Office PC networking options

The authors explore options open to the PC user who desires to be part of an existing local area network (LAN), without extensive capital outlays. It is noted that, in becoming part of a LAN, the PC user cannot escape being part of the overall computer communications domain, and all the complexity that accompanies it. In order to provide the right direction for interfacing PCs to other PCs or PCs to LANs and wide-area networks, the authors provide some background on networking considerations that apply not only to PCs but also to many other types of devices and topologies of networks. Issues discussed include maximum PC networking flexibility transmission media commonly used for PC networking and a generalized protocol approach that can solve PC communications in all directions