Simply Digital

Episode 9: Basic Networking

The topic of computer networking can be somewhat intimidating, but once you understand that basic building blocks of what makes up a network, it’s really quite simple. Armed with the right information, you can troubleshoot a network problem, share your broadband Internet connection, or even create a complete network of your own.

In episode 9, Michael Ashby and Analog Dave talk about the basics of a local area network (LAN). There are a lot of terms and acronyms, but each term is explained in detail and the show notes have plenty of further information.

Show Notes

• We updated our recording equipment, so all future episodes should sound much better.
• As a reminder, we don’t tell Analog Dave what the show topic is going to be so that he can be fresh and act as our “watch dog” for the topic to make sure that we cover all the bases.

1. What Is A Network?
   • Two or more computing devices connected together. More at Wikipedia.
   • These can be computers, pdas, Gameboys
   • The Internet is also a network
   • There have been a wide variety of network types, or protocols, but the most popular network is based on TCP/IP (which stands for Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol).
   • This is the same protocol that is used for the Internet
   • Because of WiFi, or wireless networking, the idea of having a network in the home is becoming more and more popular.
2. What Is A LAN?
   • LAN stands for Local Area Network
   • If you’re setting up a home network, you’re setting up a LAN.
   • If your office has a network, then it too is a LAN, although you might call it a corporate LAN, or corporate network.
   • All a LAN is, is a group of networked computers. It’s a fancier and easier to say term.
3. The Building Blocks Of A LAN
   • What Is Ethernet?
     • It is a standard network cable that is used on most networks. It’s just a cable.
     • You use an Ethernet cable to connect your computer to other LAN devices, such as a hub, or switch.
   • What Is A Hub?
     • A hub is a device that connects multiple network devices together.
     • Depending on how many “ports” you have on the hub, you can connect that many computers. 10 port hub can connect 10 computers together, etc.
   • What Is A Switch?
     • A switch is similar to a hub, except that it’s faster and more secure.
     • A hub is not discreet, but a switch is.
     • If given the choice, we recommend that you purchase a switch over a hub.
   • What Is A Router?
     • A router is a device that connects two networks and routes the data between them.
     • Most often in a home network, a router is used to connect your LAN to the Internet, thereby sharing your Internet connection with all of the computers in your home.
     • Regardless of the type of high speed Internet connection is, a router would connect the same way.
     • Technically, you are sharing your Internet connection with your other computers, which means that one user could use up most of the bandwidth. In other words, the other users would have a slower connection; however; this isn’t something you usually have to worry about. The “bandwidth hog” would have to be doing something very intensive online for the other users to notice a slowdown.
     • For more on routers and firewalls, we recommend that you listen to Episode 2: Firewalls.
   • What Is A Firewall?
     • This is a hardware or software device that protects a LAN from an outside network (typically the Internet)
     • For our purposes, all consumer routers will include a firewall.
     • With today’s consumer routers, they often include switches, wifi, and many other services as well
     • Again, for more on routers and firewalls, we recommend that you listen to Episode 2: Firewalls.
   • What Is A IP Address?
     • Every computer or device that is on a TCP/IP network (LAN or Internet) is given a unique number. This number is called an IP Address, or Internet Protocol Address.
     • The purpose of an IP Address is to ensure that each computer/device can be uniquely identified on the network.
     • Without this numbering system, information could get lost because the network wouldn’t know which computer to send the information to.
     • A LAN IP address can often look like 192.168.1.10
   • What Is A Network Card (NIC)?
     • A Network Card (NIC) is really nothing more than an adapter that connects your computer to a network.
     • A NIC can be wired or wireless.
     • If wired, an Ethernet cable is needed to physically connect your computer/device to the rest of the network.
     • If a wireless NIC is used, then a wireless access point is required on the network that you wish to connect to.
     • Most modern computers have network cards built-in and most laptops also include a wireless nic as well.
4. How Do I Share My Broadband Internet Connection?
   • You need to use a router.
   • The router sits between your computer and your broadband modem.
   • Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) typically supplies you with an IP address for your computer. When you install a router, the router will be assigned this public IP address
   • A pubic IP address is an IP address that can be “seen” on the Internet.
   • Your router has the public IP address and then it assigns all the computers on your local LAN with private IP addresses. This is what secures your network.
   • Your computer has a private IP, meaning that no one on the Internet can see it, and the router acts as a conduit to “go out and get what you need” off of the Internet.
5. What Is The Difference Between A Static And Dynamic IP Address
   • When IP addresses are assigned to a computer, they can be a dynamic IP, or a static IP.
   • A static IP address simply means that it never changes. It is a permanent assignment of a unique IP to a particular computer/device.
   • A dynamic IP is an IP address that is assigned out of a pool of numbers and can change over time.
   • Dynamic IP addresses are the most common and easiest to use.
   • Static IP addresses are good for when you want to connect to a specific device and know that it’ll always be at that address.
     • Perhaps you want to network a printer. In this case you will want the printer to have a static IP so that your computer will always be able to find it and print.
     • Or perhaps you’d like to be able to reach your LAN via the network when you’re away from your home/office. If your ISP assigns your router a dynamic IP address, it makes it harder to reach your network. There are ways around this problem, such as using Dynamic DNS, but a static IP would be an easier solution.
6. Is There A Way To Access My Home LAN When I’m Not At Home?
   • This is a somewhat advanced topic, but if you’re looking for an easy way to access your home PC when you’re away from home, we highly recommend Avvenu. It’s a free service and easy to use.
   • You install a small application on your computer (Windows only as of this recording) that connects you to Avvenu.
   • When you’re away from home, you log into the Avvenu web site with your web browser and you can access the data on your home PC.
   • You can install Avvenu on as many computers as you want and access them all via one web page.
   • It’s important to note that Avvenu only allows you access to the data on your computer, you’re not taking control of your computer remotely. So you’ll be able to grab a Word document, or .mp3, but you’re not opening Microsoft Word on your home computer, or launching your e-mail client.
7. Important Router Tips
   • If you’re installing a router on your network, it’s VERY important that you change the default password for the router.
     • Install your router between your computer and your cable modem.
     • Look in the “Quick Start Guide” that came with your router and see what the default IP address is for your router. It’s usually something like 192.168.1.1
     • In your web browser (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, etc), type in the IP address for your router. This will load the administrator web page for your router.
     • Log in using the default settings that are listed in the “Quick Start Guide”
     • Browse to the area where you can change the password. The default is usually “password”, so change it to something that you can remember.
     • If you want to make sure that your password is as secure as possible, we recommend that you use the “Perfect Passwords” Generator on the GRC.com web site.
   • We recommend that you turn off “Remote Management” on your router.
     • It could be called something other than Remote Management, so check your manual, but this is typically a check box in the control panel of your router.
     • To access the control panel, you just type in the IP address of the router into your web browser (see above for details).
     • Remote Management allows you to access the router control panel from outside your network. This means that you could access it via the Internet
     • It’s not a good idea because if your password is cracked, then anyone could take complete control of your router.
   • We recommend you turn off UPnP (Universal Plug and Play)
     • Unless you know that you specifically need this feature, go ahead and turn it off on the router.
     • You turn off this feature in the router’s control panel. For details on how to access it, see above.
   • Secure Your Wi-Fi
     • This is a topic for a future podcast, but if you use a wireless (aka Wi-Fi) router, be sure to encrypt your wireless signal. This will secure your wireless signal.
     • If you don’t secure your signal, anyone in range with a wireless NIC could access your network.
     • We recommend that you use WPA Encryption.
     • This create an additional password just for your wireless users.
     • You set up your wireless encryption on the router, through the control panel. This is where you choose the type of encryption and what the password is.
     • Then you enter the password each of the wireless computers/devices on your network.
   • Bookmark the address to your router’s control panel, so that you can easily find it in the future.
   • Good rule of thumb: If you’re trying to use an online service, such as video chat, and it’s not working as you expect, chances are good that you have to open a port on your router.
8. Travel Tips
   • Open and free Wi-Fi, such as what you might find at a hotel or coffee shop, is not secure.
   • Connections in a hotel, including wired networks, are rarely secure.
   • Why is this important? Well, if you travel with a laptop and are looking to connect to the Internet, most of what you’re doing is not secure and could be seen by other users.
   • To secure your connection, you need a Virtual Private Network (VPN)
   • We recommend that you use a service like HotSpotVPN to secure all of your traffic - wired or wireless.
   • Also, check with your company, they may have a VPN connection available to it’s employees for free.

For More Information:

• Security Now #27: How LANs Work, Pt. 1
• Security Now #3: How the Internet Works, Part 1

The Bottom Line
Once you know the basic building blocks of a network, it is fairly easy to create one for yourself. In fact it works much like the familiar song Dem Bones song. The NIC connects to a hub or switch, the switch connects to the router and the router connects to the Internet, etc.

If you have more than one computer at home, that’s a great opportunity to create a small home network. Start with a router and work out from there. Today’s routers come with a lot of built-in network components (switch, firewall, wifi access point), so it’s a great place to start. Once you’re comfortable with that piece, you can branch out from there.

Add comment October 18th, 2006

Episode 8: Mobile Phones

Mobile phones are everywhere these days and it seems there are new features being offered by providers left and right. Camera phones, text messaging, television, downloadable music and a truckload of acronyms to go with all these new technologies. How to make sense of it all?

In Episode 8, Michael Ashby and Analog Dave walk you through a series of questions to help you find the best phone and mobile plan that best suits your needs. If you can answer six questions, you’ll be armed with everything you need to know about getting a new mobile phone.

Show Notes

• Analog Dave just purchased a new mobile phone and so did our friend Dan, which is what prompted the idea for this week’s topic.
• Mobile phones have changed a lot since the early days.
  • Analog Dave’s first experience with mobile phones was in the late 70’s with a walkie-talkie style radio dispatch solution. He would push to talk to a dispatcher who would connect the them to the party they were calling. This was more than likely an “autopatch” conversation done on the Amateur Radio Network. Hey, we don’t call him Analog Dave for nothin’
  • Michael’s first experience with mobile phones were with the “bag phones” in the 80’s.
  • When Michael first met his wife, then potential girlfriend, he was impressed that she had a true car phone, which was permanently installed in her car. He was impressed because car phones were quite rare during that time (1988).
• If you’re looking at a new mobile phone, what questions do you need to answer?
  1. What Carrier/Operator Is Strongest In Your Area?
     • Most carriers/operators have coverage maps that you can reference. It’s important to look at these maps to ensure that you’ll have coverage in the areas that you expect to be in.
     • Unfortunately, those coverage maps are best case scenarios, so it’s best to ask around and find what other people are using in your area and if they like their coverage. T-Mobile may be great in San Francisco, but not-so-great where you live, so ask around.
     • Also, be sure to check and see if there is a 30-day money back guarantee. If you’re not satisfied, for whatever reason, you can return the phone and get your money back. Most US carriers do.
     • It’s important to check your coverage in the places that you most frequent. It can be a real pain if you have no coverage at home for example.
     • Analog Dave is on Cingular and Michael Ashby is on Sprint and has been since 1998.
     • Bear in mind, that some rural have no coverage regardless of the carrier/operator. Fall Creek Falls, here in Tennessee, comes to mind. There is no mobile phone coverage in that part of Tennessee.
     • Make Sure That The Phone You Want Is Offered By The Carrier/Operator
     • For example, if you want a Danger Hiptop, you’re only going to be able to get that device/phone on T-Mobile, which markets the product as the “Sidekick”. This is the phone that Veronica uses on the TV show “Veronica Mars“
     • If rural areas are places that you frequent, make sure to check to see that the phone you’re looking to buy supports analog service and not just digital.
     • As you might imagine, Analog Dave likes analog phones, aka “Cellular“, because the signal degraded gradually, versus digital networks, which lose the signal much faster.
  3. What Features Are You Looking For?
     • Today, all mobile phones can do more than just voice. What would you like your phone to do?
     • Most carriers/operators provide voice mail, caller ID, etc, but there are services that are unique, or are not included that you want to be aware of.
     • Mobile-to-Mobile - this is where calls to other customers on the same network are free. This is good if your family and/or friends are all on the same network. Chances are, there are certain people that you call on a regular basis. If you’re all on the same mobile network, those calls could be free.
     • Nights and Weekends - off peak hours are usually included free. This means that if you place calls after a certain time, those minutes don’t count against you. Check with your carrier/operator to see when those free hours start. For some it’s 6pm, other 7pm, etc.
     • Text Messaging - also known as SMS or Short Message Service. This is a feature that allows you to send text messages between mobile phones. This is very popular with young people since they are often limited to very strict voice plans and text messaging is less expensive. Alternative input methods, such as T9 make “typing” easier on your phone, but most adults don’t have the patience to use this service. Text messaging isn’t always included in your plan, so be sure to check and see if it’s included and how many messages are included.
     • Multimedia Messaging Service - is an expansion on basic text messaging, in that you can send photos and videos. This feature is dependent on your phone however. If your phone has a camera in it, then you can usually take advantage of this feature. Most carriers/operators charge for MMS, so see if it is included in your plan, otherwise you’ll be charged per message sent. Camera phones are quite popular, but you need to think about how you’ll share those photos with other people.
     • Push-To-Talk - works much like a walkie-talkie, in that you push a button to speak to someone else. Originally this service was limited to the Nextel network, but now other networks are beginning to support this type of communication. Service industries tend to prefer this type of communication because of it’s immediacy and because they aren’t charged minutes.
     • Internet/Data Access - Many phones, not just PDA or Smartphones, have limited Internet access. Sometimes you’re limited to a spoon fed version using technology called WAP, but you’ll need to check the specific phone that you’re purchasing to see what level of access it offers. With a Smartphone you typically have unfettered access to the Internet and a larger screen in which to browse.
     • Rollover Minutes - Certain carriers allow you to “rollover” unused minutes from one month to the next. In the US only Cingular is the only carrier/operator that offers this service. Minutes accrue from month-to-month for up to one year. If your mobile phone plan typically has 500 minutes and you only use 250, then the remaining 250 are carried over to the next month. This feature typically allows you to save money by selecting a smaller package of minutes, since you’ll bank minutes from previous months.
     • Family Plans - Many carriers/operators allow you to bundle several phones into one plan in order to share minutes. These are often called family plans. Each mobile phone have their own phone number, but you can save money sharing one plan instead of having distinct plans for each phone.
  4. What Type Of User Are You?
     • This topic stemmed from an article by Michael Mace entitled “The myth of the smartphone market“
     • Depending on the “type” of user that you are will dictate what type of mobile phone plan is best suited for you.
     • No Frills - someone who only wants a phone for making voice calls. Doesn’t want to pay for anything extra.
     • Communication Enthusiast - someone who wants to use their mobile device to connect to other people. Voice, text messaging, video, e-mail, etc. are all services that are important to this type of user. New technology that allows them to connect to others will be of interest to them and is a feature that they will pay extra for.
     • Entertainment Enthusiast - this is someone who looks to their mobile device for entertainment, so gaming, ringtones, television, etc. are all features that appeal to this type of user.
     • Information Enthusiast - if you are a doctor, lawyer, or similar profession, then chances are being able to access large amounts of information is of great importance to you. Being able to install 3rd party software in order to track time, read Office documents, or access a database are features that would appeal to this type of user. Smartphones are really the only devices that meet these needs.
     • AnalogDave recently upgraded his phone. He created a spreadsheet to compare features and services, but it was the little things that he missed. Such as the fact that his phone requires an adapter in order to use a standard wired headset.
  5. What Style Of User Are You?
     • Beyond the “type” of user you are, the next question to answer is what style of phone are you looking for. This also applies to the accessories that you plan to use as well.
     • Do you need your phone to be the smallest, thinnest phone on the market?
     • Do you plan on using a headset with the phone? If so, do you prefer wired, or wireless, or both? Simply Digital highly recommends using a headset when driving.
     • If you like the idea of using a wireless headset, then you’ll need to get a phone with Bluetooth. We plan on doing a show on this topic in the future, but suffice to say that Bluetooth is a wireless technology that allows to eliminate cables, such as the cable between your headset and your mobile phone.
     • Michael and Analog Dave prefer headsets with a longer boom style microphone. Michael’s favorite headset is the Plantronics MX505 Windsmart Boom Headset
  6. Do You Need A World Phone?
     • If you travel outside of the country that you live in, then you will need to investigate if your phone will work in other countries.
     • Many carriers/operators will allow you to use your phone in other countries if you add it to your package. In many cases, these add-ons can be for just one month. Michael was able to use his Sprint phone in Mexico for example when he went there on vacation.
     • In the United States, most mobile phones are “locked” into that specific carrier. In other words a T-Mobile phone won’t work on the Sprint network.
     • However, mobile phones that use the GSM network are more flexible. Because they use a special chip, called a SIM card, you can get an “unlocked” phone which allows you to use that phone on any GSM network.
     • If you travel to Europe, then your best bet is to have an unlocked GSM phone, because you can simply purchase a SIM card when you’re overseas and go back to your old SIM card when you return home. In the US, Cingular and T-Mobile use GSM networks.
     • If a GSM phone is “locked” then you would not be able to use that phone on any other network. To get an “unlocked” phone, then you typically spend a little bit more for the phone.
  7. Where Can You Get The Best Deal On a New Phone/Plan?
     • The best deals in the US are when you first sign up with a mobile carrier/operator. That is when phone discounts are the deepest.
     • Once you’re a customer, you typically have to wait until your contract expires before you will see any additional discounts on new phones.
     • However, you can usually change your plan at any time, so it’s a good idea to compare your current minutes package with the current offerings from your carrier at least once a year.
     • Sometimes when you change plans, they renew your contract from that date, so be sure to ask first. You don’t want to restart your contract cycle if you’re hoping to purchase a new phone, because you would lose any possible discounts on the phone itself.
     • To get a discount on a mobile phone, the mobile carrier/operator is typically subsidizing the phone. They’re selling it to you below cost and hoping to make it back up in your minutes plan.
     • For this reason, it’s best to get the phone that you want when you first sign up because you typically won’t find it for less at any other time.
     • Although contracts are designed to retain customers, they really force customers to jump networks in order to upgrade their phone.
     • If you do change networks, be sure to let the new carrier know that you plan on transferring your old phone number. Local Number Portability allows you to keep your phone number should you change networks.
• For More Information:
  • In the US, be sure to add your mobile number to the Do Not Call List to stop telemarketers from calling you on your mobile phone.
  • Be sure to test out a new phone before you buy it if at all possible. How hard is it to send a text message? How do you check voice mail? How do you set the phone to vibrate? If it’s too hard to use a feature, you’ll be VERY frustrated down the road.
  • Michael purchase a Sony Ericsson T608 without trying it first and was sorry that he did because the phone was too hard to use and very slow. Had he tested it first, he never would have purchased it.
  • The Treo line of smartphones from Palm, Inc. is Michael’s favorite mobile phone series because it’s so well designed and allows him to add any “features” that were missing.
  • European vs. American mobile phone use.

Add comment October 4th, 2006

E-mail Notifications Now Available

I don’t know why we didn’t think of this sooner, but we’ve just enabled e-mail subscriptions. If you would like to be notified when the Simply Digital web site has been updated, simply send us your e-mail address in the form in the sidebar on the right.

Once you’ve submitted your e-mail address, you will receive a confirmation e-mail from us to ensure that your address is valid. Simply click the link in the e-mail and you’ll be added to the mailing list.

It’s important to mention that your e-mail address will not be shared with any person or company. We firmly believe in e-mail privacy, so rest assured that your address will be kept confidential and will only be used for site updates.

We hope this new feature will prove helpful and if you run into any difficulty, please let us know.

2 comments October 1st, 2006

Sorry For The Delay

Just a quick apology about the lateness of Episode 7: VoIP. Our normal schedule is to release episodes every Wednesday. Episode 7, although dated for last Wednesday, wasn’t actually published until Sunday and we’re sorry for the delay.

The reasons for the tardiness are legion, but suffice to say that there were simply too many deadlines last week and we fell behind. We hope to have something to show for all the toil and trouble we’ve been through this past week in a few days, but until then, please accept our humble apologies.

We’re very grateful that you’ve chosen to be one of our listeners and we thank you for subscribing. We appreciate your patience and understanding and we will have everything back on schedule this coming Wednesday.

— Michael Ashby

Add comment October 1st, 2006