My 'intranet' : Hardware Pictures

This is an i-cubed combo card for podule-based systems (A310 onwards), providing 10-baseT and 10-base2. FlashROM is included to allow the 'stack' or other licenced applications to be stored ready for use whenever the computer is switched on. Podule NIC; JPEG 18K

RiscPC NIC

The network interface socket in the RiscPC (that's the dinky little thing that looks like a half width podule connector, located between the 2nd processor card and the VRAM) allows for compact network cards to be fitted without using a podule slot. Because of the design, some of the circuitry on the podule card may be omitted from the network interface card. It's a tiny little thing, but still provides exactly the same as the above podule NIC; namely it is an i-cubed card with 10-baseT and 10-base2. The RiscPC NIC also offers FlashROM. RiscPC NIC; JPEG 22K

To make the NIC easier to see, as it is fitted, the
other visible parts of the RiscPC are in black and white.

PC NIC - ISA

This is a simple ISA card providing 10-baseT and 10-base2. It is not configured by links. Instead you must run a special software package which allows you to configure your card. If you buy a card 2nd hard, ensure that you can obtain the configuration software (unless it only cost a few quid!) because the world's snazziest card is no good if you can't set it up correctly!
This card does not carry any form of ID, it says only: "Made in Taiwan" (twice!) and the red label says "YES It runs with NetWare".
However, the layout of the components, and the components themselves, are the same as for my Kingston NE2000 compatible board (refer to IDing the PC's NIC) so I am guessing the software to set that up would also work for this NIC. ISA NIC; JPEG 13K

PC NIC - PCI

This is a simple PCI card providing 10-baseT and 10-base2. The kind of cards you are likely to buy these days will be 10/100 self-configuring. I, very recently, bought just such a card from a charity shop for three pounds fifty (!). I have not made a picture of it, as it looks pretty much like the board shown below. PCI NIC; JPEG 17K

Cat5 UTP 10-baseT cable

Cat5 means 'category 5', UTP means unshielded twisted pair. When it comes to 10-baseT patch cables, they tend to just look like this. Eight cores, fixed to an RJ45 plug.
Patch cables such as this are ideal for a bedroom-based network where all the machines are within a few metres of each other. When you come to more advanced jobs, with machines in other rooms (or even, in other buildings), you will need to fit custom UTP cabling. My only advice here is to take time, and check everything twice.
A piece of cable, two RJ45 plugs. Dead easy, eh? Well, reality isn't as nice as thoughts, so the best way to buy a patch cable of a required size is to buy the next available size pre-assembled. You can knock up your own cables using a 'tonking' tool to fit the RJ45 plugs, but it is a tricky and precise thing. Best just buy pre-made cables. They come in all sizes and don't cost the earth. RJ45 plug; JPEG 7K

Hub

The final piece of the puzzle is the hub. This accepts messages from each station, and relays them onwards as applicable.
My hub, the extreme left of which is pictured (it is sitting underneath my Hewlett Packard DeskJet 500 printer), is an Allied Telesis CentreCOM 3012T IEEE 802.3 10-baseT multiport repeater. Or so the front panel says!
It offers an AUI port (a way to link hubs to each other, among other things) and twelve 10-baseT sockets. And, to keep me happy, it has a whole bunch of indicators.
It was in an ex-equipment reject bin. It looked 'used' but not in bad shape, just very dusty. So I offered the guy a fiver for it... Hub; JPEG 14K