Creating a Small Office or Home Network
Rob Tidrow, Jim Boyce, Jeffrey R. Shapiro · 2017
Windows 10 includes features that remove the complexities commonly associated with network configurations. This chapter describes how to configure Windows for different types of hardware setups. To create a local area network (LAN), user needs a plan and special hardware to make that plan work. For one thing, each computer needs a device known as a network interface card (NIC) or Ethernet card. Windows 10 will detect the hardware and start the setup automatically. Ethernet LANs provide the fastest speeds but require running special Ethernet cables. Wireless networking provides complete freedom from cables and wires. On a notebook computer, user can use a PC Card NIC, USB NIC, or an integrated wireless network card to connect to the network. The main trick to wireless networking is setting up the access point. This is done by configuring one computer with a static IP address and connecting it to the access point with a wired connection.