MATERIALS NEEDED:

Intel Pentium 3 500 MHz or equivalent processor

VGA graphics adapter, monitor 256MB RAM 40GB hard disk Floppy disk drive, CD-ROM Parallel port Monitor Keyboard Mouse 2USB ports 3network Interface Cards(NICs) with RJ-45 ports 3CAT5 patch leads 1 Ethernet hub or switch 1 printer (laser or inkjet) and appropriate disk driver 1 Windows XP CD-ROM master disk

Installing Network Card SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

Open the shipping container and inspect each item for damage.

Each NIC should be packed in an antistatic container to protect it during shipment.

Remove all jewelry from your hands and wrists.

Use only insulated or nonconductive tools.

Before handling the NIC or any other PC components, touch the metal chassis of your PC.

Handle the NIC by its back plate and top edge. Do not touch the edge connector.

Unplug the PC and disconnect all cables. Remove the wires from the back of the computer, noting exactly where each cable belongs. You will need to know this when you hook the computer back up. You need to remove all the wires from the back of the computer including, but not limited to: the monitor, the power cord, the mouse, the keyboard, any speakers and other devices attached to a sound card, joysticks, scanners and printers. EVERYTHING must be unplugged from the computer. Again, make sure to take note of where things were plugged in as this will help you later on when you have to reconnect everything. According to the Library and information services at Kenyon college;

First step is to read the users guide and familiarize yourself with the new card.

Power down PC and remove the AC power cord.

Open the computer case.

FIGURE 1.1(www.pcharware.co.uk)

Find an available Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) slot on the motherboard and remove slot insert if one exists.

Carefully remove the network card from its static-proof plastic envelope, and slide it into the slot.

Locate an empty expansion slot

FIGURE 1.2(http://lbis.kenyon.edu)

Seat the card in the slot firmly with gentle pressure along the length of the card, especially right about the slot itself.

FIGURE 1.3 (http://lbis.kenyon.edu)

Snugly, screw the card to the computer frame, but do not over tighten.

FIGURE 1.4(www.pcharware.co.uk)

Close the computer case.

Plug your computer in and power it up.

Follow this procedure to verify Windows XP recognizes the new card.

Click Start, then click Control Panel. In Category View (vs. Classic View) click Performance and Maintenance. Click "System" icon at bottom of window.

Click the Hardware tab. Click the Device Manager button.

Double-click Network Adapters.

Beneath it should appear the name of your Ethernet card.

Next, double click the name of your Ethernet adapter.

If the text in the "Device Status" box says "This device is working properly.", then you successfully installed the card and are finished.

If the text in the "Device status" box doesn't say "This device is working properly.", then write down on a piece of paper what it says and continue with next step.

Click the Troubleshoot. Button and follow instructions.CONNECTING THE COMPUTERSTo connect the computers, the following equipment is required;

Hub or Switch- provides a common point for connection for networking of the three PCs.

CAT5 (category 5-which transfer data at speed of 100Mbps

PROCESS

Firstly you connect the three PCs to the Ethernet Hub using the RJ45 cable. Make sure that the hub or switch are plugged into the power source

INSTALLING OPERATING SYSTEM SOFTWAREAccording to 5 star support;

To install the software, you need;

Windows XP CD-ROM master disk

PROCESS

1. System Requirements:

Check to insure that your system meets the minimum requirements for

WindowsXP:

Windows XP Home Edition System Requirements

Windows XP Professional Edition System Requirements

2. Compatibility:Check to insure that your hardware and software are compatible with the XP

Operating System

3. Booting Options:

The Windows XP installation CD is bootable. If you are not able to configure your computer to boot from the CD-ROM, then it is possible that your system is not compatible.

4. Start the Installation:

Insert your Windows XP Installation CD.

If Windows automatically detects the Installation CD, you will soon be prompted with a "Press any key to boot from CD" message. You will have 5 seconds to hit any key. If you've delayed too long, your computer will continue to start from the hard disk.

Once you have pressed any key, files will begin to load from the installation CD. You will soon be asked what type of installation you wish to perform:

New Installation

Repair an existing installation

Since this tutorial teaches a clean installation, choose "New Installation".

You will then be prompted to agree to the End User License Agreement (EULA). You cannot continue without accepting. Press F8 to continue. Feel free to read the EULA if you want, but make sure you take breaks every hour or so.

The next screen will show the available partitions where you can install XP. Here you have the ability to create/delete partitions or just allocate the available space to one partition. If you choose to create multiple partition for whatever purpose, be sure to create them with sufficient size. I recommend partitions between 4-10 GB of size depending on what your plans are. If you plan to install a second Operating System, then an 8 to 10 GB partition would be best, but if your plans are merely to use a partition for backup purposes, then 4 to 6 GB may work fine.

You will now see all of the files loading to your hard drive from the installation CD. Once the files are loaded, Windows will automatically reboot your system. When you are given the "Press any key to boot from CD" message, do not hit any key. Just let your system continue loading to your hard drive.

You will be prompted from time to time to enter in specific setup information such as:

Region and Language

Name and Organization

Product License Key

Date and Time

User Name and Password

Note: Be sure to write down and save your user name and password. Create a Password Reset Disk just in case you forget your password.

Eventually, Windows will reboot your system again. It will take you directly to the Windows Activation screen. You will be given the option to activate now or within a 30 day period. I recommend you take the time to activate your copy now. If you don't, you will be bothered by on-screen reminders.Configuring TCP/IP Protocol

According to Microsoft Help and support;

Click start, click control panel, click network and Internet connections and then click network connections.

Right-click on the network interface and then click properties.

The following features are available.

Client for Microsoft networks

File an Printer Sharing

Quality of service

Internet Protocols TP/ IP

Click Internet protocols TCP / IP and then click properties Click use the following IP address (type in the correct addresses which do not conflict with each other) Click Ok and then Click Close.

You might need your computer's IP address if you set up an Internet connection, allow other people to connect to your computer, or need to troubleshoot network problems.

1. Click to open Network and Sharing Center.2. Under Connection, click View status.

3. Click Details.

At the command prompt, type ping IP address of the computer you want to test, and then press Enter. To define the IP address and the subnet mask, follow these steps:

1. Right-click your LAN connection, and then click Properties.

2. Click Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), and then click Properties.

3. Click Use the following IP address, and then type the corresponding number combination. If you use 192.168.0.1 for the first computer, use 192.168.0.2 on the second computer, and 192.168.0.3 for the third computer, and so on. The subnet mask stays the same for all the computers. Use 255.255.255.0 for this, as recommended.

4. Click OK, and then click Close.Join or create a workgroup

According to Microsoft Help and Support Center;

When you set up a network, Windows automatically creates a workgroup and gives it a name. You can join an existing workgroup on a network or create a new one.

1. Click to open System.2. Under Computer Name, Domain, and Workgroup Settings, click Change settings. If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.3. Click the Computer Name tab, and then click Change.

4. Under Member of, click Workgroup, and then do one of the following:

To join an existing workgroup, type the name of the workgroup that you want to join, and then click OK.

To create a new workgroup, type the name of the workgroup that you want to create, and then click OK.

If you change the name of an existing workgroup, a new workgroup will be created with that name.

5. If your computer was a member of a domain before you joined the workgroup, it will be removed from the domain and your computer account on that domain will be disabled.

6. Note;If your network includes computers running WindowsXP, you might need to change the workgroup name on those computers to match the workgroup name on the computers running this version of Windows so that you can see and connect to all computers on your network. Find your computer's IP addressINSTALL AND CONFIGURE A PRINTER

According to Microsoft Help and Support Centre;

Every printer should come with the software used to install a printer in Windows. Although not all installations are the same the steps for installing this software should be similar to the below steps.

Connect the printer to the computer and a power outlet and make sure it's on.

Insert the CD that was included with the printer. If the CD does not automatically start the install program open My Computer, double-click on the CD drive, and then the Setup or Install file.

Sharing a Printer

To share a printer: Click Start, click Control Panel, click Printers and Other Hardware, and then click View installed printers or fax printers. Right-click the printer, and then click Sharing If you have already shared a folder or a drive, printer sharing is already activated. Otherwise you must first enable remote access. To do so, click the Security warning message, click Just enable printer sharing, and then click OK You can now share the printer. Click Share this printer, type a share name, and then click OK.

How to share printer in a network

Click Start, click Control Panel, click Printers and Faxes, and then click Add a printer After the Add Printer Wizard starts, click Next. Click A network printer, or a printer attached to another computer, and then click Next. Click Browse for a printer to find the printer in the network, and then click Next Look for the workgroup, look for the computer, look for the share name, and then click Next. Click Finish. Windows configures your printer and copies the printer driver over the network Your printer appears.You can use the network printer like a local printer if the corresponding computer is turned on.

How to share folder in a network Locate a folder on the computer. Right-click the file that you want to share, and then click Sharing and Security to view additional settings. Click Share this folder on the network, and then type a share name. You can use this name later to access the data. The share name and the folder name do not have to be the same. Specify whether the data that is accessed over the network can be changed, and then click OK.The icon for the shared folder appears with a picture of a hand:

To access the shared folder, click Start, click My Computer, and then click My Network Places. You can access the shared folder in the following ways: Click View workgroup computers, double-click the computer names (either as Computer name or as Computer description [Computer name]), and then search for the name of the shared file.

TASK THREE