Determining how the network is structured
Before you troubleshoot home networking issues, first determine the topology of the network. The network's topology is how the network is structured. There are several common home network topologies:
• The computers are connected to a hub, and there is no Internet connection. In this configuration, the computers are generally assigned IP addresses in the range of 169.254.x.y, where x and y are numbers between 1 and 254.
• The computers are connected to a hub. One computer has a connection to the Internet. That connection is shared by using Internet Connection Sharing. This connection can be a dial-up connection or a broadband connection (typically xDSL or a cable modem). In this configuration, the computer that shares the connection generally assigns IP addresses to other computers on the home network. The computer that is sharing the connection will have IP address 192.168.0.1 configured for the adapter that is connected to the home network. Other computers on the network will have addresses in the range 192.168.0.x, where x is a number between 2 and 254.
• The computers are connected to a hardware network address translation (NAT) device that provides a connection to the Internet. In this configuration, the computers generally receive an IP address from the NAT device. Typically, the NAT device uses the address 192.168.0.1 and assigns addresses to other computers in the range 192.168.0.x, where x is a number between 2 and 254.
• The computers are connected to a hub, and the hub is connected to the Internet through a broadband connection. This configuration is also known as an edgeless network. In this configuration, the computers on the home network each have an IP address that is provided by the Internet service provider (ISP). The addresses that are used vary depending on the ISP.
• The computers are connected to a hub, and each computer has a separate dial-up connection or broadband connection to the Internet. In this configuration, the computers generally use automatically assigned IP addresses for their home network adapters. Typically, the network adapters assign IP addresses in the range of 169.254.x.y. The computers use ISP-provided addresses for their Internet connections.
which one of these is yours?