Set up a Small Network

How to Set Up a Small Network with Windows XP Home Edition

The "Set Up a Small Network with Windows XP Home Edition" guide describes how to quickly set up a small network that is practical for home users.

In a peer-to-peer network, all the computers share their resources.

Your computers can communicate with each other only if they are physically connected. To physically connect them, you must have some hardware. Many manufacturers offer starter kits that make setting up your first network easier. However, you can also obtain all the components separately. You must have the following components to connect your computers

One network card per computer

The most frequently used network cards are PCI 10BaseT/100BaseT Fast Ethernet adapters. These Ethernet cards for the PCI bus can automatically switch between transfer rates of 10 MBit/s and 100 MBit/s.

LAN onboard

New computers typically have a LAN chip on the motherboard. If your motherboard already has a LAN chip, you do not have to install a new network card. However, you may have to activate it in BIOS. For more information, see the manual that the manufacturer supplied with your computer. If you are not sure, you can also ask your hardware manufacturer.

One network cable per computer.

Use CAT5 UTP or STP cables (category 5 unshielded or shielded twisted pair cables with RJ45 connectors on both ends).

A signal distributor.

A signal distributor connects computers with each other, controls data flow and can negotiate data transfer between 10 Mbit/s and 100 Mbit/s connections. For your small network, use either a dual-speed hub or a dual-speed switch

How to Decide Whether to Use a Hub or a Switch

A hub forwards data packets to all the ports.

A switch is more intelligent. It recognizes which computer is connected to which port based on the MAC address (the network card's hardware address assigned by the manufacturer) and saves this information in a table. When a switch receives a data packet, it determines the recipient and forwards the packet to the correct computer.

A switch forwards data packets only to the recipient. Therefore, a switch creates significantly less data traffic than a hub. The more computers that you have in your network, the more sense it makes to use a switch. Your signal distributor must have enough ports to support the number of computers in your network, and it should have extra ports in case you want to add more computers later.

Connecting the Computers.

To connect the computers, follow these steps:

Install the network card.

Install the signal distributor.

Put it near a power outlet and where all the computers can easily access it. To install the signal distributor, follow these steps:

Your small network is almost completely set up. You now have to prepare Windows to operate in a network environment.

Configuring TCP/IP Protocol

Now that you have successfully configured your network card, you must make sure that your computers can communicate with each other. To do so, follow these steps:

Click Start, click Control Panel, click Network and Internet Connections, and then click Network Connections. Windows has installed a LAN connection for your small network here.

Note You can also use the Classic view in Control Panel. To switch to Classic view, click Start, click Control Panel, click Switch to Classic View (if available), and then double-click Network Connections.

If you want to establish other connections (for example, to the Internet), it is helpful to give all connections clear names. This makes it easier to differentiate the connections from each other.

Right-click the network interface, click Rename, type a different name, and then press ENTER.

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