Total Newb Needs Help Setting up Network

Discussion in 'Hardware' started by squishy crayons, Dec 4, 2005.

  1. squishy crayons

    squishy crayons Private E-2

    I want to set up a network between two computers at my home, specifically make some sort of Z: Drive that can be accessed from both computers.

    All I have is:

    1 Cable Modem
    1 LinkSys Router
    1 Really Long Ethernet Wire (don't which type, but it can run the Internet)
    2 Computers (both with Windows XP Home Edition and connected to the Internet)

    Is that sufficient to make a network?

    If not, what else do I need?

    And how do I make the netowrk?

    Again, I'm a total newb and I know nothing about networking.

    Thanks.
     
  2. _dinsdale_

    _dinsdale_ Corporal

    Looks like you have almost all that it takes. You are missing one ethernet (unless the cable you have is a crossover cable, then you are missing two cables, you can't use a crossover cable in this set up)

    This also assumes you have some sort of ethernet connector adapter (NIC) on both computers. ie a physical hole in the back of each computer to plug in the cable.

    If your router is wireless and one or both of your computers have wireless NICs then this obviates the needs for cables from the wireless computer/s.

    My network is both wireless (wifi) for some computers and hard wired for others all to the same router.

    How are your computers connected to the internet? Through the router? This would be the simplest way to go.

    Physical Configuration.
    Cable modem to WAN port of router.
    1st XP machine cable from ethernet port via cable (make sure it isn't crossover) to 1st LAN port on router,
    2nd XP machine to next LAN port on router!

    Run network wizard (from control panel) on 1st machine and it will prompt you what to do including setting up the second machine with a floppy disk it will make for you to transfeer settings between the two machines.

    Be sure that file sharing is enabled on both computers if you want them to talk to each other.

    If this doesn't work let us know details of what you did and what did and didn't happen.

    Also supply the model of your router and any info written on the cable/s you have.

    There is another way to network which excludes the router for JUST two machines... but it gets messy so lets not deal with it unless you have some difficulties.

    Maping drive letters is something I don't do so don't know enough off the top of my head, but you will need a working network to go this extra step.

    dins
     
  3. squishy crayons

    squishy crayons Private E-2

    Thanks so much. You have no idea how long I've been trying to do this.

    I wasn't sure if the holes in the back of my computer were network adapters and I was about to end up buying two of these .

    And I wasn't sure if my router was a hub or a switch or neither.

    Thanks so much dinsdale.
     
  4. cat5e

    cat5e MajorGeek

  5. Armathea

    Armathea Private E-2

    Basic test for networking(file and printer sharing)...
    Check if two computers can ping each other.
    Get the IP address of each computer.
    click Start>Run> type command> click ok> type ipconfig >press enter
    Take note of the IP address.. example for Linskys default range 192.168.1.100 or 192.168.1.101
    Do this in both computers.
    Le's say computer A is 192.168.1.100 and computer B is 192.168.1.101
    Then do the ping test in each computer.
    In the MS DOS prompt (black window)
    in the computer A
    > type ping 192.168.1.101 >press enter
    If you see 4 replies with 0=loss it means the computer B is replying to your computer A.
    Then go to computer B do the same thing.
    type ping 192.168.1.100 > press enter
    If you see 4 replies with 0=loss it means the computer A is replying to your computer B.
    It means They're networked together.
    Then enable file and printer sharing in both computers.
    Go to control panel>network connnections> local area connections> right click>select properties> enable the 'file and printer sharing'.
    If you dont see it... add it. Click 'Install'>Service>select file and printer sharing> click OK all the way out.
    Then go to your printer properties> click Sharing tab> enable printer sharing> click OK all the way out.

    The reason for ping test is to find out why the two computer are not sharing files and printer. Most of the antivirus, spyware or firewall today conflicts with the router's internal firewall which makes it hard to configure file sharing.
    In ping test you can easily determine if the two computers can see each other in the network.

    If ping test fails from the very beginning then it means there's something you need to disable in the computer like firewall or spyware...it's not advisable to disable the router's internal firewall..so the best thing to do is to disable the antivirus in the computer to make the ping test and sharing be sucessful.
     

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