How do I NETWORK my computers?

WOW... It wasn't very long ago that I was trying to convince you all that a computer was a GOOD thing to use in a gallery setting. I had to argue that a computer actually helped with client relations instead of making your gallery less personal. I also had to convince gallery owners that any time that they spent learning a new system would paid back a hundred fold when it came to better efficiency. Now, I'm getting questions from galleries that are purchasing their second, or third computer and want to hook them together! GOOD JOB!

If you are using more than one computer in your gallery it is clearly a good idea to link them together in some way. You do this with a Local Area Network (LAN)

For a simple network option between only two computers you can purchase off-the-shelf products like LapLink or pcAnywhere. These products are primarily used for transferring files from one machine to another. They are very useful for taking a file from a desktop machine for use on a notebook machine. In a home setting, there are products that let you network through your existing electrical or telephone wiring. These products, while very simple to install and run, really aren't suitable for use in a business setting (and in my opinion aren't really very good for home either.)

For the remainder of this article, I will limit my discussion to the type of network that is most common today. As usual, I will be talking mostly about Windows machines, but the issues you face will be the same on the Mac. Both Windows and Macintosh computers come with all the software required to create and manage a network. Many Macs come with the hardware as well but in most cases you will have to install a network card in your computer.

Here's the scenario... To cut down on paperwork, and increase efficiency, suppose you want to install a new computer on the front counter to do sales, add clients to your mailing list, etc. Then, suppose you have an office where you have your main computer - the one that you do your accounting and bookwork on. An office is usually way at the back of the gallery, and may even be on a different level of the gallery. It is usually not right next to the main sales counter. You want the two computers to talk to each other so that when you make a sale on the front counter computer, you can print reports and do the bookwork on the "back" computer. For the two machines to talk to each other, you have to make a connection between them. This sounds obvious but most galleries (most buildings for that matter) don't have spare wiring running from floor to floor (or point to point) to use for a network. To make the connection, you will probably have to run a NEW WIRE between the two computers.

The most common networks today are usually referred to as "ethernet." There are two types of wires that are very common in ethernet networks - I'll call them "TV type" and "Phone type". The first, known as 10Base2 (pronounced 10 - base - 2) uses an "RG-58" 50 ohm coaxial cable. It looks like a TV cable. This type of wire runs from one computer to the next, and then to the next, etc. This is easy because you really just have one long wire that all of your computers hook in to. However, it is limited to about 150-200 meters in total length - so for two or three computers it's OK but for five or ten it's probably getting more difficult.

There is a better option that uses a twisted pair cable and RJ-45 connectors. It looks more like a telephone wire, and has a telephone type connection on the end. This type comes in two varieties called "10BaseT" (pronounced 10 - base - T) and "100BaseT." The 10BaseT (like the 10Base2 above) handles about half a megabyte of data per second. The 100BaseT is ten times faster. If you're installing a new network, just go ahead and ask for a 100BaseT.

The telephone type cable is better, not because of the wire itself, but because you can use a "HUB" to connect multiple computers. A hub is a little device that looks like the body of an octopus with lots of wires (legs) going out to the various machines. It is an extra piece of equipment to purchase but it offers many advantages.

With the TV cable type of network, all of the computers are using the same cable at the same time. If the cable is "busy" than a computer has to keep trying before it can talk to another computer. One other problem with this type of network - if you have a bad cable ANYWHERE the whole network dies. (These are only serious issues when there are more than two computers...) With the phone type, not only can you get a network that is 10 times faster, but the hub helps to eliminate many of the "busy times" on the cables. If one cable becomes damaged, it only knocks out one machine. Also, instead of being limited to 150 meters of total distance, each leg is limited and if the hub is somewhere in the middle, you can get really long distances between computers.

Once you have the actual wires connected, you need to tell your computer that it is on a network. You have to give it a workgroup name and set up a "protocol." Think of this as the common language for all of the machines. You don't want one machine on the network speaking "French" while another is speaking "German." There are several protocols available but my preference is called TCP/IP (pronounced "T C P I P", this is basically the same protocol that the Internet uses.)

The next thing you need to do is set up "Client for Microsoft Networks" and "File and Printer Sharing." These "services" on your computer tells it that it's OK to share your computer's files and printers with another machine.

Once you decide you're going to share files, you have to start thinking about SECURITY. Of course, you have to consider the matter of employees getting into the company books, but this issue deals with more than the security between the various computers on your own network! It is relatively easy to protect files on your bookkeeping computer from prying eyes. But if you have a computer connected to the Internet, and it is sharing files with other computers on your network, you could (in theory) be sharing these files with the whole world! In practice I don't think this is a really big deal yet but if you have sensitive information don't leave it open for everyone.

One way to take care of the Internet issue is with a "Firewall." This is a software program that limits data transfers. It let's YOU get information FROM the Internet but doesn't allow YOUR information to go TO the Internet. (Sometimes firewalls are painful because you WANT to send information out...) There are LOTS of articles on SECURITY and FIREWALLS on the Internet.

Once you have the network and Internet connections all in place, you might even consider software that can link your in-store inventory with the inventory displayed on your web site! This can be the first step to a true e-commerce presence for the gallery.

So - Networks - they are WONDERFUL once you get them running. You can print on any printer, pull files from any hard disk, even play multi-player games! But don't do it all yourself the first time. Call someone - like the local high school kid at Radio Shack - and tell them you want a 100BaseT - TCP/IP - Peer-to-Peer network installed. Make sure they show you the basics while they're there. It should cost you about $60 per machine, plus a "hub" of $100-$200, plus wiring.

It's worth every penny.

James Archer is the President and co-founder of Masterpiece Solutions, Inc. A former Gallery Owner himself, he developed the Masterpiece Art Gallery Manager, a software system designed specifically for the Art and related industries.