Chapter 24. Setting Up Windows XP on a Home Network

IN THIS CHAPTER

Home Networking Basics
Sharing Resources on a Network

It used to be that setting up a network was a stupendous task, requiring all kinds of special wiring and special devices. A network still requires these basic features (some type of connection, some networking hardware, and a network card), but the processes of setting up and using a network are dramatically easier. This chapter touches on the basics of home networking.

Home Networking Basics

If your household contains multiple computers (one equipped with Windows XP and Internet access and at least one more equipped with Windows XP, Windows ME, Windows 98, or Windows 95), you can connect them to create a home network. Doing so enables you to share an Internet connection, hardware (such as a printer, scanner, and so on), and files and folders. Networking the computers in your home also enables members of your household to play multiplayer computer games .

Setting up a home network involves three basic steps:

1.	Planning your network.
2.	Installing and configuring the appropriate network hardware on each computer on the network.
3.	Running the Windows XP Network Setup Wizard.

This section provides a brief overview of steps 1 and 2. You also learn about using the wizard (step 3). Keep in mind that an in-depth discussion of the first and second steps is beyond the scope of this book, but you can find ample information about them in Windows XP's online help.

Planning Your Network

When planning your network, you must decide what type of network you want to build. Your options are mostly determined by how the computers are connected. You may use telephone cabling, for example, or as is more common in recent years , you may set up a wireless network. (Wireless connections are the topic of Chapter 6.) This type of network has a hub, and as its name indicates, the other computers communicate without wires.

You also need to decide which machine will serve as your host or main computer. This main computer is usually called the network server . The computer you designate as the server should run Windows XP and be connected to the Internet.

Installing and Configuring Network Hardware

In terms of installing and configuring the appropriate network hardware, you must have a computer with built-in network ports. If you have an older computer, you need to equip each computer on your network with a network interface card (often referred to as an NIC or a network adapter ).

Additionally, if you want to network more than two PCs, you will need a hub , which is a separate box into which cables from each network card connect. The hub acts as a go-between among all the computers and printers connected to the network. Many retail home networking kits contain the cards and the hub, as well as setup instructions. Note that a router doesn't function as well as a hub; it's best to route the Internet connection to the hub and let the hub take care of routing the Internet to all PCs on the network.

Again, the details for installing and configuring vary depending on the type of setup, the number of computers, and many other factors.

Running the Windows XP Network Setup Wizard

After you have installed the necessary networking hardware, you can configure each computer to use the network by working through the Network Setup Wizard. This wizard automates several procedures that were once done manually in earlier versions of Windows, including configuring your network adapters, configuring all your computers to share a single Internet connection, naming each computer, setting up file and printer sharing, installing a firewall, and more.

Follow these steps to run the Network Setup Wizard:

1.	Click Start, All Programs, Accessories, Communications, and finally Network Setup Wizard.
2.	Click Next to begin setting up your home network. Make sure that you've installed all network cards, modems, and cables; turned on all computers, printers, and external modems; and connected to the Internet (see Figure 24.1). Then click Next . Figure 24.1. Make sure that the network hardware is set up.
3.	Complete each step in the wizard, answering the questions based on your particular setup and clicking Next to move to the next step. You can expect to select the type of computer you are configuring, to enter a name and description of the computer, to name the network you are creating, to confirm the settings for the network, to set up the Internet connection (see Figure 24.2), and then to configure all other computers hooked up to the network. Figure 24.2. As one step for setting up the network, select your Internet connection type.
4.	When the setup is complete, click the Finish button (see Figure 24.3). You then need to restart to finish the setup and start the configuration setup for all other connected computers. Figure 24.3. The last step is to click the Finish button.