To configure each computer, simply go to the control panel, then double-click "network connections" and right-click "local area connection", then choose properties!
The local area connection window displays the various protocols installed. To be able to share your files, play network games or use your printers, the following protocols need to be installed:
If one of these protocols is missing, click "Install..." and add it.
Each computer should then be assigned an address, called an IP address, to be able to communicate. To do so, select "TCP/IP Internet Protocol" and click "Properties".
IP addresses may be automatically assigned or manually defined; the latter is preferable for a small local network. We will commonly give these addresses:
Computer n°1 IP address: 192.168.0.1 Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0 Computer n°2 IP address: 192.168.0.2 Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0 ... Computer n°xxx IP address: 192.168.0.xxx Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0Once the IP address has been assigned, simply close the window by clicking OK (The DNS (name servers) will be left automatic)
To have optimal functioning, it is useful to make sure the network's computers belong to the same workgroup. To do so, simply right-click "My computer" and select "properties". The "Computer name" tab shows the computer's name as well as the workgroup it belongs to. To modify the workgroup and assign the same one to all computers, simply click "Network ID";
The next step involves making sure the various computers are able to communicate with each other.
Right-click the "My network places" icon on your desktop then click "explore" (note: there is a difference between explore and open!!!), click "entire network", then click the workgroup, which will let you see the computers and the folders and files they share.
Right-click the "network neighborhood" icon on your desktop and select properties, or if there is no network neighborhood icon on the desktop, go to the control panel and click "network".
The "Configuration" tab displays the various protocols and network cards installed. To be able to share files, play network games or share your printers, the following protocols must be installed:
You can configure each computer's IP address by selecting "TCP/IP Internet Protocol" and then clicking "Properties" to open the "TCP/IP properties" window.
Each computer's IP address can be assigned manually or automatically. For a network made of a small number of machines, the manual method lets you control your network's addressing plan! The following IP addresses will commonly be given:
PC n°1 IP address: 192.168.0.1 Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0 PC n°2 IP address: 192.168.0.2 Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0
To have optimal functioning, it is useful to make sure the network's computers belong to the same workgroup. The "Identification" tab in your "network" window shows the computer's name as well as the workgroup it belongs to. To modify the workgroup and assign the same one to all computers, simply click "Network ID"; The next step involves making sure the computers are able to communicate with each other.
Right-click the "network neighborhood" icon on your desktop then click "explore" (note: there is a difference between "explore" and "open"!!!), click "Network", then the workgroup you created and you will see the computers as well as all the folders and files they share.
Article written by Metathesus, Eaulive and Jeff Pillou
