How to set up a simple network

This article aims to remove the mystery from networking Windows based PCs.  

The Scenario

You have two people working in your office, each with a stand alone PC.  You've come into some funding and are hiring two more people and have decided, very sensibly, to create a network for your office.  This is how to do it. 

 secure network

Notes before we begin

  • This article should be read in conjuntion with our networking jargon buster - "Office network basics "

  • Different versions of Windows look slightly different, but the way that Windows networks work is the same.  If you cannot see exactly what is described, do not panic.  What you are looking for is probably just nearby, or with slightly different terminology.  For example, you may be looking for a button marked "install", but Windows displays one called "add".  Even if your version of Windows appears to be different, the principles described here will still apply.

Peer to Peer

The network we will build is a simple peer to peer network.  This means that any PC on the network is the peer of the others, i.e. no PC is more important than any other.  It will allow you to share printers and your internet connection, share places to store documents and access these resources from any computer on the network.

This article aims to remove the mystery from networking Windows based PCs.  

What you need

We will make the assumption that all PCs have a (working) network port on the back, as it is standard to expect integrated network ports on all new PCs.  So you will need:

  • A switch - a central point to which all the PCs on your network connect
  • CAT5 cables ending in RJ45 plugs - one for each PC

You might also like

  • a router
  • a printer
  • network attached storage{mospagebreak}

What to do

Plug in your switch.

For each PC, run a CAT5 cable from the switch to the PC.  Plug the cable into the network port on the back of the PC (it will only fit in one hole) and then into any port on the switch.  When properly connected, you should get a green light on the switch next to the port.

Every PC needs to be told its address on the network and to what network it belongs.  The network is called a workgroup and can be defined as follows: 

  1. For every PC, start the computer. 
  2. When Windows has loaded, find "my computer" and right click to bring up a popup menu.  Choose "properties". 
  3. In properties you should see a "network identification" place.  Within "network identification" you can choose "properties", which will display the computer's name and allow you to define the groups to which the computer is a member. 
  4. In this case we will make the computer part of a workgroup.  Choose "workgroup" and type the name of our new workgroup, "office". 
  5. Click OK to apply the setting.  Choose OK again to exit system properties. 


Next, we will give the PC an address.  This "IP address" is in the form "192.168.1.1", which is the standard form for addresses on private networks.  Each PC will have its own unique address, where only the last digit changes, "192.168.1.2".

  1. Right click on the "my network places" icon and choose properties from the popup menu. 
  2. If the network adapter in your PC is working, you should see an icon which says "local area connection".  Right click on this and choose properties.You will see which networking protocols are installed.  You should see: a) "Client for Microsoft Networks", which allows you to connect to a network. b) "File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks" which allows others to access your resources. c) "Iinternet Protocol (TCP/IP)" which is the rules computers use to communicate.  If these three items are not present, choose "install" to locate each item and install it.
  3. Choose "internet protocol" and "properties".
  4. You have the option of letting Windows obtain an IP (internet protocol) address automatically.  This is to be favoured.  However, in the event that for whatever reason it doesn't work automatically, you can set addresses manually.  Choose "use the following IP address" and type the address in the form 192.168.1.1 .
  5. The last number can be any you choose between 1 and 255.  The Subnet mask should be 255.255.255.0 .
  6. Choose OK, and exit local area networks.  Do this for every PC on the network.
  7. To test the network, choose any PC and choose:
  8. My Network Places/ entire network (sometimes you need to also choose "show the entire contents of the network) / Microsoft Windows Netowork / Office
  9. You should be shown a list of all the PCs connected to the network.{mospagebreak}

Sharing resources

  1. To share a folder on a PC, navigate to the folder in Windows Explorer (or My Computer). 
  2. Right click on it and choose properties. 
  3. You should see a "sharing" tab.  Selecting this will allow you to choose "share this folder". 
  4. Give the shared folder a name and choose OK.  The folder will now be visible on the network.

Setting up access to a shared folder on your PC.

  1. In Windows Explorer, choose Tools and "Map network drive"
  2. Windows will suggest a drive letter for this connection.  Below this you can browse to the required folder.  Go to:  My Network Places/Entire Network/Microsoft Windows Network/office.  Choose the PC with the shared resource and then click once on the resource itself. 
  3. Click OK.  This will make the shared folder appear as another hard drive in your Windows Explorer.  In future, to access the shared resource, simply double click on this new icon.

To share a printer

  1. Go to Start, Printers and Faxes. Any printers which are installed on the PC will be shown here. 
  2. Right click on a printer and choose properties. 
  3. In the properties dialog, there will be a "sharing" tab.  Choose this and click "share as". 
  4. Choose OK.  Your printer is now accessible by any other PC on the network.

To access a shared printer

  1. Go to Start, Printers and Faxes. 
  2. Click "Add a printer". 
  3. The "add network printer wizard" will appear and will guide you through the process.  You want a network printer, and you will want to browse to the PC to which the printer is attached. 
  4. Once you complete the wizard, you will be able to print a test page on the newly set up printer.

Adding other resources

Internet connection

A router is a box which acts as an interface between your network and the Internet.  When you sign up for broadband with an internet service provider, they will typically provide the router, sometimes referred to as a modem.  Modems differ from model to model and their setup differs accordingly, but all come with instructions.  For our purposes, once you connect your router to the switch, using the same CAT5 cables as elsewhere on the network, it is connected to each computer on the network.  The router is, in fact, a small specialised computer with its own IP address.  Most likely, the router will act as a controller for the network, assigning IP addresses to each client PC. 

Network Attached Storage (NAS)

You can get devices which sit on a network to provide shared storage for the network away from any individual PC.  This is the cheap and cheerful way to get the file storage and sharing capabilities of a server withouthe overhead and expense.  As with the internet router, any NAS device will come with its own instructions but, in essence, you plug it into your switch and hey presto.  Some devices will come with setup software to configure and attach the system to your network, others will require you to "map network drive", as per above when accessing a shared folder on another PC.

 

 

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