Wanting to setup an in home network, need help

[Punkrulz]

Hey everybody,

Now that my sister got her new computer, I want to setup a network between mine and her computer, and later a third computer.

Basically I want to create either a "network" drive that would be hosted off of my computer {lets call it computer A}. That drive would be so that I could place documents in the folder, and she can access them, and vice versa.

I also want to enable printer sharing, she has a really really nice 3 in 1 printer {She's kinda not wanting me to use it because she tried pawning off a really old POS Lexmark printer on me, ain't happening}. The printer is attached directly to her computer {That'll be computer B}, so could you tell me how to set that one up?

A third thing I want to do, is my computer only has a CDROM... and her computer only has a CDRW. Is it a possibility to set it up so that if I placed a CD in the CDROM, I could copy it to HER CDRW? If it's possible, please lemme know. =)

~Punkrulz

 

[sboulema]

You will need arouter for the third pc , but the two pc's canmbe link with a crossed cable and 2 networkadapters. Then in the system options make the 2 pc's part of the same workgroup and voila And yes i think its possibvle to share the entire cd-rw drive.

 

[Punkrulz]

I already have a MS Ethernet Broadband Wired Cable Router that I use to share our cable connection. Both Computer A {Mine} and computer B {my sister / guardian's} are already hooked up to it. Later when we get another monitor and keyboard, we're going to setup the old computer for the little nephews {Who are annoying might I add}, so we can already do it that way.

Can you please be a little more specific, like step wise and everything? This is one of the things that I am very slow to catch on with, which I'm sorry about I dunno why I don't learn this easier {even with my Cisco training} but that's the way things are. *Sighs*

 

[sboulema]

have a look here: http://www.geekgirls.com/windowsxp_home_network.htm

 

[Zedric]

That link hardly applies since he won't be using ICS.

Just plug the computers in the router (if there is room, if not get a hub or switch).

The network drive is easy. Just choose a folder you want and share it. Make sure your sister is allowed to write to it.

The printer however could be harder. Basic printer sharing is easy, just share it and then connect to it on the other computer. But since you say "3 in 1" it take it it's a scanner/copier as well? You won't be able to share the scanner part, that will only work locally. At least this is the way with all HP 3in1 machines I've seen. Lexmark may be different but I don't think so.

 

[Punkrulz]

Still isn't working.

For those that don't know, I want to enable sharing between Computers (A) and (B). Both (A) and (B) are connected to a router, and then to the internet. I want to set up the connection between the two, create a virtual "Drive" from my existing space {NOT A PARTITION} and make that the shared drive. I also want to share the printer that is directly connected to (B).

I went to Network Connection Wizard on computer (A). Followed all the instructions, named the computer DAN, and wanted to be a part of the workgroup called, "Workgroup". Since I do not have a floppy drive on this system, I have to manually do the network wizard on computer (B).

I start the wizard, again do the same things, name it LISA, apply it to the group "Workgroup" and I'm done. Here are my observations:

• When viewing Workgroup computers, LISA is viewable, but DAN is not even on the list.
• While on (A), viewing My Network Places, I see SharedDocs on Inside Computer (Lisa) //Lisa/SharedDocs.
• While on (B), viewing My Network Places, I see nothing in there... I did at one point see the same folder as A, but that wasn't what I wanted, so I deleted that folder and some other kind of folder that was in there... frustrated.
• On computer (B), I can view the Lisa computer on View Workgroup Computers, but not Dan.

While I shouldn't have deleted the two folders in My Network Places on computer (B), they were of no use, so please don't respond saying I shouldn't have done this, just try to talk me through what exactly to do to get it working, I would be eternally greatful. I don't have a floppy on this computer, so I have to run both Wizard's manually.

 

[Punkrulz]

*Sigh* Now I keep getting somekind of error on Computer B... I'll let you know what it is when I get a chance, it's a bootup error once Windows loads, and it's like no error i've seen before.

 

[toxicity]

If your going to get a third computer soon and want a cheap but effective network, just get a hub and set up a proxy. It really simple as soon as you get the right software.

 

[rettahc]

If the two computers are having trouble seeing each other, make sure that you have Xp's built in firewall turned off

 

[Punkrulz]

That may have been an issue in the past, I dunno, I remember that one of the options that you choose in the wizard will forcefully turn on the ICF.

I think I may have done it, some things concern me, others worry me, and others confuse me. Right now both computers are seeing each other. One of the problems was that on my computer it didn't save when I clicked File and Printer Sharing Enabled... that has been changed. Another thing is I refreshed the computer on my router, it kept trying to pick up the old one.

Now, different things were happening: First and foremost, I was told to set it so that when you do the Wizard, select the other option, then the option that says that both are connected to a Hub or Router... For some reason that didn't work, as I wasn't able to see my own computer on the network... That was unexplainable {Considering it's 5am, and I hate walking in between the outside and inside of house, I'm not going to work on it tonight}.

Then on my computer, I did the network ID wizard, and now it seems to work. I mapped network drives, so now my CDRom is shared as well as my Z: folder, and her CDRW is shared and she can see my Z: folder... That's how I like it. Oh, and the printer is shared too. If someone can elaborate on why setting both computers connected to router didn't work, please do, this will be bothering me for awhile.

Another weird thing is that for some reason if say, one computer goes off and the other sees it as off, and then back on, it won't refresh, even clicking refresh... Say I turn off my computer, and reboot hers. Hers will say disconnected. Now I will turn mine on, and turn hers on: Her Mapped drives towards the components on my system still say disconnected UNTIL she double clicks them... why is that?

If you can offer any more advice on that Small Home network wizard and what selections please let me know, I think on my computer it's set so that this computer is connected to another computer on the internet or something like that.

EDIT: I just tried setting it to that, and now I can't see either computer on the network, but I can still access her CDRW drive... what the hell gives??