Mitch has given an excellent summary.
Just to add a couple of minor points:
1) No amateur station network needs a switch - a hub will do fine - in
fact, 10 mb Ethernet is more than sufficient for any amateur radio
use, and is really good enough for most businesses. Don't waste your
money on 100mb cards or a switch.
2) If you have an Ethernet network which is connected to the Internet
full-time via Cable Modem, DSL, or ISDN etc. you need security. Visit
this site to read everything you need to know
https://grc.com/x/ne.dll?bh0bkyd2 or this link if that doesn't work
http://grc.com/default.htm and go to the "Shields Up" area. Step by
step instructions are given for you to lock down your PC's vulnerable
ports.
3) If you are connected to the Internet full-time, IP addresses are
significant and you'll need to check with your provider to see what IP
addresses are OK for you to use. In my case, on a DSL line, my
provider issues me up to 7 IP addresses via DHCP (automatic TCP/IP
configuration). Your situation may vary depending on your provider
and the deal you have.
If your network is not connected to the Internet, you can pretty much
do whatever you want. The 255.255.255.0 subnet mask allows for you to
have 254 computers in your network. As Mitch says, just keep the
first 3 groups of numbers the same and vary the last number and it'll
work fine. (200.200.200.10, 200.200.200.11 and so on.)
73,
Bob N5NJ
Robert E. Naumann
N5NJ / V26O
N5NJ@arrl.net
www.qsl.net/n5nj
Plano, TX USA
ex KR2J, V26RN, W6V, WA2OVE
----- Original Message -----
From: Mitch Ravitz <mravitz@ix.netcom.com>
To: <writelog@contesting.com>
Sent: Friday, June 09, 2000 04:21
Subject: [WriteLog] Re: WriteLog Digest V3 #154 - PC Networks
>
> Regarding Don, AA5AU's comments about TCP/IP addresses on your
network...
>
> 1. He is right about the "subnet mask." 255.255.255.0 is
appropriate for a
> home or any small business network.
> 2. Almost any TCP/IP address will work. There are some cautions:
> a: Do not use either the number 255 or the number 0 in any
address
> segment. These are reserved for broadcast protocals and automatic
assignment
> purposes (as in using a DHCP server).
> b: Examples of "good" addresses: 192.168.2.1 or 200.200.200.10
> c: Each PC MUST have a unique address. Only the digit in the
last segment
> should change (the numbers 1 and 10 in the above examples are in the
last
> "segment"), otherwise your PCs won't "see" each other. This has the
affect of
> each PC being on its own network, or band in Ham radio parlance.
So, PC number
> 1 could be 200.200.200.10 while PC number 2 would be 200.200.200.11
etc.
> d: Numbers in the last segment do not have to be sequential.
> 3. "IT" pros will tell you that they assign single digit numbers,
in the last
> segment, to represent routers and gateways in their networks.
Unless you have a
> large network with wide area connections, you don't have to worry
about this.
> 4. Use good quality CAT-5 wiring. The twists in the wiring pairs
give some RF
> suppression and help extend the frequency response of the wiring.
> 5. You can connect two PCs together, without a network HUB or
SWITCH. To do
> this purchase what is called a "crossover" type of cable. Most PC
shops will
> have these pre-made. (CompUSA does as does OfficeMax.)
> 6. For many reasons, more than 3 PCs on a network would require a
HUB or
> SWITCH.
> a: Network SWITCHES give each data connection its own route and
don't limit
> data bandwidth. A HUB divides up the available bandwidth among the
PCs
> connected, so throughput on a busy network slows down.
> 7. To limit the visibility of your home network to internet
hackers, remove any
> references to protocols, other than TCP/IP, from "dial up" adapters.
The only
> exception to this rule I can think of might be if you are dialing
into a
> businesses Novel Netware based network. In that case check with
your companies
> Network Administrator to see what is needed.
> a: To do this; right click with your mouse on Network
Neighborhood on your
> desktop. Choose "PROPERTIES" from the menu and look at what appears
in the
> properties box. Highlight what you want to remove and then press
"remove" from
> the choices at the bottom of the box.
> b: Again; Do Not Remove References to TCP/IP protocols or you
are likely to
> hurt your ability communicate with the internet.
>
> Hope this gives you some useful guidelines.
>
> Mitch Ravitz
> W1GI
> w1gi@arrl.net
>
>
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>
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