LAN Setup?

[orirunaway]

Sorry to bother a lot, but does anyone can direct me to a complete reference wherein I can learn how to setup a LAN?

[PrntRhd]

The LAN setups keep changing because the technology and standards keep changing, and the reference books are written after the fact (and are instantly out of date).
I would use the Internet to get more current information.

Two links that may help:
http://www.wown.com/
http://www.practicallynetworked.com/networking/

[Variable]

If you buy a router it will come with instructions on how to set up a LAN. The manufacturers web site can be very helpful too, as you can bet, the question has been asked before. I was configuring a DSL router this morning and used the Netopia site to help me answer a question I had.

The only hard part in creating a basic LAN is if you have multiple routers. Otherwise, it's mostly plug and play. The problem people have when setting up a network is, not understanding basic WINDOWS networking. There are two ways to set up a network with Windows. Using Simple File Sharing or using NTFS permissions. Permission problems are the root of most networking woes, hence MS implmentation of Simple File Sharing - which doesn't use permissions. It runs off the guest account.

If you use a router and default Windows settings your TCP/IP issues dissapear. The router will assign all the relevant information by default, using DHCP. It will also NAT your internal network so that, the internal side is hidden from the outside. Two routers both doing NAT can cause problems with port assignments. Ports are used by applications to communicate with the operating system. Each application/protocol uses a different port. Sometimes, with a router, you will need to open a port so that an application can communicate past the router. This is simply a matter of finding the port or ports, the application uses and opening that port to allow pass-through traffic. The manual will have instructions on how to do this. It is very easy to do if - you understand what ports do and which ones your using.

Having a general idea of the concepts behind what is going on is crucial when you get into the nuts and bolts of actually creating a network. Problems arrise when people have no idea what they are trying to do, and compound their issue by changing things willy nilly. If you delve right into the minutia of networking you will get lost in the data. So understanding basic concepts, once again, is the key to being successful.

V