All together now!
Written: Oct 26 '00 (Updated Oct 26 '00)
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Pros: Great kit for networking with everything you need!
Cons: None that I'm aware of!
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| moneymaker2000's Full Review: NetGear SB104 Network Starter Kit Networking Hub |
I'll be the first to tell you that I don't know a lot about networking but this kit makes it so easy that even someone like myself can do it! I must admit that because of my lack of knowledge, I was a little nervous about doing it by myself but with a little help from a couple of my associates, it turned out to be rather easy!
First off, I bought this kit at Staples for $75.53 which included the tax and it came with the following:
2 25' cables
1 Four port hub
2 Network cards
1 Power adapter
1 Wall mount kit
2 User & setup guides
1 Drivers & diagnostic disk
Now, for the benefit of those that don't know what networking is, in simple terms, it's a way of linking two or more computers together. The reason for doing this is to be able to share what you have on one computer with the other computer(s) such as your files and your printer! I also acquired a program called i.Share by Artisoft which I used to share my internet connection as well!
I'm going to tell you, step by step, what I did to install this kit and how I got everything to work properly! Please understand that I don't claim to be an expert at this so I'll be talking in a language that most people should understand!
Step #1
The first thing you need to do is to install the hub which, in my opinion, was one of the easier things to do! All you have to do is plug in the power adapter to the back of the hub and then plug it into a nearby outlet! The hub should be at the main computer and you should make sure that it is easily accessible because you're going to be linking the other computer(s) to this! Also, on the right side of the hub will be a button that says normal and uplink next to it and it should be in the normal position!
Step #2
The next thing you'll need to do is to install the network cards into each of the computers that you intend to link together! You need to remove the cover from each computer making sure that you've turned it off and unplugged it first! If you'll look on the back of your computer, you'll notice at the bottom several narrow plates that are each held there by a small screw! Unscrew one and slide that plate right out replacing it with one of the network cards and securing it in place with that same screw! Once you've done that, put the cover back on and reconnect the power cord to the computer!
Step #3
You'll need to plug in the two 25' cables into any of the four slots that are on the front of the hub and then each one is plugged into the computers! This is so easy to do that it requires no further instruction so, once this is done, you can proceed to the next step!
Step #4
You're now ready to install the network drivers on each computer but you'll need to have your windows CD (if you have one) and the drivers & diagnostic disk to do it! Before starting the installation, decide on a name for your network and for each computer because when the network window opens, it's going to ask you for this information!
Turn on your computer and allow it to load whatever windows platform you're working off of! At some point, it's going to tell you that it's found new hardware and at this point, you want to click next which should bring you to an update device driver wizard!
Insert the floppy disk that has your drivers on it and then click next on the screen! It will then load your drivers and once it's done, you can click the finish button! You will then be required to restart your computer but make sure the disk is removed first before doing so!
Step #5
This is not a required step but it's one that I did just to verify the cards were installed! First, double-click on my computer then control panel then system and once there, you'll want to click on device manager! Scroll down the list until you come to one called network adapters and double-click on it to see if your card is listed there!
Step #6
You now want to make sure that you're set up for file & print sharing and to do that, you need to do the following! Double-click on my computer, then control panel then on network and then click on add! Double-click on service and then click on Microsoft which should give you a few choices to the right! You want to make sure that file and printer sharing for Microsoft networks is highlighted by clicking on it then click on ok! At this point, it'll ask you if you want to restart your computer and you need to click on yes!
Step #7
You need to make sure that you set up a folder or folders for sharing with the other computer(s) so that they can have access to the stuff you wish to share! I made up one folder for all the stuff that I wish to share to make it a little easier but basically, you need to right click on what folder(s) you want to share and then click on sharing! Click on shared as and then click on one of the three choices under access type! Once you've done that, click on apply and then ok.
You can also share your printer by following the same procedures as listed above. Since I already had a printer for each computer, I didn't do this myself but I'm sure it's as easy as file sharing is!
That's pretty much all there is to it and although it may sound hard, it's not and I figure if I can do it then anyone can! There are a few things that I didn't cover in this review such as accessing the shared files or the printer from the other computer(s) but I'm reasonable sure it's covered in the guides that they give you when you buy the kit! If not, you can get in touch with them and I'm sure that they'd be more than willing to help!
My Opinion
I found this kit to be quite useful and relatively easy to set up but I won't tell you it was a piece of cake or that I didn't worry every step of the way but that's just me! This review was meant to tell you about the kit and give you some insight as to how to install everything so I hope that this helps you in some small way! Like I stated earlier, I'm not an expert when it comes to networking and never claimed to be but I thought it might be good to hear about this from someone (like myself) who is less qualified!
I would highly recommend this product to anyone that is interested in networking as it provides you with the tools necessary to join your computers together along with instructions as to how you install it and, to date, I've not had any trouble with it!
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 75.00
Driver Availability: Windows only
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moneymaker2000
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Member: Don...
Location: Pittsfield, Mass.
Reviews written: 170
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