Scalable quantum networks require the capability to create, store and distribute entanglement among distant nodes (atoms, trapped ions, charge and spin qubits built on quantum dots, etc.) by means of photonic channels. We show how the entanglement between qubits and electromagnetic field modes allows generation of entangled states of remotely located qubits. We present analytical calculations of linear entropy and the density matrix for the entangled qubits for the system described by the Jaynes-Cummings model. We also discuss the influence of decoherence. The presented scheme is able to drive an initially separable state of two qubits into an highly entangled state suitable for quantum information processing.