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Maybe you've been thinking hard about getting that super-fast DSL connection at home so your kids can play computer games online while you check on your investments. Or maybe you just want to link the printers at your office without hiring your own IS guy. Configuring your own small network is not nearly as complicated as it used to be. If your home or small office is not yet networked, what are you waiting for? Small-scale networking kits are more affordable than ever, and easy to set up on most Windows-based PCs.
Choosing network hardware
Networking allows computers to share resources with one another so that not every computer needs every peripheral. For example, if you have only one printer but two computers, the computers can share it via a network. A computer can also use files on another computer's hard disk, and even connect to the Internet through another computer's connection.
The first step in setting up a network is to choose a type of networking hardware.
- Ethernet is the most common type of network system. It is fast, reliable, and inexpensive, but it requires you to run cables between the PCs and a central hub -- if your PCs are spread out all over your home or office, the cables can be unwieldy. Ethernet networks operate at between 10 (10BaseT) and 100 (100BaseT) Mbps. You must connect each networked PC to a central hub that functions as a traffic cop for network traffic.
- HomePNA is a networking standard that uses the telephone wires already in your walls. (You can use the network simultaneously with your telephone.) These networks operate at 1Mbps, but a new standard has just been announced, HomePNA 2.0, that operates at 10Mbps. This system is a little more expensive than Ethernet and doesn't require a hub.
- Wireless networking is very convenient because no cables are required. However, it is also the most expensive type, and doesn't work well with PCs on different floors of a building. There are two speed standards: 2Mbps and 11Mbps. The latest standard for wireless networking is IEEE 802.11b.
Setting up the network
First, you install a network adapter card in each PC. Ask a techie friend to help you if needed. Then plug in the cables. For Ethernet, run a cable from each adapter card to the hub; for HomePNA, run a phone line from each adapter card to a phone jack.
Regardless of the network type, network-card setup in Windows is easy. Windows automatically recognizes the network adapter card when you turn on each PC and either installs a driver for it automatically or prompts you to insert the driver disk.
However, merely having Windows recognize your network card is not enough to gain network functionality. To do that, you must do one of the following:
- Run the setup program that comes with your networking kit. This is the best way to go if you have such a setup program, because it's specific to your hardware.
- Run the Home Networking Wizard, if you have Windows 98 Second Edition or later. This is a fast and easy way to install the needed protocols, configure file and printer sharing, and configure Internet connection sharing all at once. You might want to run this in addition to the setup program with your networking kit, because the other setup might not set up all the same features as the Home Networking Wizard.
- Set up the needed protocols manually through the Network applet in the Control Panel, and then manually enable file and printer sharing and Internet-connection sharing. This is the difficult way, and it requires some technical know-how.
TIP:
If not all your PCs have Windows 98 Second Edition, Windows Me, or Windows 2000, you can make a network setup disk from the Home Networking Wizard on one of your PCs that does. Then you can take that disk to the PC with the older operating system and use it to set that PC up for network connectivity.
Enabling file and printer sharing
Some versions of the Home Networking Wizard turn on file and printer sharing automatically. To check to see whether it’s on, open Networks in the Control Panel, click the File and Printer Sharing button, and make sure that both checkboxes are checked in the File and Printer Sharing dialog box.
After enabling the feature in a general way, you must indicate which specific drives or printers you want to share. To set up a drive, folder, or printer for sharing, right-click it and choose Sharing; then set up the sharing on the Sharing tab of the Properties dialog box.
Setting up internet connection sharing
In order to share an Internet connection (dial-up, DSL, or cable), the PC that owns the connection must have at least Windows 98 Second Edition. Other PCs on the network can have earlier versions of Windows.
- Windows 98 Second Edition: The Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) Wizard is separate from the Home Networking Wizard. First get the network up and running; then run the ICS Wizard.
- Windows XP, Windows Me, Windows 2000: Run the Home Networking Wizard and it configures your Internet connection sharing at the same time.
To use the shared Internet connection on another PC, simply open up a Web browser or e-mail program on that PC and begin using it. The Home Networking Wizard (or Internet Connection Wizard) configures the settings to work with the shared connection automatically.
Browsing files on other computers
The Network Neighborhood (or My Network Places) icon on your Windows desktop provides access to shared network files. Browse files on shared network drives the same as you browse files in My Computer.
Using a network printer
Printer sharing requires setup on both ends. First the owner must share the printer. Then the person wanting to share it must use the Add Printer Wizard from the Printers folder (Start > Settings > Printers) to choose to use the printer. This copies the needed driver files for the shared printer to the hard disk of the person who wants to use it.
Summary
Choosing and installing networking equipment and configuring your own small network should not be time-consuming or expensive. Windows' Home Networking Wizard simplifies setup and enables you to share files, printers, and Internet connections with ease.
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