Browse the Microsoft website for more information or simply open up Help and
Support, type in the word 'Network' and a great deal of valuable information
is available: right on your own computer, no need to search anywhere esle.
Another good place for lots of information on product types and
configurations is
http://www.ozcableguy.com/.
Basically with a home network, as in an office, you can work and play
together. Linking computers to create a network greatly expands their
capacity and can even save you money!
Does your home contain two or more computers? By networking them, you can:
Share a single Internet connection. XP has a feature called Internet
Connection Sharing (ICS). Using ICS, one computer, called the ICS host,
shares its Internet connection with the rest of the computers on the network.
By sharing one Internet connection, you can simultaneously surf the Web on
your computer while another family member checks e-mail on a different
computer.
To establish a network is simple and can be made more complex depending upon
your requirements. For example, two computers can be networked smply if the
have each a spare serial or parallel port. Using an appropriate cable to
connect the two and then running Network Wizard will establish the network
for you.
On a more complex level, if one is a laptop and used in different rooms,
then you may choose to set up a wireless network. This gives more freedom
and requires a little more equipment and time to setup correctly.
Share a printer, scanner, and other hardware. You may have a printer that is
connected to a computer in another room. With home networking, you can print
to this printer from your computer. You no longer have to copy a file onto a
floppy disk and take it to the computer that has the printer.
Share files and folders. Suppose your child asks you to look at a school
report that is located on the computer in his or her bedroom. When computers
are networked together you can, for instance, open the file from your
computer, make changes, and then save the file on your child's computer.
Play multi-computer games. By networking and sharing an Internet connection,
family members can play games on separate computers with each other or on the
Internet. And while they're playing, you can be surfing the Web, too — for
example, visiting your favorite financial or sports sites.
But first you must link your computers together, by installing appropriate
hardware in each and by joining the computers with wires or by means of
wireless technology. This article explains the process from start to finish.
You'll learn how to choose the right network technology for your home, the
right components to obtain, and how to install and connect them properly.
There's also a section on protecting your home network from outside hackers
by creating a secure barrier called a firewall, the same as that used by
businesses.