Chapter Five

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Chapter Five

• Networking
• Hardware

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Network Interface Cards (NICs)

• Connectivity devices enabling a workstation,
  server, printer or other node to receive and
  transmit data over the network media
• Sometimes called network adapters

10/100 Ethernet 14.95
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Network Interface Cards (NICs)

• Usually contain data transceiver
• Belong to Physical and Data Link layers
• Apply data signals to wire
• Assemble and disassemble data frames
• Interpret physical addressing information
• Determine which node has right to transmit data
  at any given instant

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Network Interface Cards (NICs)

• NICs come in variety of types depending on
• Access method
• Network transmission speed
• Connector interfaces
• Type of compatible motherboard or device
• Manufacturer
• NIC Types
• Industry Standard Architecture (ISA)
• MicroChannel Architecture (MCA)
• Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA)
• Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI)
• PCI Express (PCIx)

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Internal Bus Standards

• Bus circuit used by motherboard to transmit data
  to computers components
• Including memory, processor, hard disk, and NIC
• Capacity defined principally by
• Width of data path (number of bits that can be
  transmitted in parallel)
• Clock speed
• Expansion slots allow devices to connect to
  computers expanded bus
• Devices found on circuit board called an
  expansion card

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PCI and PCI Express

• Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) 32- or
  64-bit bus with 33- or 66-MHz clock speed
• Maximum data transfer rate is 264 MBps
• Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) original PC
  bus type
• PCI Express specifies 64-bit bus with 133-MHz
  clock speed
• Capable of up to 500 MBps per data path
• Efficient data transfer, support for quality of
  service distinctions, error reporting and
  handling, and compatibility with current PCI
  software

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Identifying Cards
8-bit PC bus
ISA bus
EISA bus
MicroChannel bus
PCI bus
VESA (Video Electronics Standards Association)
VESA bus
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Expansion Slots
ISA and EISA
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Expansion Slots
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NIC Card Data Translation
transceiver
serial data
16-bit parallel data
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Network Interface Cards (NICs)

• Personal Computer Memory Card International
  Association (PCMCIA) adapter connect external
  devices to most laptop computers
• PC Card First PCMCIA adapter
• Specified 16-bit interface running at 8 MHz
• Developed in the early 1990s to provide a
  standard interface for connecting any type of
  device to a portable computer
• CardBus 32-bit interface running at 33 MHz
• ExpressCard 26-pin interface, offering data
  transfer rates of 250 MBps in each direction

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Network Interface Cards (NICs)
Typical PCMCIA NIC
Parallel port NIC
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Network Interface Cards (NICs)
CardBus NIC
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Network Interface Cards (NICs)
Wireless NIC and transceivers
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Peripheral Bus Standards

• USB standard interface used to connect multiple
  types of peripherals
• USB 1.1 and USB 2.0
• FireWire codified by IEEE as IEEE 1394
• Can be used to connect many types of peripherals
• Can connect computers on a small network
• 4-pin and 6-pin connectors
• CompactFlash most likely found connecting
  devices too small to handle PCMCIA slots

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Peripheral Bus Standards
USB NIC
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Network Interface Cards (NICs)

• First install hardware, then software
• May have to configure firmware
• Set of data or instructions saved to a ROM
  electrically erasable programmable read-only
  memory (EEPROM)
• Always read manufacturers documentation and
  follow proper safety procedures
• Multiple NICs may be installed
• Jumper plastic piece with metal receptacle
• Dual inline package (DIP) switch indicates
  parameter setting

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Installing NIC Hardware

• Have the proper tools and turn off the computer
• Medium-size Phillips screwdriver
• Medium-size flathead screwdriver
• 1/4-inch nut driver
• Small flathead screwdriver (1/8 inch)
• Needle nose pliers
• Ground Strap
• Penlight
• Attach ground strap to wrist and make sure its
  attached to ground strap underneath computer
• Open computer case
• Select a slot on the computers system board
  where you will insert the NIC
• Properly line up the NIC and insert

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Installing NIC Hardware
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Protecting Your System

• Computers and data can be destroyed by static
  electricity (ESD or electrostatic discharge)
• Practical protection against damage
• Never touch the inside of a computer when it is
  turned on
• Be grounded relative to the computer
• Discharge any static electricity you may have by
  touching the metal part of the computer case
  while it is plugged in to the wall outlet.

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Installing NIC Hardware

• Attach bracket at end of NIC
• Make sure nothing is disturbed or left inside
• Replace cover and screws

Properly inserted NIC
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Installing NIC Hardware
Installing a PCMCIA NIC
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Installing and Configuring NIC Software

• After NIC is physically installed, restart the PC
• Unless plug-and-play technology is disabled,
  Windows 95 should automatically detect the new
  hardware
• To make certain the correct driver is installed,
  choose Have Disk, and insert the disk that came
  with the NIC

Windows 95 prompt for hardware drivers
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Installing and Configuring NIC Software

• Device driver software enabling attached device
  to communicate with computers OS
• Must ensure that correct device driver installed
  and configured properly for the NIC
• To install from Windows XP interface, need
  Windows XP software and NICs device drivers
• Can usually download NIC software from
  manufacturers Web site
• Installing NIC drivers on UNIX or Linux depends
  somewhat on OS version

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Interpreting LED Indicators

• NICs may have one or more of following lights
• ACT if blinking, indicates that NIC is either
  transmitting or receiving data
• If solid, heavy network traffic volume
• LNK if lit, NIC is functional
• In some models, if blinking, NIC detects network
  but cannot communicate with it
• TX if blinking, NIC is functional and
  transmitting frames
• RX if blinking, NIC is functional and receiving
  frames

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IRQ (Interrupt Request Line)

• Means by which a computer can request information
  from the CPU
• If two devices choose the same IRQ, resource
  conflicts and performance problems will result
• If IRQ conflicts occur, set the devices IRQ
  manually

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IRQ (Interrupt Request Line)

• Message to computer instructing it to stop what
  it is doing and pay attention to something else
• Interrupt circuit board wire over which device
  issues voltage to signal IRQ
• IRQ number means by which bus understands which
  device to acknowledge
• Range from 0 to 15

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IRQ (Interrupt Request Line)

• If IRQ conflicts occur, you must reassign
  devices IRQ
• Through OS
• Through adapters EEPROM configuration utility or
  computers CMOS configuration utility
• Complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS)
  microchip that stores settings pertaining to
  computers devices
• Basic input/output system (BIOS) instructions
  enabling computer to initially recognize hardware

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IRQ in Windows XP

• Right-click My Computer
• Click Properties
• Click Device Manager
• See View Resources by connection

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Memory Range and Base I/O Port

• Memory range
• Hexadecimal number indicating the area memory
  that the NIC and CPU will use for exchanging, or
  buffering, the data
• Some memory ranges reserved for specific devices
• NICs typically use memory range in high memory
  area
• A0000FFFFF
• Some manufacturers prefer certain range
• Base I/O port
• Setting that specifies, in hexadecimal notation,
  which area of memory will act as a channel for
  moving data between the NIC and CPU
• Devices base I/O port cannot be used by any
  other device
• Most NICs use two memory ranges for this channel
• Base I/O port settings identify beginning of each
  range

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Firmware Settings

• Modify NICs transmission characteristics
• When changing firmware settings, actually writing
  to NICs EEPROM chip
• Need bootable disk containing configuration or
  install utility shipped with NIC
• NIC configuration utilities
• View IRQ, I/O port, base memory, node address
• Perform diagnostics
• To perform entire group of diagnostic tests on
  utility disk, must have loopback plug

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Loopback plug

• Plugs into port and crosses over the transmit
  line to the receive line so that the outgoing
  signal can be redirected back into the computer
  for testing
• Used with diagnostic software from vendors
• Pin 1 White/Orange
• Pin 2 Orange/White
• Pin 3 White/Orange
• Pin 6 Orange/White

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Choosing the Right NIC

• Automatic Speed Selection
• CPU on NICs
• Diagnostic LEDs
• Direct Memory Access
• RAM Buffering

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Choosing the Right NIC
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Choosing the Right NIC