Network Setup Help Please....

xirokx

xirokx

xirokx

Soldato
Joined
2 Oct 2004
Posts
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Location
N.W London
Hi,

I am a total networking n00b so have some questions I hope you guys can help:

Equipment: 2 desktops and 1 laptop, 1 wireless router, 2 pcimia cards, 1 printer server

What I would like to acheive:

I would like to setup a network so all three pooters can use the net and print.

Questions:

A) Whats the easiest way to do this?
B) Do I have all the equipment to acheive this?
C) How do I do this?
D) Do I use 1 pc as the host and connect it up to the router via ethernet?
E) Do you know of any guides etc?

I would really appreciate your help and advice...

Thanks in advance...

Cheers!!!
 
Internet ----> router -----> network

How your computers connect to the network is based entirely on their physical position. If the 2 desktops are right next to the router then you may aswell connect the via ethernet as this is much quicker than wireless.

The print server can plug straight in to the router and the printer goes straight in to that respectively.

For howto's its gotta be http://practicallynetworked.com/howto/
 
2 desktops are really close to the router so I guess I will be better off using ethernet cables...

With regards to the printer server....so if I plug the printer server into the router and then plug the printer cable into the printer it will all be OK?

As for the laptop I will have to use wi fi etc....

Thanks for that site....which section do I go to?

Are there many settings I need to tweak? I thought it would literally be plug and play and opening up ports? Do I have to get involved with TCP/IP??

Please clarify

Thanks in advance...
 
That link i gave you takes you to the 'howto' section on that website anyway.

The print server should work if you just plug it in to the router and then the printer in to the print server but you'll have to add the printer to each machine before you can print from it but i'm not sure how you do that as i have never used a print server.

As for how easy it is, it should just be a case of plugging everything in and letting it do its thing but it is never that easy. If everything works from the start then you'll be up and running but the network won't be secure as the routers arent set to use encryption as standard, once you feel a bit more comfortable with setting up the network, you might want to look in to wireless security (WEP etc..) in order to keep things secure.
 
cheers mate....

re: WEP will I need software to set that up or is it a case of checking some boxes?

thanks

There are loads of links on that website...I dont want to choose the wrong one, am I right in going to the "sharing your internet connection ICS" with Win Xp section?
 
Don't bother with WEP - use WPA-PSK instead (if your kit will support it). Either way you'll need to configure on both the wireless clients and the router.

If you're using a router, ICS isn't relevant. As said, it's more or less a case of hook it all up and it should (mostly) work.
 
To be honest your probably better of following the manual you should have got with the router. It'll give you all the basic setup stuff and hopefully tell you how to setup WEP (if the router is enabled).

If you havent got a manual you will probably be able to pick it up from the manufacturers website.

Incidently, what router is it?
 
well its a friends and I dont know....apparently I volunteered unintentionally to set it up....

So follow the manual if you dont have one download it erm and look in the manual re: WEP.....

Do I have to open ports or anything? Especially for the laptop?
 
xirokx said:
well its a friends and I dont know....apparently I volunteered unintentionally to set it up....

So follow the manual if you dont have one download it erm and look in the manual re: WEP.....

Do I have to open ports or anything? Especially for the laptop?
Click to expand...

Unless your using port specific programs i.e P2P sharing/ game hosting.No.
These programs listen on specific ports that need to be forwarded.
However most new games are having Nat helper services built in which means by using the built in server browser they external server can find out the port assigned internally for the application for that session.
This is then given to the clinet when they click connect.

If that's completely baffled you then i apologise, it's hard to simplify non siple concepts without explaining how they work first.
Infact that's not exactly how a NAT helper works but i don't really want to go into the depths of NAPT
 
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with regards to the laptop i dont think it has wifi.....so if i purchase a network card will this then enable me to connect up to the wireless router and get online?

Again do i just follow the network wizard when setting it up on the laptop?
 
Most devices work fine if you follow the wizard. Infact the only think i've ever found not to work properly using the wizard is the built in wireless on a Centrino laptop.

But its intel stuff so it's not going to work properly by default.
 
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