During this lab exercise, you will start with a Windows computer that is not connected to the Internet, install hardware that will make it possible for the computer to communicate over the Internet, and install the software that controls the hardware. To do the exercise, find a partner and schedule a time with Jeff Ondich or Mike Tie to use the Hardware Lab (CMC 318). Mike Tie's office is CMC 305.
Familiarize yourself with the equipment in CMC 318:
Choose a computer to work on and set aside the NIC that goes with it.
If the machine is running, shut it down (Start menu, Shut down, etc.) and turn off the power (right-hand button on the front of the computer tower).
Take a look at the cords connected to the back of the computer. There should be a mouse cord, a keyboard cord, a power cord, and a monitor cord. Note where they all go, and then disconnect them from the back of the computer.
Remove the case from the computer. To do this, unscrew the screws on the back of the machine that are holding the case on. There are many screws back there, but you should only remove the ones on the outside edge (we have marked them with a blue marker). Once the screws are out, remove the case by sliding it off the back of the machine. This is not an easy task, as the cases tend to be sticky. Be persistent, but not violent.
Once you have the case off, put on the static eliminator bracelet and attach the clip to any metal part of the case. This is a very important step, as it will keep you at the same static charge as the computer.
Look into the guts of the machine and find a white horizontal slot. This is the PCI slot, and it is mounted to a board called the "motherboard." Compare the PCI slot to the connector on the edge of the NIC. Figure out how the card needs to be oriented to fit the connector into the PCI slot.
On the back side of the computer, at the same height as the PCI slot, there should be a blank metal plate acting as a dust cover. Before installing the NIC, you will need to remove this plate. There will be a single screw holding the plate in place. Unscrew the screw and remove the plate.
Now it's time to put the NIC into its new home. Line the NIC up so that the connector fits into the PCI slot, and the metal plate containing the Ethernet port goes where the dust cover plate was before. Insert the NIC into the PCI slot by pushing gently on both ends of the card until it feels securely seated. Often this will be more difficult than it appears--it requires firm pressure. Make sure that the card is properly seated by examining the connection between the card and the motherboard. If you can still see the contacts of the card, it may not be properly seated.
Replace the screw that had been holding in the blank metal plate to secure the NIC.
Replace the case and all of the case screws. You will probably have to unclip the static eliminator to replace the case. This is fine.
Plug all cords back into the computer. Find the pink Ethernet cable, and plug it into the NIC's Ethernet port, which should be visible from the back of the computer. Make sure the Ethernet cable is also plugged into the wall.
The NIC requires software to run properly. Software that controls any hardware device is called a "driver." You are now going to install the drivers that control the NIC on your machine.
If you had purchased a NIC, its drivers would probably be on a CD shipped to you with the NIC itself. To avoid dealing with a CD, we have put copies of the NIC drivers into the C:\Win98 folder on your computer. That, however, is not where the drivers need to be to control the NIC. The following steps will take you through the process of moving copies of the drivers where they need to go.
Turn the power on (right-hand button on the front of the computer). The computer will boot, and eventually it should ask you to insert the Windows 98 CD. Press Enter.
Now, a window will pop up chastising you for not inserting the CD, and asking you where the drivers are. Type C:\Win98 into the box and click on the OK button. If all is well, the computer will now copy the drivers from C:\Win98 to their destination.
The computer should ask if you want to restart. Say yes.
This time, when booting, the computer may ask you for a login and password. Just press Enter.
When the computer is finished booting, right-click on My Computer. A menu will pop up, from which you should select Properties. This will open a window entitled System Properties. Select the Device Manager tag, and click on the + next to Network Adapters. You should see a line under the Network Adapters heading--that line displays the full name of your NIC.
Leave the System Properties window open. Assuming you have successfully installed the NIC and its drivers, you should now be able to use Netscape or Internet Explorer to go to the online. Try it out by visiting some web site or other. Then, go to the form at http://prism.mathcs.carleton.edu/jondich/hardware_form.html and follow the directions. If you can't get online, you may have to start at the beginning again. Check with Mike or Jeff.
Somebody else is going to do this exercise, so you will now need to uninstall the drivers and the NIC.
Go back to the System Properties window, Device Manager tab, and select the line corresponding to your NIC. Click on the Remove button.
Shut down Windows, turn the power off, unplug everything, and remove the case. Take the same anti-static precautions as before.
Unscrew the screw securing the NIC. Pull the card straight out (again, this requires a bit of force--but be careful). Put the NIC back in the anti-static bag.
Reattach the blank metal dust cover.
Reattach the computer cover, plug all the cords in (not including the Ethernet cord, since there is no longer anywhere to plug it). Turn the computer on.
Once the computer has rebooted, try visiting a web site. Your attempt should fail, since there's no NIC and no Ethernet cord.
Shut down the computer and turn the power off.
Congratulate yourself on a finished lab.