Chapter 3: More Ways to Use Your Network

Chapter 2 introduces you to the basics of using a network: logging on, accessing data on shared network folders, printing, and logging off. In this chapter, we go beyond these basics. You'll find out how to turn your computer into a server that shares its own files and printers, how to use one of the most popular network computer applications-e-mail-and how to work with Office on a network.

Sharing Your Stuff

As you probably know, networks consist of two types of computers: client computers and server computers. In the economy of computer networks, client computers are the consumers-the ones that use network resources, such as shared printers and disk drives. Servers are the providers-the ones that offer their own printers and hard drives to the network so that the client computers can use them.

This chapter shows you how to turn your humble Windows client computer into a server computer so that other computers on your network can use your printer and any folders that you decide you want to share. In effect, your computer functions as both a client and a server at the same time. A couple of examples show how:

• It's a client when you send a print job to a network printer or when you access a file stored on another server's hard drive.

• It's a server when someone else sends a print job to your printer or accesses a file stored on your computer's hard drive.

Enabling File and Printer Sharing (Windows XP)

Before you can share your files or your printer with other network users, you must set up a Windows feature known as File and Printer Sharing. Without this feature installed, your computer can be a network client but not a server. This section shows you how to enable this feature for Windows XP. For Windows Vista, refer to the next section, "Enabling File and Printer Sharing (Windows Vista)."

If you're lucky, the File and Printer Sharing feature is already set up on your computer. To find out, double-click the My Computer icon on your desktop. Select the icon for your C drive and then click File on the menu bar to reveal the File menu. If the menu includes a Sharing command, File and Printer Sharing is already set up, so you can skip the rest of this section. If you can't find a Sharing command on the File menu, you have to install File and Printer Sharing before you can share a file or printer with other network users.

To enable File and Printer Sharing on a Windows XP system, follow these steps:

1. From the Start menu, choose Settings Control Panel.

   The Control Panel comes to life.

2. Double-click the Network icon.

   The Network dialog box appears, as shown in Figure 3-1.

   
   Figure 3-1: The Network dialog box.

3. Click the File and Print Sharing button.

   This action summons the File and Print Sharing dialog box.

4. Click the File and Print Sharing options you want to enable for your computer.

   The first option enables you to share your files with other network users; the second allows you to share your printer. To share both your files and your printer, select both check boxes.

5. Click OK to dismiss the File and Print Sharing dialog box.

   You return to the Network dialog box.

6. Click OK to dismiss the Network dialog box.

   The Network dialog box vanishes, and a Copy Progress dialog box appears and lets you know that Windows is copying the files required to enable File and Print Sharing. If you're prompted to insert the Windows CD-ROM, do so with a smile.

   After all the necessary files have been copied, you see a dialog box informing you that you must restart your computer for the new settings to take effect.

7. Click Yes to restart your computer.

   Your computer shuts down and then restarts. Your computer may take a minute or so to restart, so be patient. When your computer comes back to life, you're ready to share files or your printer.

Warning 

While you're working in the Network dialog box, don't mess around with any of the other network settings. You can safely change the File and Print Sharing options, but you should leave the rest of the settings in the Network dialog box well enough alone.

Enabling File and Printer Sharing (Windows Vista)

To enable file and printer sharing in Windows Vista, follow these steps:

1. Choose Start Network.

   This step opens the Network folder.

2. Click the Network and Sharing Center button on the toolbar.

   This step opens the Network and Sharing Center, as shown in Figure 3-2.

   
   Figure 3-2: The Network and Sharing Center.

3. Click File Sharing.

   This step reveals the controls that enable you to activate file sharing, as shown in Figure 3-3.

   
   Figure 3-3: Activating the file sharing feature.

4. Select the Turn On File Sharing option and then click Apply.

   This file sharing feature is activated.

5. Select the Printer Sharing option.

   This step reveals the controls that enable you to activate printer sharing.

6. Select the Turn On Printer Sharing option and then click Apply.

   This file sharing feature is activated.

7. Close the Network and Sharing Center folder.

   You're done; you can now share your files and printers.