Peripheral device connections to your PC
Peripherals are connected externally to your computer. Your actual computer, in and of itself, is nothing but a console (or tower). Everything else is marginal. To do a lot of anything with a computer, you’ll need at least a few peripherals.
Connect primary peripherals
The following peripherals are found on most computers:
Keyboard and Mouse: Set up the keyboard directly in front of where you will be sitting when using the computer, between you and where the screen will go. The mouse lives on the right or left side of the keyboard, depending on whether you are right or left handed.
A computer keyboard plugs into the keyboard port on the back of the console. The mouse is connected to the mouse port. Note that the two ports look identical but are different.
Monitor: Set the monitor above your desk, generally further away from where you are sitting, to make room for a keyboard.
The monitor plugs into the VGA jack or graphics adapter located on the back of the console. The plug only goes in one direction.
Network: Plug the network cable, or Cat 5, into the network jack on the back of the console. This is how you connect your computer to a network, or how to connect to a broadband modem.
Printer: Set up the printer within easy reach of the console. To make the printer and console talk to each other, you need a cable, either a USB cable or a traditional printer cable. When you’re comfortable with the wireless printer, keep it close enough to the console to make sure it’s in range of the signal.
USB: USB devices are connected to a USB port – that is, a USB port. The USB cable may be connected directly to the tool, or you may have to use (or purchase) a separate USB cable.
Use of secondary peripherals
Secondary peripherals are for more specialized applications or devices. These secondary peripherals include audio, FireWire, joystick, modem, S video, and serial and wireless connections.