Absolute Beginner's Guide to Microsoft Windows® XP Media Center®

Types of Network Connections

Now that you know what to expect from your Media Center PC after your network is

up and running, let’s cover some basics. The first step in getting your PCs connected

to each other is to set up your physical network. This means making physical data

connections between the computers in your home. There is an ever-expanding list of

network architectures to choose from, but the most popular options for home net-

working today include Ethernet, wireless, phone line, and power line.

Ethernet

The “old standby” in networking, Ethernet cables

are one of the best supported and downright cheap-

est ways to get the job done. They can also provide

much faster network speeds (typically 100Mbps)

than the other options listed in this chapter, and

they are easier to keep secure than the new-fangled

and enormously popular wireless variety. Your

Media Center PC comes with a network interface

card (NIC) installed, so all you need to do is plug

an Ethernet cable into it, then plug the other end

into a device such as an Ethernet hub. Follow the

same procedure for your other PCs, and you’ll soon

be in business.

If this is your first networking experience, you

might consider buying a preconfigured Ethernet kit,

such as the one pictured in Figure 22.1.

CHAPTER 22 XP MEDIA CENTER AND YOUR HOME NETWORK

301

FIGURE 22.1

This inexpensive

kit from Linksys

contains two

NICs, cables,

drivers, and a

five-port hub.

If you only want to con-

nect two PCs, you can do it

without using a hub. Instead,

you’ll need a ”crossover cable.”

The cable is inexpensive, but it is a

specialty item that will probably

require a trip to the electronics

store. Using a standard Ethernet

cable won’t work. If you want to

network more than two comput-

ers, you’ll need a hub.

Wireless

Wireless networking is enjoying great popularity in the home market these days, pri-

marily because of the absence of (you guessed it!) wires.

Maybe your PCs are spread out around the house. Or maybe you have a mobile

computer, such as a laptop or tablet PC, that you want to be able to use in different

rooms as the mood strikes you. Maybe you just don’t want to bother trying to con-

ceal unsightly cables running from room to room. For any of these scenarios, a wire-

less network may be just the ticket.

Balancing out the flexibility issue are the less-than-stellar speed and security issues.

Achieving good signal strength from end to end of a home that is spread out, or that

contains building materials that aren’t conducive to wireless connections, can also

be a challenge.

Newer 802.11G equipment is now becoming widely available, and increasingly

affordable. These products offer faster data transmissions than popular 802.11B net-

works, which reach speeds of only 11Mbps. The 802.11G systems support data trans-

fers at 54Mbps (still only half of 100Mbps Ethernet). Whichever flavor of wireless

you settle on, you’ll need an “access point” device, which functions more or less like

an Ethernet hub without wires, and a wireless network adapter for each PC on the

network. For a typical example of a wireless access point, see Figure 22.2.

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ABSOLUTE BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO MICROSOFT WINDOWS XP MEDIA CENTER

FIGURE 22.2

The 802.11G

equivalent of an

Ethernet hub is

a wireless access

point, such as

this WAP54G

from Linksys.

Phone Line

A bit of a hybrid, the phone-line networking option offers simplicity, security, and

affordability, though not particularly high performance. Instead of laying new net-

work cables around your house, or relying on insecure airwaves to transmit data,

you just tap into your existing telephone lines. The technology is called HPNA, after

the Home Phoneline Networking Alliance which developed it. Speed for HPNA 2.0

adapters is limited to 10Mbps, which is comparable to 802.11B, the most pervasive

form of “Wi-Fi,” or wireless networking. All you need is an HPNA adapter (such as