Ethernet over Telephone Lines
Several manufacturers also sell devices to carry Ethernet over standard phone lines.
These devices currently support data rates of 10 Mbps.
Ill 1-15
CHAPTER 1: Learn about Home Networks
29
1
Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark.
This page intentionally left blank
Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark.
Chapter 2
Design Your Own
Home Network
Copyright © 2004 by McGraw-Hill Companies. Click here for terms of use.
Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark.
32
How to Do Everything with Windows XP Home Networking
How to…
■
Determine your requirements
■
Choose between wired and wireless
■
Map your physical network
■
Map your logical network
■
Create a utilization plan
Y
ou’ve read up on the basics of home networking, and now you’re no doubt
itching to roll up your sleeves and get started putting in the system. In this

Network Attached Storage
If you require centralized storage for media or document files, you can attach
a Network Attached Storage (NAS) device to the network. A NAS unit is simply
a server optimized for file sharing. It can have one or more disk drives, providing
gigabytes of storage space, and can typically be accessed by most operating
systems and web browsers on the network.
FIGURE 2-1
Computer name displayed in System Properties dialog box
Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark.
34
How to Do Everything with Windows XP Home Networking
List each computer name, the operating system version it is running, whether it
will be sharing any printers or files, and what type network adapter it has installed
(if any). This information will be used when mapping the network and will also
help determine if any additional hardware will be required to connect the computer
to the network. An excerpt from the author’s device list appears in Figure 2-2.
Change the Name of Your Computer
If you still have the default computer name given to you by Windows, usually
something that looks like YOUR12E2341, now would be a good time to give
your computer a descriptive name:
1.
Right-click My Computer and select Properties, or open the System
applet in the Control Panel.
2.
Select the Computer Name tab; click Change to open the Computer
Name Changes dialog box.
Ill 2-1
3.
Enter a new computer name in the Computer Name field and click OK.
4.

For more information on next-generation wireless devices, see the spotlight
section in the center of the book.
Select the Best Network Type for Your Home
There are many factors that can work for or against a certain network technology.
■
Accessibility to crawl spaces or attics can dictate whether it is possible to
get cables from room to room.
■ Building materials used in walls, floors, and ceilings may help determine
whether radio signals can pass through them without excessive signal loss.
■ Security concerns or ease of installation may tip the scale in one direction
or the other.
■ Speed may be a factor if you regularly transfer large media files from computer
to computer or between your computer and your media equipment.
In this section we will present some of these concerns and help you decide which
technology is best for your home.
Planning Cable Routes
For wired Ethernet installations, it is necessary to get the cable from one room to
another. There are many ways to accomplish this, and each will have to be evaluated
to determine whether this type of network is feasible. The effect on the appearance
of the home will also be a factor. Many of us will want to hide cables in walls, in
floors, or above the ceiling.
Chapter 3 will discuss many ways of getting cables into hard-to-reach places.
We will discuss room-to-room cable routing techniques, ways to get cable around
a room, and other tricks of the trade. Keep in mind as you read the tricks that extreme
measures will be necessary only if you cannot find an effective alternative. Wireless
Ethernet should be considered before you go tearing up your house unless you have
a security need that prevents your considering it.
36
How to Do Everything with Windows XP Home Networking
Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark.

may have to crawl across carpets of fiberglass insulation or try to push cables through
insulated wall spaces. Building materials like brick and adobe are definitely going
to resist your efforts to run cable. In these environments you may have to opt for
cable raceways or other surface-mount techniques.
CHAPTER 2: Design Your Own Home Network
37
2
Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark.
Unfortunately, some of these materials will attenuate wireless signals as well,
so test your area before you invest too much in wireless technology.
Security Implications for Network Selection
In environments where security is a top concern, wireless Ethernet is sometimes
shunned by network installers. At the end of the day, you are the one that has to
rest easy knowing your data is secure. Wired Ethernet is definitely simpler to secure,
as you know with certainty where is comes from and where it goes. You won’t have
to take extra measures to ensure your data is secure on the network. However, as you
will see in Chapter 6, there are excellent ways to secure wireless networks against
all but the best-equipped crackers.
Distance Criteria in Network Selection
As you begin to plan for your installation, you will begin to see how far your devices
are from your hub or router. Most homes will not pose a problem for distance, but
it may be wise to keep in mind the effective distances of each network technology.
Table 2-1 shows the transmission distances each common home network technology
can achieve. Keep in mind these are for best-case scenarios. Signal attenuation will
shorten your effective distance for wireless Ethernet. Cable defects can shorten your
effective distance for wired Ethernet.
When You Feel the Need for Speed
The last aspect of network requirements we will consider in this section is speed.
Some applications simply require more bandwidth than certain technologies are
capable of. At 54 Mbps, 802.11g wireless Ethernet has largely closed the gap with

and routers would be a good choice for this scenario. These devices are downward-
compatible with 802.11b and will have speed to spare for other devices.
Create a Physical Map of Your Network
To be able to visualize your network, you need to lay it all out on a map. The technique
you use is less important than the planning a map will require. You may not be the
type who writes things down, preferring to get out the tools and start pulling cable.
I urge you to persevere with this step. It will aid you in estimating your materials,
it will point out potential problems you will face, and it may be necessary if your
municipality requires prints for any work of this type. Figure 2-3 shows the plan of
a home’s first floor. You will see this plan again as we discuss other topics in this
section.
CHAPTER 2: Design Your Own Home Network
39
2
High-Speed Ethernet
If you find 100 Mbps is not enough (you’re designing space shuttles or
broadcasting High Definition Video), you may need to investigate higher-speed
technologies such as wired Gigabit Ethernet or even 10 Gigabit Ethernet. These
technologies are still too expensive for most homeowners and are used only in
corporate backbone networks and on high-performance servers and workstations.
If you see yourself needing this kind of horsepower, you will probably require
the assistance of a professional installer, as your cable runs need to be certified
to Cat5E or Cat6 to support these speeds.
Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark.
Sketch the Outline
For visual appeal, we use computer-generated drawings in our book. You have no
such restrictions. If you are comfortable drawing this on the back of an envelope,
by all means, go ahead. Be sure to measure and indicate the relative positions of
walls and rooms. You will be referring to this plan, as shown in Figure 2-4, when
you determine your placement of equipment. Know where your network devices

How to Do Everything with Windows XP Home Networking
Get the Numbers Right
A network map will help you think in terms of distance. You will come to know
how many feet your cable has to reach; how many walls your signal must penetrate.
You will begin to see relationships between different network devices. You may
discover that, for instance, if you move your desk you can take advantage of a wall
shared with your media center in the next room.
Take measurements of all your potential cable routes. Keep in mind both the
amount of rise (vertical distance) and run (horizontal distance) the cable will have
FIGURE 2-5
Placing network devices
Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark.
CHAPTER 2: Design Your Own Home Network
43
2
to travel. The total of the two will be the required length for your cable. When you
are done, you can add up all your cable lengths to determine how much cable you
will require overall.
Visualize Your Signal
If your plan begins to get a bit too ambitious for wired installation (as ours has), you
will probably start to determine how to get the best wireless Ethernet signal to
your network devices.
Many people set up a wireless access point in the home office, put wireless
adapters in each computer, and wonder why they are only getting 2.5 Mbps in the
next room. When you are looking at your plan, try to spot signal blockers. These
can be plasterboard walls, concrete floors, large plants, even closets full of outdoor
wear.
Microwaves Are Used
to Transmit Data
The ability of water molecules to capture microwaves is what makes a microwave

FIGURE 2-6
Centering the wireless access point
Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark.
CHAPTER 2: Design Your Own Home Network
45
2
Create a Logical Map of Your Network
A map of your physical layout and network device placement is intended to help
you visualize the scope of your wired or wireless installation. A physical map will
deal with actual device placement and cabling, while a logical map will assist you
with the setup and configuration of your devices once they have been connected to
the network.
Once again, it is not necessary to create a piece of art suitable for framing here.
You mainly need a good idea of how the various devices are connected to the network
and, by extension, to each other. You also need a way to keep a record of their
addresses or other configuration information. An ink sketch of the devices and
their connections to each other is sufficient. You can fill in the addresses when you
have assigned them.
Determine the Placement of Concentrators
When you have determined which type of network you are going to install, you will
place the appropriate concentrators (hubs or switches) at the center of your network.
Since this is merely a logical map, it is sufficient to arrange your devices in
Install Antennas to Remote
Locations
You can install wireless networking equipment in places not served by power
lines by transmitting the power over the Cat5 Ethernet cable. Power over
Ethernet devices are produced by most manufacturers of wireless networking
devices and are available from online retailers and select local computer stores.
A special device connects to one end of the run and injects electrical current
into the same cable that carries your network signal. Another connector on the

By now, we have placed all of our equipment except for the cable/DSL modem.
The concentrator (router or gateway in this case) or its antenna is planned for the
upstairs hallway, each device has its physical location mapped, and we know how
we plan to extend connectivity to it. For the actual execution of the cabling plan, we
will refer to Chapter 3 for wired Ethernet or Chapter 4 for wireless Ethernet. All that
remains for now is to decide how these devices will interact. Do we want kids to
store their homework on the Home Office computer? Will any of the PCs be tapping
into the media sharing network? Will all computers have Internet access?
As we answer these questions, we will be forming our plan for implementation
of the peer-to-peer networking features of Windows XP, and for control of the Internet
access settings of the Internet Gateway. When we cover installation of networking
features in the next two chapters, we will cover basic setup of these services.
CHAPTER 2: Design Your Own Home Network
47
2
FIGURE 2-8
The same network devices using wired Ethernet
Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark.
48
How to Do Everything with Windows XP Home Networking
Most Homes Use
Peer-to-Peer Networks
Most home networks will employ a peer-to-peer or workgroup logical
configuration. This type of network allows each computer to control access
to its own files and printers. Each computer controls security for its own
resources, and there is no central administration.
This is opposite to what you will see in most corporate networks. These
larger networks will employ centralized access controls and will be controlled
by a central administrator. Networks of this type are known as domain or
directory networks.