Before you can set up and configure a network at home or small office, you need to physically attach the hardware so the computers can communicate. This includes installing the network cards in all the computers, connecting the computers together using cables or wireless technology, installing a modem on the host computer, turning on all computers, printers, and external modems, and establishing a connection to the Internet. A home or small office network is typically a peer-to-peer network where individual computers are organized into workgroups with a host and several clients . The host is a computer on the network who shares an Internet connection with the other client computers on the network. The host computer must be turned on whenever a client computer needs to access the Internet. Depending on your hardware setup, your Network Setup Wizard options might differ . Set Up the Host Computer -
| Install network cards, connect all the computers together, and then turn them on. | -
| Click the Start button, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to Communications, and then click Network Setup Wizard. | -
| Click Next, and then click Next again. | -
| Click the This Computer Connects Directly To The Internet option, and then click Next. | -
| If necessary, select an Internet connection, and then click Next. | -
| Type a computer description and a computer name , and then click Next. | -
| Type a workgroup name, and then click Next. | -
| Click Next to continue. | -
| Click an option to create a Network Setup Disk or Use My Windows XP CD, and then click Next and follow the instructions. | -
| Click Finish. | Set Up a Client Computer -
Click the Start button, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to Communications, and then click Network Setup Wizard. If the computer isn't running Windows XP, insert the Windows XP CD, click Perform Additional Tasks from the menu, and then click Set Up A Home Or Small Office Network. If you created a Network Setup Disk, click the Start button, click Run, type a:netsetup , and then click OK. -
| Click Next, and then click Next again. | -
| Click the This Computer Connects To The Internet Through Another Computer option, and then click Next. | -
| Type a computer description and a computer name, and then click Next. | -
| Type the same workgroup name as the host computer, and then click Next. | -
| Click Next to continue. | -
| Click the Just Finish The Wizard option, and then click Next. | -
| Click Finish. | Did You Know? You can change workgroups later . Click the Start button, click Control Panel, double-click the System icon, click the Computer Name tab, click Change, type a new workgroup name, and then click OK twice. | |