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

One important piece of advice: write down any and all settings you make for your network cards and keep them in a safe place. You may need to know some of the settings when configuring other network software.

First, boot up one of the computers in the network. If you bought a plug-and-play card and are running an operating system like Windows 95 that knows how to take advantage of it, the card should set itself up automatically. The OS will recognize your card and set up the IRQ and I/O address correctly.

If your operating system doesn't recognize a newly installed network card, you'll need to help it out. In Windows 95, you can use the Add New Hardware icon on the Control Panel; in other operating systems, the procedure may be different. The Add New Hardware program will walk you through locating and configuring your card's I/O and IRQ addresses.

If your operating system still doesn't recognize the card, or if the card doesn't work correctly, you may need to configure it through DOS. Consult the documentation that came with your card to find out how to do this.

Windows NT and Windows for Workgroups aren't always quite so clever at recognizing a new network card. However, you can make them find the card by opening the Control Panel, double-clicking the Networks icon, and using the Add Adapter option. Many versions of Unix, including Linux and FreeBSD, will find most cards on their own. And all operating systems, including Windows, are constantly changing how you can add new hardware, so check your documentation before you get started.

To make sure your card is installed correctly, double-click the System icon in the Control Panel. When the System Properties dialog box appears, click the Device Manager tab; then double-click Network Adapters. If there's a red mark over the icon beside your card's name, you need to try reinstalling the card. If there's no red mark, your card is ready to go.

The whole setup process should take about an hour from the time you break the shrink wrap on your network cards. Once the hardware and software are running, you'll be able to set up your computers to share files and printers.

Soup it up: adding the extras