE 802.11b standard is being offered by Intel, 3Com and D-Link.

v        Access points (you need at least one) tend to cost just over $500, with PCI NICs for desktops in the $300 range and PC cards for notebooks in the $400 range.

v        At 11 Mbps, speed is adequate for all applications noted above.

v        Depending on who makes the product, distance ranges from 100 to 300 metres, but also provide encryption to prevent evesdropping.

v       Completely compatible with wired Ethernet networks  

v       Watch for IEEE 802.11a coming soon with greater distance (up to 650 metres) and higher speed (45 Mbps).

v        Wireless networking (Home RF)

v        Suppliers in Canada include Intel and Proxim

v        Desktop transmitter/receivers connected by USB cable (about $170 each), notebooks require PC Cards (roughly $200 each)

v        Distance up to 150 feet

v        Speed only 1.6 Mbps, suitable for Internet and printer sharing and/or file transfer, but not fast enough for application sharing

v        NOT compatible with any other networking solution, including phoneline.

Ø        Other “Networking” Solutions

v        “Sneaker net”

v        A joke title, but literally it means transferring files to a removable (floppy, Zip, CD-R or CD-RW), then trotting over to another computer and re-transferring the data.

v        Cost is mostly time. Speed depends on how fast you can run. Only good for sharing small files or a small number of files. Not good for much else.

v        Direct Cable Connection

v        Both PCs must be using Windows 95 or better. Special serial or parallel cables required, but are available at some office supply and electronic superstores. Good for transferring files, but not quickly. PCs need to be in same room. An inexpensive solution for getting your notebook files up to your PC and back. Not suitable for printer, Internet or application sharing.

v        USB Connection

v        Not supported directly from any version of Windows. Products available from Xircom (www.xircom.com), Anchor Chips EZ-Link (www.ezlink.com), and D-link (see above), starting at about $129 Canadian. PCs shouldn’t be more than 50 feet apart (although none of the products ships with a cable this long). Works for notebooks. Although speed is up to 12 Mbps, nothing recognizes it as a legitimate network, so Internet sharing, etc. isn’t supported. Note that both Xircom and D-Link also have a USB to Ethernet solution as well, which does work for most sharing (although somewhat slowly), but requires there to be an existing Ethernet network with which to share.  

v        Powerline (or HomePlug) and Bluetooth

v        As of February 2001, there are no consumer HomePlug products, although some are expected to hit the market later this year or early in 2002, ranging in speed from 1.2 to 13 Mbps. The expectation is that systems will then be able to be networked through your home wiring and that computers will be able to be located in any room with an AC outlet. My expectation is that these products will cost roughly the same as Phoneline and Home RF, that it will be some time before the speed is suitable for business use, and that there will be a lot of dead ends before the "standard" solidifies.

v        Bluetooth is a short-distance, radio frequency-based solution designed to make it easier to connect handheld and palmtop devices to desktop systems and notebooks. It is unlikely to be suitable for networking due to limitations on both distance and speed.

Ø        Sharing the Internet 

v        If you plan to share your Internet connection throughout your network (via dial-up POTS or ISDN, broadband cable or xDSL), there are two broad ways to do so.

v        Software

v        Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) is free with Windows 98 Second Edition or newer (Millennium Edition or 2000 Professional). Intel also provides its own variation, called ISS, with its AnyPoint products (both phoneline and wireless Home RF).

v        ICS/ISS sharing works well with dialup and cable connections, but can make you crazy attempting to do it with Sympatico High-speed Edition's default software (you may have to do some research through http://www.sympaticousers.org before you can find alternate products and get it to work.

v        There are two disadvantages: 

v        The computer connected to the Internet must be powered up for any other computer in the system to access the Net.

v        There is no firewall protection in any direction (in or out) to prevent hackers from discovering, then invading your network. You'll want to install products such as Norton Internet Security, Zone Alarm (both two-way firewalls), or incoming firewall products such as Black Ice Defender, Officer Friendly, or Jammer.

v        Hardware

v        Here again, there are two choices:

v        Connect your broadband (cable or DSL) modem directly to your network hub or switch. 

v        This method does not work for dialup modems. It also requires you to get more IP addresses from your Internet Service Provider, something for which they generally charge an additional monthly fee (forever). It is very tedious to do.

 v        This method also does not provide firewall protection in any direction.

v        Connect through a hardware router (also sometimes called an Internet Gateway). 

v        This method may work for an external dialup modem (but not with models from Linksys; they're broadband only). Suppliers include D-Link, 3Com, and GVC, among others.

v        The only device that needs to be powered up for any computer on the network to get Internet access, is the router (and of course, the modem).

v        4-port and 7- (or more) port routers can effectively replace the need to have a separate hub or switch for your small network (a cost-saving). They are invariably switches, not hubs.

v        Some products from D-Link and 3Com also include a wireless access point (see above) for IEEE 802.11b connectivity.

v        GVC's products don't include wireless, but they do include a dedicated print server to allow you to run a printer independently of other computers on the network.

v        All products I've tested have incoming firewalls built into their routers (not outgoing, though – for that you need either Norton Internet Security or Zone Alarm).

v        You are not required to have additional IP addresses from your Internet Service Provider (no added monthly fee).

v        However, depending on how many Ethernet ports they have (1 to 7), the cost can be from $179 to $300, with the average for a 4-port model being around $235, although you only pay it once.

Ø        Some Other Things To Think About

v        If you plan to share applications, or even to run full copies of them on each system, you need a license to do so for each copy in order to be legal (and some applications are smart enough to know how many licenses you have when you try to share from one server)

v        Even if the server is fast, a slow workstation won’t run a program faster than it would if it were being run locally.

v        If you have a network, all of the systems on it may be vulnerable to a virus brought into only one system

Ø        Finding the Presenter … and getting more information

v        Myles White is associate editor of CanadaComputes.com, a columnist in the Toronto Star, a contributor to various other computer-related publications (including Your Office Magazine), radio, and television programs, and author of "How to Buy a Computer (2nd edition)" and "How to Avoid Buying a New Computer," both published by McClelland and Stewart. He may be reached by fax at 416-425-4644, by Internet e-mail at myles@computerwriter.com , or on the Web at: http://www.computerwriter.com

v        His consulting rate is $150 per hour (not available for technology manufacturers or software developers), plus expenses, and he is available for speaking engagements at negotiable rates.

Ø        Copyright notice:

v        This handout is protected by international copyright (© Myles White, 2000). It may not be reproduced except for personal use or quoted in whole or in part in any medium, for any reason, without the permission of the author. In other words, if you want to make one copy for your brother, go ahead. If you want to make 50 copies for some other reason, post it on your own Web site, or republish it in your newsletter, you have to ask me, first (see above). Fair enough?