The first step: making your computer network-capable. For that you need
one, two, or all three of the following pieces of hardware:
A network interface card (NIC),which connects your laptop to a wired
Ethernet network. Nearly all current laptop models come with this facil-
ity built in to the motherboard; look for a slightly oversized version of a
telephone plug on the side or back of the machine.
If your laptop does not have a NIC, you can easily add one with an
adapter that plugs in to the USB port. An older solution used an adapter
that attaches to the computer through the PC Card slot. (PC Card slots
are credit card-sized devices whose first uses were to add NICs, modems,
and flash memory cards. That sort of connection is likely to be slower
than its more modern USB equivalent (which can connect to almost any
external device) and also results in a somewhat fragile connector extend-
ing out the side of your laptop, an accident waiting to happen. Chapter 16
details USB and PC Cards.Add-on NICs are relatively inexpensive, selling for as little as $20–$50,
and easily installed; USB adapters require the least involvement by the
user, especially if you are running a current version of Windows. You
may have to load a software device driver from a CD or from the
Internet; follow the instructions provided by the manufacturer.
A wireless adapterthat allows your laptop to exchange information
with a home or office network equipped with a wireless base station,
or to sign on to the Internet through a wireless hotspot(public-access
networks) in airports, hotels, and coffee shops. (A base stationis a
receiver/transmitter attached to a desktop machine; for laptops a mini
version of the same device can be included on the motherboard itself
or as a small plug-in device for USB or PC Card slots.) Again, many lap-
tops now come equipped with wireless facilities; those that don’t can be
upgraded through the use of a USB or PC Card adapter. Two other possi-
bilities not in widespread use among laptops are infrared and Bluetooth
(a specialized variation of wireless). For more details, see Chapter 14.A modemthat allows connection to the Internet or to a dial-up office
intranet. This used to be the only way for laptop owners to communicate
out of the box, and many laptops still come with a telephone modem. In
current use, though, users are much more likely to connect via wired
Ethernet NIC to a broadband (high-speed, high-capacity) cable or DSL
connection to the Internet or to a wireless adapter that ties into a shared
broadband connection. Read more about modems in Chapter 15.Anytime you disconnect a network (Ethernet) cable, remove it first from the
computer and then from the wall jack or router. To install the cable, begin at
the jack or router and then plug it in to the computer. Why? To avoid the
remote possibility of an electrical surge.
Chapter 13: Networks, Gateways, and Routers 199