Chapter 8. Step-by-Step with Windows XP

In this chapter...

• Make Sure Your Hardware Is Recognized

• Updating Your Drivers

• Change Settings Manually

• File and Printer Sharing

• Sharing Internet Access

• Using the Network Setup Wizard

If you use Windows XP, you're in luck. The operating system is built with networking in mind and offers features for sharing files and the Internet, as well as some built-in wireless smarts that should make setting up an 802.11 network quite simple.

You probably noticed the word "should" in the last sentence . There are a few potential hangups that we'll help you get around. Most important is to have updated drivers for your wireless network card. You can experience a range of wireless networking problems in Windows XP if you are not using the most recent driver.

We choose XP to walk you through the steps for setting up your network for two reasons. First, the operating system is Microsoft's latest and will ship with most new PCs. Second, using these directions, Windows 2000 users should be able to get up and running, since the operating systems work so similarly.

Unlike Windows 2000, XP offers the Network Setup Wizard to make the job a bit simpler. However, the Wizard, like many other things designed to make your life easier, in fact sometimes gets things wrong. It's a good idea to know how to change your network settings manually, and we'll cover that first.