Introduction to Computing - Coursework Example

Introduction to Computing- Case 1. Introduction Parents often get troubled comprehending difficult computer terms and technologies and find themselves caught up in the labyrinth without any clue to the solution. This report aims at getting them understand the concept of networking in a simplistic way so that they are able to get the three computers in their house all networked without having bundles of wires trailing all over. All they need is wireless networking. Let’s first get them introduced to what wireless networking actually is before telling them the method of setting up a wireless network at home. 2. Understand the Concept- Wireless Networking A wireless network is defined as the type of telecommunication network whose nodes are interconnected without any wires and the remote transmission of information takes place by means of radio waves at the physical level. Wireless networking has helped the consumers get rid of bundles of cables and wires so that they can benefit from countless services of the internet without having stuck at one place because of wiring. Wireless networking has made possible quick and reliable file and internet connection sharing. To begin with wireless networking, the first thing needed is a “high speed internet connection at the place where you want to use wireless networking” such as digital subscriber line (DSL) or WI-FI (Software Reviews). Other requirements include wireless networking adapter or a PC card adapter, a modem and a network hub. In case of wide-ranging wireless networking, it is always sensible to use an HP Network Assistant “to validate your wired and wireless network settings” (Hewlett-Packard Development Company). Wireless networks are based on IEEE 802.11 standards which is a set of standards developed by IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) to carry out WLAN technology with specifications or protocols like 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n having frequency bandwidth of 2.4, 3.6 and 5 GHz. 3. They Need WLAN Out of the three main types of wireless networks, that is, WLAN, WPAN and WMAN, the parents need WLAN. Let’s tell them what WLAN is. Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs) enable a user to connect to a local area network through wireless networking, like a small network in a house or an office. As compared to conventional wired networks, the user just has to put on the computer system and enable the ‘connect to the network’ option to connect to the network. It is that simple. The user does not have to waste time in adjusting wires, cables and plugs. He can take the system he is working on anywhere he wants inside the house or inside the range of access points. Thus, setting up a WLAN saves time and money wasted on setting up cables. Computers inside WLAN can be networked together through simple configuration without the need of having them connected through wires. 4. Setting up a Wireless Network Before getting started, the parents need to know that it is important to have respective service packs installed in their PCs. A service pack is “a service pack is a collection of updates and fixes” that should accompany with the operating system (Fisher 2010). If they have Windows Vista operating system, then they must install Windows Vista Service Pack 1. Similarly, for Windows XP, they should install Windows XP Service Pack 3. The main purpose of service packs is that they help from security breaches like network intrusion, viruses, Trojan horses, and etcetera. 4.1. Equipment Needed When the parents will go to the shop for selecting the wireless equipment, they should go for one that supports 802.11g because the performance is high with this protocol. Such equipment is also called Wi-Fi which confirms that the equipment belongs to the 802.11 family. Since all current high speed wireless networks are using IEEE standards, especially 802.11g, the term Wi-Fi is used to distinguish wireless networks from other traditional wired networks. The parents would first need a broadband internet connection which is a high speed connection, very fast as compared to a dial-up connection using a telephone line. Then, they need a modem. For a wireless network, a cable modem is recommended which is a device that enables high speed internet connectivity. Afterwards, they would need a wireless router, that is, a device that will facilitate the flow of data traffic between all the PCs that are to be networked together (see Figure 1). Fourth, they will need to know if they are already having a built-in wireless network adapter in their PC or not. Most laptops today have built-in wireless network adaptors which save one from buying an external adapter. If the parents do not have this, they will need to buy adapters for all the three computers they want to be networked together. If they have laptops, they should buy PC card-based adapters and in case they have desktops, they should buy USB adapters. It would be wiser to go for the network adapter that is manufactured by the same vendor that manufactured the router. 4.2. Procedure Now, let’s explain the procedure. The user should have the cable modem and the router hooked up to the wall. The modem is to be connected to the broadband internet connection and the wireless router is to be connected to the modem (see Figure 2). The user will have to plug one end of the network cable that came with the router to the WLAN port of the router, and the other end to the modem. This is how the modem and router get connected. After the cable is plugged into the router, then to confirm if it has fruitfully connected to the modem, they should see the WLAN mark on the router. If it has lighten up, that means the user has done it. Now, the wireless router needs to be configured properly. This is a technical procedure which needs to be concentrated upon. First of all, the parents need to connect their PC to the router just temporarily using the network cable that came with the router, in any one of the wired ports on the router other than the WLAN port. They should, after turning on the PC and opening a page in the internet explorer, type in the address of the router in the address bar. They can get this address from the instruction manual they must have got from the router’s vendor. A dialog box will appear that will demand username and password. This also can be searched from the manual. After the password has been created, they will be directed to the router’s configuration page. The things that necessarily need to be configured are creating a distinctive name for the wireless network, enabling WPE2 encryption for network intrusion detection, and creating an administrative password. This will help them save their network from unauthorized access. After saving the changes, the router’s configuration is completed. They, then, need to unplug the PC from the router. The PC will either automatically detect the router if it has a built-in wireless network adapter, or the user will have to configure the external network adapter by inserting the CD that came with it. The user will go to the wireless network icon in the icon tray located at the bottom right corner of the computer screen, select connect to the network, click on the name of the router, and get connected. The router will transmit information through the modem over to the internet. Wherever the user takes his PC, he will be wirelessly connected to the router. There will be no need to keep stuck at one place because there will be no wires connected to the PC. The user will have to bear the PC’s battery charger only! 5. Connecting the Three Computers Together Wirelessly For the parents to have their computers networked to one another, having a wireless network router is a pre-requisite as it simplifies the process by allowing multiple computers to share the internet connection. All the three computers the parents have must have Wi-Fi cards installed in them, and the process is called Ad-hoc wireless networking (DigitGeek 2009). The PCs must be working under the same workgroup. One each PC, under Network Connections option: Right-click Wireless Adapter > Properties > Wireless Network Tab > click Advanced button > click on select Computer to Computer (Ad hoc) networking option. Right-click Wireless Adapter > Properties > Wireless Networks > click Add Preferred Networks. Right-click Wireless Adapter > Properties > General > Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) > Properties > Set values. Repeating this procedure on all the computers and connecting them to the wireless internet connection gets them all networked together. 6. Conclusion Thus, the parents are suggested to go for a wireless network hooked up first of all and then do above stated configurations on the three PCs to have them networked. This way, they will be able to make all PCs connect to the internet and share files, digital videos, audio libraries and photographs, without going through the headache of wires trailing all over the house. Figure 1: Linksys Wireless Router (Microsoft Corporation 2010) Figure 2: Wireless Network (Microsoft Corporation 2010) References Digitgeek 2009, How to Connect Two Computers Using a Direct Wi-Fi (Ad Hoc) Connection, viewed 28 March 2010, Fisher, T 2010, ‘Service pack’, About.com: PC Support, viewed 28 March 2010, Hewlett-Packard Development Company 2009, ‘Troubleshooting’, Wireless Networking Center, viewed 27 March 2010, Linksys wireless router 2010, digital photograph, Microsoft Corporation, viewed 28 March 2010, Software Reviews 2009, Wireless Networking Center, viewed 27 March 2010, Wireless network 2010, digital photograph, Microsoft Corporation, viewed 28 March 2010, Read More