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HOME NETWORKING
Part 2 - RESOURCE SHARING
Home networks are set up so that multiple PC's can share an internet connection, and so that they can share resources like files and printers between themselves. Basically, if your connected computers are all part of the same Workgroup, they should be able to connect to each other and share resources.
Step 1 - Put your computers all into the same Workgroup. On each computer, open up System Properties (Start - Control Panel - System) and click on the Computer Name tab, and the Change button:
On the Computer Name Changes screen, make sure that all of your computers had different names, but that the Workgroup names are all the same. The Workgroup name can be whatever you want it to be, as long as it is the same for all computers on your network.
For Windows 98 PC's, click Start - Settings - Control Panel - Network - Network Identification tab, and set the Computer and Workgroup name there. You will need to restart your computer any time you make a change here.
Step 2 - Sharing out resources. Before your folders and printers can be used or seen by users on other computers, they must be "shared". Open My Computer, and locate the folder you want to let others have access to. Right click on it, and select Sharing and Security. If you have Service Pack 2 (SP2) for XP installed, you may see an initial screen or two that asks you to enable File Sharing. You will get to a screen that looks like this:
Select the Share this Folder option. Click the Permissions Button, and give "Everyone" the permissions you wish. Read permission means they can only read the files in the folder, but cannot change them, delete them, or create new one. Change means they can change the files and create new one, but not delete them, and Full Control means they can do anything including to delete files. With SP2, you may not see a "Permissions" button, but just a checkbox to "Allow Others to Change my Files". The choice is yours.
Once this is all done, if you go back into My Computer, and relocate that folder, it should now look like this:
The little hand underneath indicates that it is a Shared folder for others to access.
Now go to another computer on your network, and open My Network Places. Your shared folder should show up there, like this:
When you click on it, you will see the files that are within the folder on the other PC.
SHARED PRINTERS
Sharing a printer between computers is almost exactly the same as sharing a folder. On the PC with the printer attached to it, open the Printers and Faxes box, and right-click on the printer you want to share, select Sharing and click Sharing this Printer.
On the other computers, open the Printers and Faxes box, and click on Add a Printer. This will start the Add Printer Wizard. You will get to a dialog box like this:
Select Network Printer, and click Next.
Select Browse for a Printer and click Next
In this box you will see a list of all of the computers in your Workgroup. Click on the one the printer is connected to, and you will see a list of all of the Shared Printers connected to it. Select the one you want, and click Okay. You may get a dialog box that tells you it must download a driver for the printer, if so click Okay on it, and you may get a box asking if you want to make it your default printer. Click Yes. You are finished!
The BIG PICTURE
Computer Networking is a vast subject, with many dedicated professionals going to college to learn, and is a constantly changing field. There is no way that we could begin to present a complete picture of it here, but these simple steps should get you started on the subject. If you are interested further, there are a LOT of websites that deal with Networking, some of which are listed on our Links page, and thousands of books on the subject. Please feel free to Contact Us if you have any questions.
WE CAN DO IT FOR YOU!
If you need a Home Network setup, but don't feel confident to do it on your own, Techmate Computer Care can do it for you. Please refer to our Pricing page for some details on costs.
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