Networking by John Gibb
Wiring up a LAN (local area network) can be very easy, or it can be very difficult – it all depends on the size of your network, and how you’re trying to go about it. For a very small home network, you can get by without using any special equipment except the wires. ... This is a very efficient way of connecting computers together, as the data you send will be quickly and easily routed to its destination: the data goes to the router, which knows which wire to send it down for it to reach the destination address, and simply sends it that way.

Creating a Wireless Desktop by Stephen Orgill
We live in an age of technology and as such we are always looking for ways to make life easier or ways to make things look better. In the home or office (or even the home office) making things look better involves getting rid of clutter. This is where the wireless desktop comes into play. ... Most wireless mice are just as responsive as corded ones and your wire wont snag at that vital moment when online gaming. ... plus limiting the mouse wire can mean limiting the mouse movement as well. ... More complex networks can also be setup using a server and workstations.

What Are Network Patch Panels by Dean Novosat
Patch panels are used as the central point in a network where all the network cables terminate. It is the grand central station of the network. Networks that use patch panels (and almost all modern networks use this technology) are consider “star-networks” or they use the term “star-topology.”... Another term is “spoke-and-wheel” where the “wheel” is your hub and patch panel and the individual cables going out to your nodes (computers and printers) become the spokes. ... There are patch where the cables plug-in straight (90°), or angled at a 45° angle downwards; there are panels with...

Wireless Connectivity and You by Nathan Kartchner
As computer connectivity continues to evolve, there is a definite push towards wireless. The idea of wireless connectivity is not new. IrDA, or infrared wireless communication has been around for a while. IrDA uses pulsed infrared light waves to provide wireless connectivity to printers, cell... Bluetooth is yet another wireless technology that has been created to cater to the desires of wire-haters everywhere. ... Supported by companies like Intel, Microsoft, and NEC, this standard is intended to build upon the popularity of the current USB 2.0 standard, with a focus on ease and...

ATA vs SATA by Jason Kohrs
Hard Drives: ATA versus SATA The performance of computer systems has been steadily increasing as faster processors, memory, and video cards are continuously being developed. The one key component that is often neglected when looking at improving the performance of a computer system is the hard... A change was made with the introduction of the ATA-5 standard to better improve the signal quality by making an 80 wire cable used on the 40-pin connector (these are commonly called 40-pin/80-wire cables).

Wired Network Working into Wireless Access Points by Tony Fitz
Let's dive into something a little more complex. What if you have a wired network already, and you're quite happy with the way it performs -- you see no point in dismantling it and making it wireless when it works fine as it is. You've got this laptop, though, that you'd really like to use... Once the router is part of the network, you could just remove one network wire per day or per week, replacing it with a wireless connection. ... This is powerful, as it gives you the capability to dynamically extend your wired LAN, without wires.

The Future Arrives As Ultra-Wideband (UWB) Becomes Reality by Stan Allen
As the Consumer Electronics Show is kicking off 2005 in Las Vegas, one of the stars promises to be the emerging technology of Ultra-Wideband (UWB). UWB is wireless networking that is used for a multitude of electronic components and devices ranging from high definition TV, portable digital... Current technologies have not been fast enough to route high bandwidth applications around the home without the use of wires or cables. ... A digital camcorder or still camera can play back the pictures on your TV without a wire connection.

Cisco CCNA Certification: How And Why Switches Trunk by Chris Bryant
Your CCNA studies are going to include quite a bit of information about switches, and for good reason. if you don't understand basic switching theory, you can't configure and troubleshoot Cisco switches, either on the CCNA exam or in the real world. That goes double for trunking! ... There are two major trunking protocols that we need to know the details of for exam success and real-world success, but before we get to the protocols, let's discuss the cables we need. ... In a crossover cable, four of the cables "cross over" from one pin to another.

Network Cabling: Available Options by Joshua Feinberg
As their IT consultant, your small business prospects and clients will need you to explain the different network cabling options available to them. Traditional Wired Ethernet (Category 5) Until very recently, Category 5 data cabling was the de facto standard for both enterprise and small... The wireless encryption protocol (WEP) that 802.11b products use is widely known to be "easily" hack-able. ... Second, security standards are still evolving. ... If possible, stick with the same 802.11b hardware vendor across the board.

Wireless USB Vs. Bluetooth by Preston Wily
USB is currently the industry standard If you spend any amount of time on a computer chances are that you have used a USB device, such as a mouse or a keyboard. There are currently more than 2 billion USB devices in use around the world. Cables can be a mess When USB first became popular... As we became increasingly more reliant on USB for most of the devices that connected to our system the nest of cables behind the average computer continued to grow. ... Not only is Bluetooth popular with computer users, but also cell phone users looking for a way to use a hands-free headset without...