Need help networking 2 home computers pls.

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  • Start date Start date
S

SP

I am trying to set up a home network using 2 computers for a friend of mine.
Both computers are using Windows XP. He connects through DSL. How would he
set up the two computers, one being the host and the other being the client?
Does he need to get a router/hub? Also, can he use the Network Setup Wizard
to do this? Would he use the Wizard on both computers or only one?

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks.
 
Ok, there are some answers you need to provide that will go into making an
answer for you.

1) Are the computers close enough to use ethernet cable between them or do
you want a wireless connection? And is your broadband modem connection to
your computer ethernet or USB?
2) What type of connection do you want?
2a) If wanting a wired connection do you have ethernet ports in both
computers (2 in the computer connected to the broadband modem if it uses a
ethernet connection)?
2b) If wanting a wireless connection you will have to purchase two PCI
Wireless adapters or 2 USB wireless adapters or some combo.
3) Are the two computers using XP SP1 or XP SP2?
4) Do you want a Peer to Peer Network or an Infrastructured Network????
4a) If you make a Peer to Peer network, in otherwords not using a router to
connect your computers together and directly to the internet, the computer
connected to the Broadband modem will always have to stay on in order for
the second computer to access the network.
4b) If you want to make an Infrastructure network then you would have to
also purchase a router. (A wireless router if you want a wireless
connection)

Answer these questions and we can help you.

Robert....
 
I am trying to set up a home network using 2 computers for a friend of mine.
Both computers are using Windows XP. He connects through DSL. How would he
set up the two computers, one being the host and the other being the client?
Does he need to get a router/hub? Also, can he use the Network Setup Wizard
to do this? Would he use the Wizard on both computers or only one?

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

The best setup for a network with an external DSL modem is to get a
broadband router, connect the DSL modem to its WAN (Internet) port,
and connect the computers to its LAN ports. After configuring the
router with the DSL logon information, both computers can share the
connection. The Network Setup Wizard connection option for this setup
is "through a residential gateway".

If it's an internal DSL modem, or if the (usually low) cost of a
broadband router is too much, you can use one computer as a host and
the other as a client. I've written a web site with complete details:

Windows XP Internet Connection Sharing
http://www.practicallynetworked.com/sharing/xp_ics

ICS is harder to set up and less reliable than using a broadband
router.
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com
 
Thanks for your reply,

Would he use the Network Setup Wizard on both machines or only the host?
 
I tried what you all told me and it still doesn't work. I plugged the DSL
modem cable into the internet port and each computer cable into the LAN
ports. But nothing happens and then we lost the internet connection. My
friend has a Westell/Verizon DSL Modem, Model #327W. He bought a Linksys
Network Cable/DSL 4 port router, model #NR041.

What are we doing wrong?


Thanks.
 
I cant find anything on a linksys router called NR041. Is this a
modem/router combo? What is the actual model number? It will be like BEFSR41
 
Yes I think it is the router is the BEFSR41 model. I went on the Linksys
site and the router that he has is there but it just looks a little
different in the picture. The DSL modem that he has from Verison is a
Westell brand. So when he plugged the DSL modem and the computer cables
into the router he lost his internet connection so he couldn't even
configure the router. It came with a setup disk but he couldn't use it
cause he had no internet connection after that. Is he plugging the cables
into the wrong ports?
 
There should be 5 ports on the back, 1 by itself and then 4 together. The 1
by istelf is called the WAN port, that is the port the internet modem cable
must go into. The other 4 think of like a HUB/Switch for your
computers/Ethernet devices.

Before you do anything Reset the router to its factory defaults. There
should be a small pin hole button on the router somewhere. Hold it in for
about 10 seconds with the power on.

Once the modem is plugged into the WAN Port and a computer is plugged into
one of the ethernet ports you should be able to go into the routers setup
screen and configure it for your type of Internet account, such as Static
IP, Dynamic IP or PPOE (Requires Username and Password)

After that you should beable to access the Internet from the computer that
is connected.
Robert....
 

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