Downloads

Data Sheet
Windows ME Drivers
Windows NT Drivers
Windows 2000 Drivers
Windows 98 SE Drivers
Windows 98 Drivers
Windows 95 Drivers
Linux Drivers

Installation Information

To insert the network adapter into your PC, please follow the steps below:

1. Turn off the computer and remove the computer cover.
2. Insert the adapter into a PCI slot.
3. Secure this adapter to the rear of the computer chassis and put the computer cover back on.
4. Connect the adapter to the network using a straight-through or twisted-pair cable.

Once the hardware has been installed as described above, please download and install the appropriate driver for your operating system.

Additional Information

This adapter uses the National Semiconductor DP83815 Controller. Other compatible drivers for this controller may be available from other sources.

Downloads

Windows 95/NT Drivers
Windows 98/2000 Drivers
Netware 3 Drivers
Netware 4 Drivers
Linux Driver Readme

Installation Information

To insert the network adapter into your PC, please follow the steps below:

1. Turn off the computer and remove the computer cover.
2. Insert the adapter into a PCI slot.
3. Secure this adapter to the rear of the computer chassis and put the computer cover back on.
4. Connect the adapter to the network using a straight-through or twisted-pair cable.

Once the hardware has been installed as described above, please download and install the appropriate driver for your operating system.

Downloads

Data Sheet
Windows XP Drivers
Windows Server 2003 (64-bit) Drivers
Windows 2000 Drivers
Linux Drivers

Installation Information

To insert the network adapter into your PC, please follow the steps below:

1. Turn off the computer and remove the computer cover.
2. Insert the adapter into a PCI slot.
3. Secure this adapter to the rear of the computer chassis and put the computer cover back on.
4. Connect the adapter to the network using a straight-through or twisted-pair cable.

Once the hardware has been installed as described above, please download and install the appropriate driver for your operating system.

Downloads

Windows Drivers (for Windows 2000, XP, and higher)

Installation Information

To insert the network adapter into your PC, please follow the steps below:

1. Turn off the computer and remove the computer cover.
2. Insert the adapter into a PCI slot.
3. Secure this adapter to the rear of the computer chassis and put the computer cover back on.
4. Connect the adapter to the network using a straight-through or twisted-pair cable.

Once the hardware has been installed as described above, please download and install the appropriate driver for your operating system.

Downloads

User Manual (.pdf)
Datasheet
No drivers are required for this product.

To make a cable for use with WideBand products, you will need Category 5 cable cut to the appropriate length for the workstation involved (up to 300 feet in length; there is no minimum length requirement), two RJ-45 connectors, a crimper tool and a wire stripper.

Begin by stripping back 3/4 inch of cable to expose the multi-colored wires within. There are four color-coded pairs of wires, each pair including one solid-colored wire and one two-colored wire (white plus the corresponding color). Each wire has been assigned to attach to a specific pin in the RJ-45 connector, as shown in Table 1.

Notice that solid-colored wires always attach to even-numbered pins, while two-colored wires always attach to odd-numbered pins. To work properly, the wires must be arranged in the correct order, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2.

Place the wires, one by one, in the order shown in the diagram below, making a flat row in your fingers. Leaving about 1/2 inch of colored wire exposed beyond the end of the cable housing, cut off the excess colored wires. Make sure the cut is straight across the row of wires, so that when they are inserted into the connector, all the ends will reach the end of the connector at the same time.

Carefully insert the wires into the open end of the connector. As you push them in, each one should fit into the channel provided for it. Make sure the wires are pushed completely to the end of the connector. When they are all the way in, you will be able to see the metal end from outside the connector and the outer cable housing will extend part way into the connector.

Follow the same procedure for the other end of the cable. Remember that the finished cable ends should look identical when placed side by side — the green/white wire should be attached to pin one on both ends. The cable may now be tested with an ohm meter or cable tester. If it works, you now have a working Category 5 network cable! If it doesn’t work, cut one of the connectors off the wire and start again.

Crossed Cable

Occasionally you will need a “crossed cable.” To make a crossed cable, make one end of the cable exactly as described above. At the other end, however, reverse the position of cable pair two (pins 3 and 6) with cable pair three (pins 1 and 2). One important detail is that the solid-colored wires must still attach to even-numbered pins. In other words, the solid green wire must be reversed with the solid orange wire and be attached to pin number 6, and the green/white wire, originally attached to pin number 1, is reversed with the orange/white wire, and now attached to pin number 3. (See Figure 3.)

• Planning
• Shopping
• Installing
• Connecting

Planning
First, think of the end result you want to achieve:

• How many computers are you trying to network together?
• What are the tasks that will be accomplished at each of them?
• For each of these users, which Ethernet is the right speed?
• How far apart are your computers?
• How much wire will you need to connect them?
• Will you be purchasing pre-made cables, or will you crimp them yourself?

Users who do only email and word processing will have need of less network speed than users who will be doing graphics, video, multimedia, etc, and might be content with 10Base-T. Others will require Fast Ethernet or Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) in order to perform their work and meet their deadlines — or just to do the high-bandwidth things they want to do. In most cases you will want to “future proof” your network, providing the speed for tomorrow’s applications, today, thus saving yourself the cost of upgrading at a later date.

Answering these questions will help you to create a list of the items you will need in order to build your network:

• How many standard Ethernet NICs you need
• How many Fast Ethernet NICs you need
• How many Gigabit Ethernet NICs you need
• How many cables you need
• How long each of the cables will need to be
• How many ports do you need on the switch for each network speed required?

Shopping for Equipment
Once you have made your plan, shop around for the equipment that meets your needs. Find the best quality at affordable prices, and bring it home.

Install Network Cards
Installing network cards is actually a pretty simple task. For each computer you plan to network, you will need a network interface card (NIC, or Adapter), the corresponding driver (either provided on a floppy disk with your NIC or available on your operating system), and a screwdriver — probably a Phillips or “plus.” NIC Manufacturers provide specific instructions for installing their NICs on various operating systems (See “Support Pages” in the Customer Service section of WideBand’s web site). Simply follow the instructions you’ve been given.

Plug in the cables
If you have chosen to make your own cable, now is the time.  Then, with the NIC installed in a computer, you may plug in your network cable. Support for the whole process is available in the “Support Pages” in the Customer Service section of WideBand’s web site, or by calling WideBand Customer Service toll free at (888) 220-4020.

Now that your network is built, you’re ready to communicate!

Downloads

User Manual
Datasheet
Management Software
No drivers are required for this product.

Installation Information

I. To connect the Switch to PCs, servers, and other network devices:
Use straight-through or crossover twisted-pair cable (Cat 5) to connect the Switch to PCs, servers, and other network devices.

II. To connect the Switch to a Switch or a Hub:
Use straight-through or crossover twisted pair cable to connect the Switch to another Switch or Hub.

In order to work properly, networks must be built according to certain rules. Cabling, for example, has to be under a certain length and must be installed properly to ensure proper network performance. The set of rules that governs how a network is put together is called its topology. The most common topology in use today is called Ethernet, which consists of computers and peripherals cabled together in specific ways. Ethernet is relatively inexpensive, easy to set up and use, and can be very fast.

Ethernet has evolved through three standardized “phases.” Each of these evolutionary changes has dramatically improved network performance. These Ethernet networking systems are named according to how fast they can move information. Speed is expressed in megabits per second (or Mbps). A bit represents an “on” or “off” condition, and eight bits are used to represent a single character.

Standard Ethernet, or 10Base-T operates at 10 Mbps, which is sufficient for low-bandwidth applications such as email and transferring small files across the network. Fast Ethernet, or 100Base-T operates at 100 Mbps, making it appropriate for applications which require more speed, such as transferring medium-sized files over the network, or running video on a few computers at the same time. Although many Fast Ethernet devices available today are designed to accomodate both standard and Fast Ethernet, the original standard Ethernet equipment is not able to handle the newer Fast Ethernet technology.

The most recent development in Ethernet technology is Gigabit Ethernet (GbE), sometimes called 1000Base-T, which operates at 1000 Mbps, or 1 Gigabit per second (1 Gbps). Gigabit Ethernet is the first version of Ethernet that allows many computers on a network to run video, multimedia, and heavy graphics software such as CAD/CAM applications and streaming media. And GbE equipment available today can often accomodate Standard and Fast Ethernet, as well as GbE.

If you are building your first network, think through which of the users on your network will requre standard, Fast, and Gigabit Ethernet before you begin shopping around for network hardware and software. Users who will not be using video, multimedia, or heavy graphics software might be satisfied with standard Ethernet. However, since 100Base-T equipment has now become more economical than even 10Base-T, it is recommended that 100Base-T be your minimum performance choice. Additionally, you should consider “future proofing” your network by providing higher-speed capability where you expect it to be needed in the future.

Cabling Basics

As networks have become more robust, the cable used in the network has also improved. For Ethernet networks, unshielded twisted-pair (UTP) cabling has become a standard. UTP cabling is copper cabling in which “pairs” of color-coded wires are used. The UTP cabling most often used in networks contains four pairs of wire. Typically, each pair is twisted together with a different number of twists per foot than any of the other pairs in the cable. This prevents the signals being carried on each pair from interfering with the signals of the other pairs.

The UTP cables most commonly used in Ethernet networks are Category 3 cable for 10Base-T and Category 5 cable for Fast Ethernet. With the advent of Gigabit Ethernet, the networking industry has scrambled to develop a cable — Category 5e — which can handle the additional stresses of sending data at Gigabit speeds. The most workable solution to emerge, however, has been the development of Gigabit Ethernet devices that can send data reliably over Category 5 cable. (See more about Gigabit over Cat 5.)

Another cabling standard is fiber optic cable. Fiber optic cable, while more expensive than copper cabling, has the advantage of being able to carry data much further than can copper. Fiber optic cable is ideal for carrying data between buildings, even up to 10 Km in some cases, compared to copper’s 100 meter limit. (See more about fiber.)

Which type of cabling is best for you? While standard Ethernet can be run on Cat 3, it is a good idea to “future proof” your network with Cat 5 cable. To keep costs at a minimum, reserve fiber for cable runs that are beyond what copper can do.

Network Adapters

A network computer is connected to the network cabling with a network interface card, (also called a “NIC”, “nick”, or network adapter). Some NICs are installed inside of a computer: the PC is opened up and a network card is plugged directly into one of the computer’s internal expansion slots. Older computers have 16-bit slots, often called ISA slots. For these slots, a 16-bit ISA NIC is needed. Faster computers, like high-speed 486s and Pentiums, often have 32-bit, or PCI slots. These PCs require 32-bit PCI NICs to achieve faster networking speeds. The newest computers sometimes have 64-bit PCI slots, and can use either 32-bit or 64-bit PCI NICs. Either 32-bit or 64-bit NICs are appropriate for speed-critical applications like desktop video, multimedia, publishing, and databases.

Switches and Hubs

The last piece of the networking equipment needed to get started is the central connection point, usually a switch. Hubs have often been used in this application, but are becoming less frequently used due to their limitations.

In simplest terms, switches are boxes that are used to connect groups of PCs at a central location via network cabling. Today switches are available that can handle standard, Fast, and/or Gigabit Ethernet.

If you’re networking a small group of computers together, you can probably get by with a 10/100Base-T switch, some Cat 5 cables, and a handful of network adapters. Larger networks with more users than can be serviced by a single switch or hub will link multiple switches together, and then each switch, in turn, may connect a group of computers together using network cabling.

A plan of this kind allows you to build networks of tens, hundreds, or thousands of nodes.