Installing a Network Card
Ok. If you are standing there, holding a network card in your hand, then this tutorial is for you. This is a really simple procedure, just follow the directions.
installing hardware
step 1: Ok, I would recommend reading this entire section before you start step 1 is to turn off your computer.
step 2:pop the case open. You'll see a bunch of slots with a bunch of cards in them. (BTW: that big board on the bottom with everything attached to it is called the mother board) If your motherboard is normal, you should see that a majority of the card slots are two basic types: the larger black ones are called ISA slots and the smaller white ones are called PCI. If the people who made your motherboard are on crack then the colors may be wrong, but all you have to do is look on the one side of the card, at the part thats supposed to fit into the slots. You should be able to figure out which kind of slot it uses just by looking at it b/c it will only fit in one type. Find a free slot and jam that baby in there.
step 3: Then you can go ahead and plug network cable into it. (of course, if you don't have a network and/or hub at home pluggin the cable in now won't do you any good).
installing drivers
The next step SHOULD be simple but unfourtunately us lowly peasants are forces to use microsoft operating systems. When your computer is booting windows SHOULD detect the card.
IF WINDOWS DETECTS YOUR CARD: It will try to install the drivers automatically. If it can't find the drivers you will have to get the driver disk that came with your card and use those.
IF WINDOWS DOES NOT DETECT YOUR CARD: Go to the control panel and double click on the 'Add New Hardware' icon. Have the computer search for the card, and once it finds it follow the directions in the last paragraph.
then... Windows will probably have to restart. Get used to this: anytime you do network stuff a windows machine will want to restart.
configuring protocols
step 1:Find the icon to the right somewhere on your desktop. Right click on it and select 'Properties' from the popup menu.
The next few steps are designed for compatibility with the Telefragged Network. Unless you have a DHCP server, these settings will not work for you at home.
step 1: First, make sure your network card appears in the list.
step 2: Second, click on [File and Print Sharing...] Check both boxes and hit ok.
step 3: Make sure your Primary Network Logon is "Client for Microsoft Networks." If its not you may have to install it (click on the add button, select client, and install the Client for Microsoft Networks) Double click on the Client for Microsoft Networks item in the listbox and make sure that "Log onto Windows NT Domain" is NOT checked. Also look at the radio buttons and make sure that the one that says "Log on and Restore network connections" is checked.
step 4: Click on the identification tab. Write your name in the 'computer name' textbox, and "Telefragged" in the workgroup. If your computer already has a name, then put your name in the 'computer description' textbox so people will know whose computer it is.
step 5: Click on the Configuration tab again. Make sure there is a TCP-IP protocol in the list that is associated with your network card. If no TCP-IP protocols are there, you will have to add one the same way you did the Client for Microsoft Networks, only you will select 'Protocols' and then 'MICROSOFT' this time.)
sharing
We recommend not sharing out anything important (or else make things 'read only'). You can share folders by going into 'My Computer', right clicking on drives and/or folders and selecting "Sharing..." from the popup menu. In the sharing dialog box you can choose things to be not shared, read only, for full access. If you want somebody to be able to copy stuff into a folder you will need to make that folder full access.
That should end your little foray into the world of networking. If I have made any mistakes or left anything out or you have just screwed up your computer, send an email to telefragged@nameplanet.com