By Parfla Gush

Disclaimer

This article was written, for the most part, off the top of my head, and is believed to be as accurate as that. Any inconsistencies can be reported, however not necessarily acknowledged. I cannot be held liable for any damages done to a computer resulting from this document. Follow these instructions at your own risk.

Introduction.

There comes a time in out gaming lives, that playing alone becomes.. well, lonely. And some of us who are hard into playing games across the internet often find communication difficult, especially when cooperative and team play is a preference. It is also an added bonus to be able to hear you victim's curses, and have him hear your evil sadistic laughter as you plug him repeatedly full of bullets. This is where LAN (Local Area Network) gaming comes into play.

There's no Boogie Man in the LAN.

Now some folks may be very intimidated by networking, but let me offer some reassurance. You don't need a college degree to set up a LAN in your home or office. Since the beginning of computer networks, to today's available resources, networking has become quite simple, and inexpensive. Now days, you can set up a simple network easily for under $150 US.

Let's get started.

Before you go out and fork out your hard earned lawn mowing money on some networking equipment, you need to decide what type of network you are going to assemble. For this article, we will demonstrate the typical Windows9x network. Luckily, all the software you need is supplied with your copy of Windows95, 98, or ME. The speed of the network we recommend should be a Fast Ethernet, or 10/100 . The 10/100 means it can support either 10baseT OR 100baseTX speeds. Simple 10 base networks are beginning to become obsolete, since they are slower. Although cheaper, it would be in your best interests to buy the faster 100 base components. Now you just need to decide how many computers you will need your network to support. For demonstration purposes, we will set up a 5-port LAN.

Let's make a quick list of what you will need. You should be able to find all of your supplies at your local computer shop or network specialty store.

You will need:

* A network hub or two. Hubs come in many different sizes. They range from 2 ports up to as many as 24+, and also support different speeds. I recommend a hub that supports 10/100. The 10/100's are nice, as they will work for either 10baseT or 100baseTX connections from an NIC. However you will certainly want the 100 base as these are much faster. You'll probably want 5-ports or more. I have seen these hubs for as low as $60.

* PCI Network Interface Card (NIC). Each computer needs an NIC. There are various speeds of NIC's. PCI are faster, and will work in all Pentium+ class systems. Again, you'll want a card that supports the 100 base. These are usually listed as 10/100, and they support both 10 base and 100 base. I recommend getting a plug-and-play jumperless card. Plug and play makes it easier to juggle IRQ's around without having to yank it from your machine every time an IRQ changes. Price ranges from $15 (US) to $70 (US).

* Network cables. CAT 5 (category 5) network cables with RJ45 plugs on each end. You can usually buy these assembled 25 feet or less, or you can buy the cable and ends separately. I recommend buying them assembled. Usually about $15 ea. (US) or less. Also, make certain that you avoid picking up crossover cables. Crossover cables are used for a straight computer connection from one computer to another without using a hub. If you only have two computers, this is a cheap way to go without purchasing a hub, but if you want more than two, get the standard cables. You can verify these by comparing the ends. On straight through cables, the colors on each end are in an identical order. Crossover cables are different on each end.

* Computers. Of course. Have you buddies bring their PC's over to the party, unless you've got the cash to buy a full set of gaming machines for them. They need to have Windows95, 98 or ME installed.

Some manufacturers offer a bundle of NICs with a hub and cables. This is usually a good way to go, as you can save some dollars. Netgear and SOHO are some brands that have these bundles available. It may also be a good idea to have those persons interested in hooking up and playing with you on your LAN to buy their OWN NICs and cables, or pitch in for the network bundle. Just be sure that you have enough ports on the hub to support the number of computers you desire to connect. (ex. 5-port=5 computers).