Do it yourself: building your network
			• Get wired
			• Hook it all    together
			• Ready, set up,    go!
			Soup it up: adding the extras
			Keep it simple: network alternatives

The brand of card isn't important, but make sure each one works with your operating system. An absolutely safe bet for matching your OS is to check the box to see whether the card is compatible with the Novell NE2000 card. The NE2000 is a time-honored design that works with all of the operating systems for IBM-PC-compatible computers.

Network cards come in two basic flavors, ISA and PCI. Most computers can use ISA cards, which are a little slower and less sophisticated. ISA cards are designed for a standard 16-bit slot. PCI cards work in newer Pentiums, are a faster and more advanced, and fit in a PCI slot. PCI cards are a bit more expensive but probably worth the cost if your computer can use them.

Make sure that the card you choose also has the correct cable connector, UTP or thin Ethernet. Many cards come with both kinds, enabling you to change your cabling system later without buying new cards.

At your local computer superstore, you should find basic 10-mbps Ethernet network interface cards for about $25. The cheapest cards require you to run an installation program to set them up. Avoid cards that aren't plug-and-play and don't have installation software!

Thin Ethernet and adapter cards
Now it's time for the fun part: getting into your computer's guts. If you're using thin Ethernet cable, read the directions just below; if you're using UTP, skip down to the second set of steps.

1. Turn off your computer, remove the cover, and insert a card into a free slot.

2. You now need a T-connector and two 50-ohm terminator plugs. As you might suspect, the T-connector is T-shaped, with two BNC ports to which you can attach cables. Terminator plugs look like T-connectors without BNC ports, and cap off the end of the network. Both the T-connector and the terminator plugs should come with your network card. If not, you can pick them up where you buy the cards.

3. Attach a T-connector to the BNC port on your network card. For a two-PC network, put a terminator plug on one of the ports on each of the T-connectors.

4. Connect the two computers by attaching the Ethernet cable to the other T-connector port. If your network has more than two PCs, the ones in the middle of the network will have cables attached to both T-connector ports, while the PCs on each end of the network will have one cable and one terminator each.

Once you've connected all the cables, you've completed the hardware part of the network installation.

UTP cable and adapter cards
1. Turn off your computer, remove the cover, and insert a card into a free slot.

2. Plug one end of the UTP cable into the NIC port. Your 10BaseT hub should already be plugged into an electrical outlet that's centrally located among all the computers in your network.

3. Insert the other end of each computer's UTP cable into a port in the hub, and your hardware installation is complete.

Ready, set up, go!