94 www.gateway.com
Determining if wired Ethernet is already instal led on yo ur comp uters
To determine if wired Ethernet is already installed on your computer:
1Click Start, then click Control Panel. The Control Panel window opens. If your Control
Panel is in Category View, click Performance and Maintenance.
2Click/Double-click System, click the Hardware tab, then click Device Manager. The Device
Manager window opens.
3Click the plus (+) in front of Network adapters. The wired Ethernet device installed in
your computer is listed. If one is not listed, you must install one.
Creating an Ethernet network

Installing Ethernet cards and drivers

After you have determined the type of Ethernet you are using for your network, you need
to install Ethernet cards and drivers on the computers that do not have Ethernet already
installed. To order wired or wireless Ethernet PCI or PC cards, visit the Accessories Store
at accessories.gateway.com.
Use the documentation that comes with your Ethernet cards for instructions on installing
the card and any required drivers.
Important For best results, all Ethernet components should be either standard
Ethernet (10Mbps), Fast Ethernet (100 Mbps or 10/100), or Gigabit
Ethernet (1000Mbps or 10/100/1000). A mixture of components rated
at different speeds will result in your network running at the speed
of the slowest rated component.
Tips & Tricks When buying your router, be sure the model includes ev erything y our
network needs, including:
Internet security features - such as a firewall to protect your network
from unwanted intruders
4-port switch - to eliminate the need for additional network hardware
DHCP server/dynamic IP address assignment - to automatically
configure network and IP addresses