Home networking help please

[zAndy1]

Hi,
Can anyone point me in the direction of a useful document that explains how I can network my PCs together at home so I can share stuff between them? Basically I've got my HTPC downstairs connected directly to my Netgear DG824M router. I also have PC upstairs connected by a Netgear MA111 wireless adaptor. There's also a laptop connected via a wireless PCMCIA card. What do I have to do to be able to e.g. browse files on the HTPC from the PC upstairs or transfer a file from one to the other? I'm sorry if it's a noddy question but I honestly haven't got a clue how to do it. I assume it's possible or do they have to be physically connected somehow?

Cheers,
Andy.

 

[SeaneyC]

www.homenethelp.com

may be able to help you

 

[rhinoman]

Basically, set up a user account on the machine that holds the file you want to share that is the same as the logon on the other machine.

Right click on the folder you want to share and select sharing and agree to share the file.

No the machines dont need a direct connection.

 

[surrey lad]

Once you can see your other computers on the network, your 75% of the way there.

Next thing is to make sure you use a firewall. I have almost the same setup as yours apart from mine are all wireless.

I tried using the inbuilt firewall within XP, problem with this is that it does not allow you to share your files or printers, it took me a long time to work that one out.

I'm now using Zone Alarm which is a free download, do a search on download.com for "free firewall" and you'll see the rest of the world seems to be using it!!

The only reason way I now always recommend using a firewall, is when I first networked my computers, disabling XP's firewall for sharing purposes, I found to my amazement an additional computer under 'my network places'. Some geek from Bournemouth Uni had hacked his way on to my network.

Don't mean to scare you but take no chances.

Take care

Surrey Lad

 

[rhinoman]

If you enable NAT on your router you wont need the firewall on a local machine.

 

[zAndy1]

Yeah I thought I didn't need a firewall as my router has one built in anyway. Dunno if NAT is enabled though, I just assumed it was by default. Anyway thanks for the help, got it working now, the computers can see each other and that's the main thing. I don't suppose I can use a printer connected to the upstairs PC via USB from any other computer on the network can I (don't think so but can't hurt to ask)

Cheers,
Andy.

 

[KraGorn]

Originally posted by zAndy1
Dunno if NAT is enabled though, I just assumed it was by default.

If several PCs are able to connect to the next via the router is is by definition using NAT.

Originally posted by zAndy1
I don't suppose I can use a printer connected to the upstairs PC via USB from any other computer on the network can I (don't think so but can't hurt to ask)

Sharing a printer is easy, on the PC to which it's connected go into Properties and 'share' it .. on the other PCs, create a networked printer by using "Add Printer" and browse the network to the machine and printer you want to use .. XP is very intelligent with printer sharing, older versions of Windows sometimes need a bit of help with printer drivers.