headtheball said:
I know this might not be the right place to ask this but I cannot get an
answer anywhere else. I need to know step by step instructions on connecting
two PC's together on a home network where the host pc is running ZA Pro.
This is a somewhat complex subject, there are special classes for teaching
how to do networking. No one is going to give complete step by step
procedures because it's too complex to do all that typing! Your request is
WAY to general. But here is basically what you need to do, and I have to
refer you to your Help files (and Google) for more detailed examples.
First of all, you need a special cable, called a "cross-over cable", to
directly connect 2 computers together. Without that cable you will be
connecting output signals on one computer to output signals on the other;
they will fight each other electrically and eventually the weaker of the 2
(or both) will electronically destruct and you will require repair service.
This is true regardless of what kind of ports you use to connect the 2
computers together. Or, if using ethernet, you can go buy a cheap "hub" and
then you do not need special cables because the hub will correctly handle
the cable connection requirements (read the directions that come with the
hub). I do not recommend usage of a router for what you are doing, because
(for reason that I won't get into) that could make the shared folders
visible on internet.
Set up a "network shared" folder on both computers. Click Start/Help and
then search for information about how to do that. Set them up for using
password protection.
If using ethernet NIC cards for the connection between both computers, give
one a static ip address of 192.168.4.1 and give the other 192.168.4.2.
Those could be other 192.168.x.x numbers, but the choices I give probably
will not conflict with anything a router might assign if you're using one on
other NIC cards. This will require that both computers be configured to use
the TcpIp protocol (that's the default). 192.168.x.x addresses will NOT be
passed by an ISP over the internet even if you were to connect things up
with a hub so that you'd think it could be done. That address range is by
design limited to LAN connections only. However, a router could make your
LAN visible on the internet, which is why I say to use a hub that itself is
in no way connected to the internet.
If both computers can use NetBEUI protocol (it is not supported by XP) then
add it. Individually remove the NetBEUI protocol for any network adapters
that are not associated with the 2 NIC's mentioned above (yes, you can have
more than one NIC in one machine). NetBEUI must not be used with any network
adapters that can communicate with the internet. It was removed from XP
because it is security risk. But NetBEUI is pretty good on a private local
area network (a LAN) because it helps computers "see" each other that
otherwise might have problems doing so (that happens, networking is a very
complex subject).
Assign both computers to the same Workgroup. Turn off both computers and
properly connect them together physically (or via your router). Reboot and
wait 5 minutes. If you did everything right then the computers should show
up in each others Network Neighborhood. If they do but you see no folders
being shared then you didn't share them correctly, investigate for the
cause. You should be prompted for the previously defined password to get
into a shared folder on another machine. If you are prompted for a login
name, that would be the name of the computer you are using and the other
computer must have an account set up for that name on the machine you are
connecting to (NT, 2000, and XP will prompt for a login name, and you can
ignore any request for a domain at the login prompt).
This is just the basics. Networking is a complicated subject that involves
both the physical parts and how networking security has been set up on both
machines.
Enough typing, my fingers are tired. Good luck, and don't get too
frustrated. Things will work eventually! But be careful with the physical
connection issues.
