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In this article series, I will start with the absolute basics, and work toward building a functional network. In this article I will begin by discussing some of the various networking components and what they do.
If you would like to read the other parts in this article series please go to:
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Networking Basics: Part 2 - Routers
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Networking Basics: Part 3 - DNS Servers
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Networking Basics: Part 4 - Workstations and Servers
In the past, all of the articles that I have written for this Web site have been intended for use by administrators with at least some level of experience. Recently though, there have been requests for articles targeted toward those who are just getting started with networking and that have absolutely no experience at all. This article will be the first in a series targeted toward novices. In this article series, I will start with the absolute basics, and work toward building a functional network. In this article I will begin by discussing some of the various networking components and what they do.
Network Adapters
The first piece of hardware that I want to discuss is a network adapter. There are many different names for network adapters, including network cards, Network Interface Cards, NICs. These are all generic terms for the same piece of hardware. A network card’s job is to physically attach a computer to a network, so that the computer can participate in network communications.
The first thing that you need to know about network cards is that the network card has to match the network medium. The network medium refers to the type of cabling that is being used on the network. Wireless networks are a science all their own, and I will talk about them in a separate article.
At one time making sure that a network card matched the network medium was a really big deal, because there were a large number of competing standards in existence. For example, before you...