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There are many ways but here is my suggestion: Buy and install two Network Interface Cards (NIC’s) each with an RJ45 jack. You should purchase two identical cards that support 10 mbps (megabits per second) transmission or 100Mbps. To be safe you can purchase identical cards that support both (10/100mbps). Only one other item is needed and that is a cross over cable. A crossover cable is a type of network cable in which some of the wire pairs are reversed on one end of the cable to join two computers. The receiving and transmit pairs (input and output) are crossed in this cable allowing the two computers to communicate without the additional cost of a hub. Be sure when networking computers in this fashion that the cable is indeed a "cross-over" cable or the machines will not be able to communicate.

Adding a PC to the network requires the installation of a network interface card. It is always a good idea to install the same network card (make, model, type) and settings for all the machines whenever possible for ease of installation and administration. Use device manager in the control panel to identify the allocated IRQ’s on your PC. Find an available IRQ and port setting and assign it to the card. You can assign the settings using the diagnostics/install disk that shipped with your card or by selecting the right jumper combination on the board itself. If your version of Windows does not detect the card then you can add the card through the network option in the control panel. Once the card is added, go back to the device manager and look for any potential conflicts with the new card. The last step is to bind the transport method of choice (protocol) by selecting add -> protocol ->Microsoft -> NetBEUI (for example) also from the network option in the control panel.

With any operating system, you should implement some form of virus protection. Viruses are programs designed to perform some task that the computer was not intended to perform. There are many types of viruses, with new viruses being introduced each and every day. These are not random mutations of computer code, but are programs that are maliciously created. To protect yourself from virus attack, you should install anti-virus software. There are several manufacturers that include Norton Anti-Virus and McAfee Anti-Virus. Once installed on the computer, you should check the manufacturer’s Web site on a regular basis to keep the scanner up to date.

There are times when you may wish to control the DOS or Windows boot sequence. The F5 and F8 keys can be used to control the startup sequence such as booting directly to the command prompt bypassing the startup files (CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT) or into Windows 95/98 safe mode. F5 —(DOS) causes the CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files to be ignored. - (WINDOWS 95/98) startup Windows in safe mode. F8 —(DOS) allows you to step through the CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT lines one at a time . - (Windows 95/98) allows you to from a list of Windows 95/98 boot options.

Some operating systems are designed to be used by a single user and other operating systems are designed to support many users at the same time. The difference is called local operating system as compared to network operating systems. DOS, Windows 3.1, and Macintosh System 8 are examples of local operating systems. Windows NT, Unix, and NetWare are primarily designed to be network operating systems. Some operating systems are designed to be local, but still provide network services such as Windows 95 and Windows 98.

The first item to troubleshoot is the power source. I am reminded of a technical support call where a customer phoned tech support troubleshooting a dead PC. After an hour had gone by and the technician had nothing else for the customer to test, the tech decided to have the customer return the PC. When the tech asked for the product’s serial number, the customer responded by stating they could not read it because power had been out all day.

Just a simple reminder that power should always be the first item checked when troubleshooting a dead PC.

V=IR, or the (V) Voltage is the calculated result of taking the (R) Resistance or opposition to current flow and multiplying it against the (I) Current flow. Basically the current and what opposes it is the product called voltage or the electromotive force needed for it all to happen.

Imagine a body of water such as a river. The voltage would measure how much water was presently flowing, the current would measure the rate at which the water flows, and the resistance would be all the rocks, beaver dams and potential barriers to slow down or limit the flow.

Modems are devices that function as input and output devices allowing computers to communicate with one another over great distances. Modems convert the signals from inside the computer (digital) into analog audible tone signals (analog) that can be transmitted over standard telephone lines. How Do I Control the Boot Process in DOS and Windows 95/98?

The process of converting digital signals to analog signals is referred to as modulation. The modem on the sending computer translates the digital signals into the audible tones sent over the telephone line to a receiving computer. The modem on the receiving computer receives the data and translates the analog tone signals back to the original digital data. The process of converting analog signals to digital is call demodulation. The term modem is derived from it's function (modulate-demodulate).