DIY Network - Common Networking Hardware

There are many different devices that can be used to create a network and which ones you require depends on the type and complexity of the network you would like to create. A really simple network requires only two computers to be connected together via a single cable to allow them to share files and resources and this can be a cheap simple network to set up and maintain. When you start connecting more machines together the shopping list can grow somewhat, particularly if they are some distance apart.

There are many different brands and models of hardware to choose from amongst different networking devices and we cannot hope to include them all however the ones pictured on this page are good representatives of their respective types and can give the reader an idea of what these devices look like.

Ethernet Cables Ethernet or network cables connect computers and other devices together to communicate with each other. This type of network is often referred to as an ethernet or wired network. The computer must have an ethernet card (also called a network card, Network Interface Card or NIC for short) which the network cable plugs into.

Ethernet or Network Card Network cards (also called an ethernet card, Network Interface Card or NIC for short) are used to connect computers to wired or ethernet networks. A network cable is plugged into a network card installed on the computer and the other end of the cable is plugged into a switch or similar device so that the computer can communicate with other computers and devices. Most computers and laptops have one built into them however if your computer doesnt have one a network card such as the one to the left can be installed in the majority of cases.

Network Switch Switches are used in conjunction with network cables to join multiple computers and devices (such as wireless access points) together so that they may communicate. One end of the network cable is connected to the switch and the other is plugged into the computers network card. The computer can then communicate with any other computer or device plugged into the switch providing they have an IP address on the same network.

Wireless Network Cards Wireless network cards are used to connect computers to wireless networks. Wireless networks allow computers and devices to communicate with each other without being physically connected by wires, instead they communicate using radio waves usually on the 2.4ghz frequency. Most modern laptops have wireless cards built into them when manufactured however desktop computers still lag behind in this respect and will have to have a wireless adaptor installed.

Access Point/Bridge Access Points or AP's are the wireless equivelent of an ethernet switch. Although computers can talk directly to each other (called an ad-hoc wireless network) access points allow computers or devices to connect to them as clients (called an infrastructure wireless network) so that they may communicate with each other. Access Points generally have a single ethernet connection so that the wireless network (wlan) can be joined to a wired or ethernet network. In this role the AP may be often referred to as a bridge.

Wireless Routers Wireless Routers are slightly more complicated than wireless access points in that they have 5 ethernet ports, usually four are utilized by a built in switch so that ethernet clients can connect to the router and share resources and the fifth port is usually a WAN port. The WAN port connects to a cable or ADSL modem or some other form of internet access and is on a different network to the client computers connecting to it. The WAN port usually has a built in firewall to protect the client computers from inappropriate traffic from the internet.

Wireless ADSL Modem The ADSL modem pictured here has its own built in wireless access point and a four port switch. ADSL is the most common form of broadband internet in most countries and ADSL modems such as this one are an excellent choice allowing both wired and wireless client computers to connect to each other and share an internet connection with a minimum of investment in hardware.