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Home Networking Tips Advice
Home Networking Tips Advice
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Switches provide a place to plug the cables in that allow a physical connection between communicating computers. Routers perform a similar purpose but with more functions, such as the ability to connect multiple networks together and (as the name suggests) route traffic intelligently between them. In many cases, computers themselves can perform those functions. Software within the system can use the network cards in each computer, with a simple switch in between, to allow communication between them. Though routers have become commonplace, thats still possible and if your needs are fairly simple it can be the cheapest, easiest way to create a home network. But computers, switches and routers arent the only possible components of a home network. Familiar devices that go under the general name of peripherals are often part of the home web. One of the reasons for undertaking the expense and effort of creating a network is often to share folders, printer, fax or scanner among multiple computers. If you splurged for a color laser printer or a fax machine at home, you save money by only needing to purchase one device each, instead of multiple printers and faxes for each computer. A home network allows sharing those devices. As part of the basic home network system, youll often want to include software and/or hardware known as a firewall. A firewall allows for passing some information sent by trusted sources, but blocks other types of data, or that sent from any other source.
With wireless networks or any home network connected to the Internet, they are a must. Fortunately, routers typically contain some inherent firewall functions. Even software within the OS today can usually perform that function. Putting all these different pieces together in a coherent way that allows you to send and receive files, share printers and more is the process of creating a home network. Of course, doing it in a way that doesnt get you tangled up in a sticky web requires a bit of homework.
Today, the costs have come down on every component. Wireless is not much more expensive, and sometimes less, than cabled gear. A bit of Cat 5 Ethernet cable costs not much more than plain stereo equipment wire. A hub costs a few dollars. Even routers, once $200 or more are now available for little more than the cost of an ordinary switch. At the same time, speeds have increased. Reliability has improved for both cabled and wireless networks. The latter were once just for experiments by hobbyists. A cordless phone call, a wall or just a solar flare hiccup could easily knock your network offline. Distances were limited to a few meters, making wireless networks much less attractive for networking the whole home. Now, they can cover the whole of a large, two story home with ease. But perhaps best of all, besides the lower cost and better performance, home networking is now simpler than ever. Todays gear comes with better instructions, ones that dont assume you are a computer or networking expert. The software and hardware both are simpler to configure. The diagnostic tools are easier to use than in times past. At the same time, most people have increased their basic computer knowledge by leaps and bounds. With the Internet, cell phones, iPods being a daily part of everyones lives, the intimidation factor is at an all time low. Everyone today knows how to use email. Most people know what HTTP is, how to ping something and other things once considered esoteric. Discussing routers, IP addresses and other aspects is no longer just for wild eyed guys with glasses. Security consciousness has been raised, too. As a result of thousands of articles on credit card or identity theft and other computer related issues, people are much better informed and more cautious. They may not follow all the standard recommendations touted by security professionals, but theyre no longer indifferent. Anyone who has ever been hit by a computer virus, which is just about everyone today, has seen first hand the need for some efforts in this area. There are still a few minor hurdles to overcome. The biggest one is usually just absorbing a fair number of unfamiliar terms, such as protocol, NIC (Network Interface Card) and other related words. Once that wall is breached, the rest is pretty straightforward. Even adding an Internet connection to the home network, so that it can be shared by all systems instead of just one, is very simple today. A little bit of homework, sometimes a modest amount of troubleshooting, and youre in business. So get in gear and start hooking together those computers owned by each member of the family. Youll find that printer sharing is easy. Youll be able to pass files without emailing them from one system and downloading them from another. Youll find your security enhanced. Most of all, youll have the same kind of fun that used to be limited to computer experts. Who wouldnt want that?
Networking 101
A network is like a spider web, the basic reason that the Internet (WWW World Wide Web) is often called that. Its a series of lines (called routes) that have intermediate and end points (called nodes) that connect devices together. Those connections and routes are what allow the devices to share, input or output information across the network. Along those routes, signals flow that contain information of interest to the network users. Like a trapped fly that tugs on a part of the web, the disturbance is sent down the line, through nodes, to the spider at another point on the web. Unfortunately for the fly, the spider often sends back a reply. Unlike a spider web, though, a computer network sends and receives those disturbances in the form of something called packets. There are other ways to perform the same function, but today almost all networks operate as explained below. Software and hardware on the network cooperate to pass those packets. Packets are chunks of information containing your data wrapped in control information. That control data at the front and back of your data allows routers and computers to know where and how to send your data. In most commercial and home networks, the method uses something called IP, or Internet Protocol. Every device on the network gets assigned an address in the form of what is called a dotted octet, such as 209.131.36.158. In the home, those addresses are usually in a range of: 10.0.0.0 through 10.255.255.255, or 172.16.0.0 through 172.31.255.255, or 192.168.0.0 through 192.168.255.255 Those constitute what are called Private Addresses, since they cant be sent unmodified over the public networks that form the Internet. Theyre used by routers, computers and peripherals in your home network. Private commercial networks, such as those inside companies large and small also use these same address ranges. Something called network address translation, NAT, at a device called a boundary router allows many companies and homes to use the same range without accidentally passing information to and from one another over the Internet. Note that your home computer may have a very different address, such as 70.31.192.243. This is often the case because a single computer connected to the Internet gets an address assigned by the ISP, Internet Service Provider. You then dont really have just a home network, but are a paying customer of a commercial network.
When each device - each computer, router, printer - is assigned its own address, the software and hardware can figure out where data is coming from and should go to. Its what makes possible communication without confusion. The router software and/or hardware, in cooperation with networking hardware and software in each device, routes the data to and from the proper devices using those addresses. The method is in principle the same as that used by the postal system to route letters from one home or business to another.
In the first arrangement, the printer is called local, but shareable. Just as you might make files on one computer accessible to another, so its possible to allow a remote computer to print to the locally attached device. Computer-Jack then simply shares the printer by using software on the hosting system, Computer-Jill. In the more typical case today, the printer has its own NIC and is attached to a switch or router via Ethernet cables or a wireless transceiver. Each computer on the network then sees the printer as a device it can use. Scanners, fax machines and even other computers (file servers, for example) operate essentially the same way. Each device gets an address and a name. Software on the device allows it to be configured to make its function accessible to multiple computers on the same network.
Networking Options
When you start to design your home network, youll be immediately faced with a wide array of choices. Many of them have cryptic names and obtuse descriptions. But dont be put off by all the techno-babble. Make an effort to get familiar with some of the names because theyre associated with options that affect the design and value of your home network. The first, basic choice is between a cabled network and a wireless one. The choice used to be made for most everyone, given the once high prices and complexity of wireless equipment. But costs have come down and putting a wireless network together today is no more complicated than the more traditional type. Cabled networks today usually run along Ethernet cables. Most Ethernet cabling used is designated by the name: Cat-5. There is another option, though, and thats to use fiber optic cabling. For home network designers, the extra cost and potential reliability issues arent worth the benefits. Ethernet cables will support speeds ranging from the traditional 10 Mb or 100 Mb up to 1 Gb or more. (Here, 10 Mb = 10 megabits/sec = 10/8 megabytes per second.) 10 Gb is not unknown and one company has now produced a wired device that operates at a theoretical speed of 100 Gb. (1 Gb = 1 gigabit/sec = 1/8 x 1024 megabytes per second = 128 MB/s.) The speed is theoretically limited by the cable, but in practice the attached devices are more of a limiting factor. Other factors, such as number of simultaneous users, protocol used and other factors are often even more important in real-world applications. The faster speeds are typically found only in professional networks, however. Wireless devices are often 802.11b or 802.11g type today. The technical definitions are complex, but the practical meaning for the home network
designer is simple: 802.11b operates at 2.4 GhZ and 11 Mb and 802.11g at 2.44 GHz/54 Mb. Both numbers are important, the frequency (measured in Ghz or 1,024 million cycles per second) and the throughput, in megabits. (1 Byte = 8 bits) The frequency gives you a clue about the likelihood of interference. Some cordless phones and other popular home devices can interfere with your network. That means that when the phone rings and you answer it, your network may see a hiccup. The problem tends to occur more often with wireless cards in laptops, however. The throughput is important, since the numbers are theoretical ratings. The real data transfer rate of, for example, 802.11b tends to be between 6-7 Mb/s, despite the rated speed of 11 Mb/s. For comparison, thats roughly 1/5 to 1/2 the speed of a DSL or cable Internet connection. So, if you know how long it takes you to download, say, a 10 megabyte file off the Internet, you can easily estimate how fast data will get around your home network. Other systems have been in the experimental stage for several years. One uses the wiring in your home to carry network signals. All you would have to do is plug a special device into an electrical outlet then plug your computer, printer into that via a short cable. Though, some use wireless technology as part of the system. Its possible to obtain the equipment, but major vendors dont yet offer this option. For now, its best for most home network designers to stick to the standard choices.
simultaneously. Now, wireless products are very competitive in terms of speed and overall performance. Even a slower 802.11b wireless router is rated at 11 Mb, while delivering real-world throughput of about 6-7 Mb. For only a slightly higher price, on average, you can now get an 802.11g router with a rated speed of 54 Mb and newer, faster models are not far off. Wireless networks offer the maximum in convenience with, in some respects, simplified construction. Its commonplace for there to be multiple computers in the home today. Most people will not want to have their home look like a computer room. Yet, stringing Ethernet cable around the house inside walls, under carpets or along the floor boards, is a task. Confined to the home office, it may not be a big deal. Wiring the entire house is another matter. With a wireless network, you simply place the wireless router in some location that is sensible for the devices it is going to support. Then, follow the configuration instructions, and youre in business. The teenager in college upstairs in her bedroom works just fine at the same time as Mom in the home office or Dad in the living room. No need to string a wire to the couch or bed. But there are some limitations and potential downsides. Apart from the higher cost and slower speeds, wireless networks may introduce configuration, security and reliability issues. Though theyve improved vastly, wireless networks can be more difficult to configure. Wireless routers sometimes have cryptic configurations. Wired routers can too, but it tends to be more so in the case of wireless networks. Youre sometimes unsure whether the issue is software or simply a signal not being sent/received. Security has improved too, though there is an inherent hurdle with wireless networks. Since they dont require a physical connection, anyone with a wirelessenabled laptop or cell phone who is nearby can, in theory, access your network. But if you follow the directions carefully when configuring the router, this problem can be overcome. Reliability is another area that has gotten much better, though it cant always match a cabled network. Cable networks can have hiccups, usually when plugging in new devices. Bad cables or connectors are rare, but they do exist.
But wireless network devices are much more subject to possible interference. Microwave ovens, cordless phones, Bluetooth-enabled devices and other common home technology send and receive signals in the same frequency range. Sometimes
they clash. Charged particle streams from solar flares and other natural phenomenon can interfere with your signal. All in all, though, wireless networks offer flexibility and speed that suits the needs of home network builders well at affordable prices.
files. Even faster gear that follows the 802.11n standard running at 100 Mb should be available soon. Similarly, most people have no reason to care about the details of the Ethernet protocol. But knowing that 802.3 is the standard protocol used in Ethernet networks helps remove some of the strangeness from yet another cryptic computer number. At the same time, its helpful to know that 10BaseT is more or less a synonym for wired Ethernet networks that run at 10 Mb (10 megabits/sec). 100BaseT is the standard for cabled Ethernet networks that use equipment running at 100 Mbps. Every week there will be a new acronym and a new unfamiliar set of numbers created. Thats the computer business and network designers are among the geekiest in the biz. But get familiar with a few of these protocols and related items and youll soon be barking them out with the best of them.
There are other speeds as well. An 802.11g wireless network, for example, transmits at 54Mb/s, while 802.11b operates at 11Mb/s. As time progresses and costs come down, the higher speeds are more and more dominating the market. Higher speeds are available and becoming more common. A NIC can be the more traditional type that connects to Ethernet cables, or it can be a wireless card that has a transceiver built-in to send and receive radio signals. But the NICs in different devices (such as two computers on the network) are rarely connected by the cables directly. In almost all cases they run to a switch or, these days more often, a router. A switch or hub is a small device with ports (holes) that cables can be plugged into. Theyre ultra low cost (often just a few dollars) and adequate for simple networks that dont require a connection to the Internet. More often today, home network builders will use one or more routers.
A router is just what it sounds like, a device that routes traffic. It determines how and where to direct data by using a series of IP addresses (such as 10.1.5.142) and software/hardware designed to receive data from some devices and send data to others. Routers come in two basic flavors today, cabled and wireless. Each type comes in a variety of models from different vendors. They have different software, which is usually proprietary and offer different functions. Some for example, may have virus protection built in. They may vary according to the number of ports, which determines how many devices can be plugged in. Theyll vary according to how fast they actually operate at, along with variations in rated speed (54Mb rated ~ 6 Mb actual). There are other devices that may, and usually do, form part of a home network such as a cable modem, DSL or satellite modem for connecting to the Internet. But those listed above are the bare essentials to get started.
Independent Connections The first, and almost always the most expensive, option is to have multiple, independent connections to the Internet. Few will want to absorb the cost of having multiple DSL, cable or satellite modems. Few will want to pay their ISP for double, triple or more connections to the Internet. But this method does have some advantages. Each computer that connects will have a completely independent connection, even though as part of the same home network they can still share files, printers and other devices. Each computer gets the full security features offered by the ISP without any complex configuration on the part of the home network designer. Each computer gets the full bandwidth, so performance is optimal. And you have built-in redundancy. If one connection goes down, you have another that can still access the Internet. Alternatively, its possible to use one DSL or cable modem, insert a hub inline, and plug multiple computers into the hub. Then purchase independent IP addresses from the ISP. This only costs one DSL or cable modem, but extra IP addresses are usually a bit pricey. Performance is still usually very good for each system, provided the router can handle your average traffic without a big slow down. Internet Connection Sharing Another option several steps down in terms of cost comes at the price of a little bit of complexity. Its possible to use one computer as a router and to use Internet Connection Sharing software in Windows or Linux to make the connection available to other computers on the network. In this scenario, one computer connected to the Internet and assigned a public IP address by the ISP gets an extra NIC installed. To that second adapter is plugged a cable that runs to a NIC in a second computer. Using Internet Connection Software that comes with Windows or Linux, its possible to configure both systems to share the single Internet connection. Cheap and semi-reliable. But it has some drawbacks. Any network use on the part of the second computer will impact the first one, the one that has the direct connection. All network traffic for the second computer has to be managed by the hardware and software in the computer with the direction connection, so its performance slows down. Also, if the first computer fails, or even is just rebooted or shut down, the Internet connection goes away for the second computer. Router and Hub With decreasing costs and ease of configuration, another option is becoming the best for most people. In this case, a router is connected to the DSL, cable or satellite modem. It acts as a gateway for all network traffic to and from the Internet by any system on the home network.
Sometimes routers will allow multiple connections, in some cases a hub may be required in order to provide enough ports for all the home network connected devices. But hubs are reliable and cheap, so it adds only a tiny amount of complexity to the design. With this setup, each user gets the full security available from the ISP and the router acts as a common firewall to add to that. Most routers will handle the traffic from all users pretty well, provided no single user is constantly downloading large files from the Internet. File sharing between each computer is safer since each is behind the firewall. Network configuration is marginally simpler since you can use DHCP-assigned IP addresses using the DHCP-server function found in most routers. That way, as you swap laptops and other devices in and out of the network, theres no need to make sure you havent assigned a duplicate static IP address. Only a short period of homework is required for most home network builders to catch on how to implement this scenario. The instructions that come with most routers will provide enough information to set it up. The cost is modest today and provides the best alternative for most situations.
Almost because it is possible to use one of the computers to do Internet Connection Sharing. But its often better to have a dedicated router, rather than consuming resources on one of the computers in the network. Lastly, you need devices - called adapters - inside the computers, printers, fax machines that you want to connect to the network. They can be standard 10/100 Ethernet NICs (network interface cards) or 802.11 (b or g) wireless cards that perform the same function in a cable-free network. There are other possbile methods and associated gear, as well. With Ethernet, you have two basic choices of speed 10 Mb or 100 Mb. But the price difference is so little these days, that its usually pointless to get anything less than 100 Mb gear. They typically support older devices that will run only at the slower speed. Gigabit Ethernet is an option, but its more expensive than most home network builders may want to pay. Install, attach and/or setup all hardware according to the manufacturers directions. Each device on the network will need at least one IP address. These are the dotted octet numbers you may have seen when accessing the Internet, such as 70.1.2.125. In your home network, they will have numbers like 192.168.0.1 or 10.121.0.1. Focus your numbering scheme starting at the router. Consider that device the central hub by imagining a star with rays coming out. The router is at the center and each cable or radio beam is a ray. The endpoints are where your connected devices will be. If the router is assigned a number such as 192.168.0.1 then computers, printers and other devices on the network may have numbers like 192.168.0.2, 192.168.0.3, etc. Never assign the same number to two different devices.
For specific instructions on how to assign these addresses, youll need to read the directions for your router and your computer. Each one is different.
The hardware set up is generally very straightforward. There are two ways to go about it. Either the printer is attached locally to one computer on the network, or it has a NIC (a network interface card, an adapter) of its own. In the second case, the printer plugs into the network just as a computer does. It gets an IP address just as any computer on the network does. In the first case, the printer doesnt require a separate IP address since its accessed via the computer to which it is locally attached. Next, the software configuration has to be done. First, for a network attached printer, it will need to be assigned an IP address. Select one in the range associated with your home network. For example, suppose your main computer or router is 192.168.0.1 and you have two other computers on the network Jack/192.168.0.2 and Jill/192.168.0.3. You could select then the next available IP address, 192.168.0.4 or skip a few to allow extra numbers for more computers. It doesnt matter, since all IP addresses are equal, provided theyre in the proper range and dont start with the gateway address, 192.168.0.1. The specifics of how to assign the IP address vary from printer to printer. Consult the manual. Just ensure that you dont accidentally assign the same IP address twice on your network. That will invariably cause problems since the router and other systems wont be able to correctly direct traffic on the network. The following instructions may vary slightly depending on which Windows version you are using. For a locally attached printer, all it needs is a name. Use Control Panel/Printers. Select the printer you want to share. Then, in the tasks pane, click Share This Printer. Open the Properties dialog box and click on the Sharing tab. Enter a name and click OK. The printer is now shared. Now that you have a network printer, you can connect to it from all computers on the network. To add a network printer to your computer, use Control Panel/Printers again. Click in the tasks pane Add a Printer. Instead of adding a local printer choose for network printer and browse the network for the right printer. Be sure to place the printer in some appropriate location. You may want to hide it in a closet to reduce noise, or put it in a hallway for easy access around the house. Or, you may want to centralize your printer, fax, scanner in the home office. The physical location makes no difference to the network hardware or software, only the IP address and/or name is important.
File Sharing
Once you have a home network established, there are several ways to make use of it. One popular goal is to share files between one computer and another without having to use sneaker net, like trading files by a CD/DVD or, yikes!, by using a floppy disk.
A lot of file swapping goes on via email over the Internet, of course. Thats not technically sneaker net. But its still a roundabout method. Your email provider may put a low limit on file attachments, so for larger files you have a problem. Also, your Internet connection may be (and often is) a lot slower than the local speeds obtainable on a home network. Fortunately, for computers on a Windows-based home network, file sharing is very simple. In Linux, it isnt much more difficult. Here are two different methods: If you have a computer with an adapter that shares an Internet connection, that system is often a kind of hub for your home network. It often, therefore, serves multiple duty as a file server. It performs that function in at least two ways: FTP or Shares. FTP is now decades old, but still a highly useful means of copying files from one system to another. One system must be an FTP server, the other is the FTP client. Most web servers, for example, have FTP server software installed. You can use one of the many FTP client software packages available on the Internet. Or, you can use the command line (DOS window) built into Windows. Click Start/Run, then type cmd into the dialog box (without the quote marks). Type ftp -? (again without quote marks) and it will show you different parameters you can specify, different ways to execute the command. The different methods/parameters are there so you can send/receive to/from different systems and more. The other method consists of using something called File Shares. Simple File Sharing is always turned on in Windows XP Home edition based computers. To turn Simple File Sharing on or off in Windows XP Professional, simply double click My Computer. On the Tools menu, click Folder Options. Click the View tab, then select or deselect the Use Simple File Sharing check box. You should set the security appropriately for the level of access you want to grant for folders and files. You can make the files available as Read Only, which prevents anyone from accidentally deleting them. But to transfer files to the other system, you will have to have Write access. To grant complete control, Full Control is the correct choice. Right-click a folder, and click Sharing and Security to set the appropriate level. It can be cumbersome, at first, to go through all the effort of either method when emailing through the Internet is so simple. And, for occasional file sharing, that may
well be true. But if you share files regularly, a little time spent learning these methods will save you a lot of time over the long run.
Configure wireless routers according to the manufacturers instructions, in order to prevent unauthorized access. All wireless routers today use WAP (Wireless Authentication Protocol) to prevent drive-bys from accessing your system. Use it. Monitor activity on your network and the systems connected to it. Dont allow friends of your children, neighbors and others to use your network until you know them well. The computer knowledge of most teenagers would astound most adults today. Most are well meaning, but some havent yet learned how to use a home network in a secure way. Treat your home network much the same way you treat your credit cards. Dont provide physical access or pass out information to anyone that you dont want to have access to it. Its often a short step away from giving them access to your money. Its an even shorter step to your valuable data.
Firewalls
In building construction, a firewall is a physical barrier to help prevent the spread of a fire from one room to another. The home network equivalent is well named. The software and/or hardware that constitutes a firewall makes it more difficult for dangerous programs or unauthorized users to access your system. Firewall protection has two directions. In some cases, you want to prevent data and/or programs from leaving your computer. This helps prevent any virus you contract from spreading to other systems on the network or the Internet. In the more usual case, your firewall is configured to prevent unauthorized programs and visitors from accessing your system from the outside. That unauthorized access can come from different sources, typically the Internet, but also other machines on your home network. A driveby hacker with a wireless enabled laptop, for example, can access your network and implant a virus. Blocking certain types of access can make his job harder, even though his system is temporarily inside your network. But blocking all types of traffic from all sources in both directions would defeat the purpose of having a network at all. So, network security always strives for a compromise between locking out and opening up. Where to strike that balance is sometimes a gray area. However, there is a fairly standard list of items that anyone will want to focus on. Keep in mind, the two most common protocols used: TCP and UDP. TCP is bidirectional, UDP is a broadcast that doesnt require a two way connection. Though, UDP traffic can travel in either direction, such as when you ping. Opening up a port on your firewall often involves specifying both the number and the protocol. The default idea should be to close anything you dont know you will need. This means only open a port or protocol in the direction you need and only once youre sure you need it. The default should be closed in both directions.
HTTP - This is the protocol used for all standard Internet data requests, whether sending (uploading, for example) or receiving (such as accessing a web page). Configure your firewall to leave open Port 80. For secure transactions that use HTTPS, such as many banking sites, open Port 443. 8080 is also often used. FTP - Many people still use FTP to transfer files to and from computers over the network. That requires opening Port 20. SMTP - Most email programs use SMTP to send and receive emails. Thus, open Port 25 to allow this function to operate. POP3 - POP3 is also part of many email functions, so open Port 110 for incoming traffic. DNS - In order to translate names to IP addresses, DNS has to be able to send and receive packets. That requires opening Port 53 for traffic in both directions. DHCP - For Internet access in which your IP address is dynamically assigned and if you use this feature in your home network, open Port 68. DOOM - The popular networking game Doom requires Port 666. If you dont play it, dont open it. Remember, the default should always be closed in both directions for any service you dont use. There are many other standard ports, such as 1433 for Microsoft SQL Server use. Each program should provide documentation about any and all ports it needs, the protocol used and the direction. Proceed with care.
To check an IP address, you can use Control Panel/Network Connections (Windows XP). But its a good idea to get used to executing command line utilities to diagnose network issues. Click Start/Run, then type cmd into the dialog box, leaving off the quote marks. This opens a DOS window. Type: ipconfig/all. Youll see the IP address and related information. Next, ping the IP address of the second or third computer on your network. If you get back Request timed out you have a loss of connectivity between the computer executing the ping and the one you are pinging. Ping from 192.168.0.1 to 192.168.0.2, then from the second to the reverse. By using different computers to ping to and from you can often isolate where the problem is. Check the lights on the network adapter (NIC or network interface card) on both computers. They should be green and blinking when doing the ping. Check the hub or switch to which they are attached. The light should be lit continuously. Similar considerations apply if you are using a router. If one of the lights is not lit, check the cables attached to that port. Its rare, but not too rare, for a cable or connector to go bad. Whats less rare is for a newly attached devices cable or connector to malfunction. Cables get bent, crimped and subject to a number of physical stresses that can cause the wires inside to come loose. It only takes one to cause the whole cable to be bad. Similarly, if you have a wireless network, check the lights on the adapter(s) and the router. Most routers will come with diagnostic software that will help you trace down the source of the problem. For cabled or wired networks, a cable diagnosis meter is a handy device. If you can afford one, something called a sniffer is very handy for either type of network. With it, you can see packets being passed back and forth and gather other useful information. If your network is built in sections, the tracert command can be a great adjunct to the ping utility. It will allow you to gather information about packets as they travel from one hop to another. Execute: tracert -? from within a DOS window to get more details.