• Share a single printer between computers


• Share a single Internet connection among all the computers in your home


• Access shared files such as photographs, MP3s, spreadsheets and documents on any computer in the house


• Play games that allow multiple users at different computers


• Send the output of a device like a DVD player or Webcam to your other
  computer(s)

In this article, we'll look at all of the different methods you can use to create a home network. Be sure to read the companion articles about power-line networking, wireless networking and phone-line networking. This specialized information, including our own experiences with different networking solutions, can help you decide which method is right for your home.

At the moment, wireless networking appears to be the easiest and one of the least expensive options. You can buy an 802.11b or 802.11g access point, connect it to your cable modem or DSL modem in a few minutes, and have all your computers talking on a network very quickly. See How WiFi Works for details.

Ways to Connect

You can connect your home computers in a variety of ways:

• "Officially" wire your house with data cables by hiding all the network cable in the walls (especially easy if you are building a new home)


• Run cables across the floor between computers in the same room


• Install some form of wireless networking (see How WiFi Works for details)


• Link your computers through your power lines (see How Power-line Networking Works for details)


• Link your computers through your phone lines (see How Phone-line Networking Works for details)


• Walk diskettes and CD-Rs back and forth (which is inexpensive but gets to be a drag)

Each of these methods has advantages and disadvantages, and in this article we'll discuss them in detail. But all of these methods (except physically carrying diskettes) require you to configure your computers to share printers, files and an Internet connection and to set up some level of security. This configuration process is common to any form of networking, so that's where we'll start. We'll discuss how to set up sharing with Windows 98 and Windows XP, since they are the most common versions of the Windows operating system used at home. The procedure is different if you're using another version of Windows, but the basic information is still useful. For those of you using Linux, UNIX or other operating systems, you may prefer to skip the networking basics and go straight to Building a Network.

Once we establish a basic understanding of the configuration process, we'll discuss phone-line networking, power-line networking, Ethernet networking and wireless networking in detail. By the time you finish this series, you'll be able to choose the network technology that suits your needs and configure the whole thing!

Networking Basics

To install a network in your home, there are three steps:

1. Choose the technology you will use for the network. The main technologies to choose between are standard Ethernet, phone-line-based, power-line-based and wireless.


2. Buy and install the hardware.


3. Configure the system and get everything talking together correctly.

Step 3 is extremely important. It is also very educational -- if you understand the configuration process, you understand everything a home network is capable of doing for you.

Easy Networking

There are several "home-networking kits" available, and they often include an installation CD that makes configuration very easy. Windows XP comes with a "Network Setup Wizard" that helps with network configuration. There are also contractors who will set up a network in your home for a fee. The software or contractor will take you through each step of naming the computer, sharing files, sharing printers and sharing an Internet connection.

However, if you have problems, or if your kit does not include a configuration program, you'll need to know how to set your network up manually. You also need to understand a manual setup if you plan to do-it-yourself. To assist you with setting up your network, we'll discuss the following tasks, which apply no matter which networking technology you choose:

• Naming the PC


• Sharing files


• Sharing printers


• Security


• Sharing an Internet connection

Once you understand these tasks, you'll understand just what your new network can do!

Naming the PC

Once you have the hardware installed (discussed later in this article), you are ready to configure your network. The first configuration step is naming the PCs in the network.Before your computer can become part of a network, it has to have a name and a workgroup.

Each computer in your home network needs to have a different name, and they all need to be in the same workgroup.

Here's how you can name your PC and create a workgroup:

1. In Windows XP, click the Start button (bottom left hand corner) and select the Control Panel.


2. If not already in the "Classic view", select the Classic view option (upper left corner of the window - you can switch between the classic view and the category view).


3. Click on the "System" icon.


4. Select the "Computer Name" tab.


5. You will see that the computer has a "Full Computer Name" and a "Workgroup". Click the "Change" button to change them.


6. In the first box, enter the name you wish to give the computer. You can name it anything, but each computer in your home must have a its own unique name.


7. In the second box, enter the name you plan to use for the workgroup -- make sure all of the computers have the same workgroup name. You may want to write it down to make sure that you enter the exact same workgroup name on each computer in your home network.

1. In Windows 98/ME, move the mouse pointer over the Network Neighborhood icon on the desktop and click the right mouse button once.Shopping for a laptop?
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2. Select Properties from the menu. The Network Properties window will pop up, listing information about the network adapter(s) and protocols installed on that computer.


3. When the window opens, click the Identification tab. You will see three boxes (as shown above).


4. In the first box, enter the name you wish to give the computer. You can name it anything, but each computer in your home must have a its own unique name.


5. In the second box, enter the name you plan to use for the workgroup -- make sure all of the computers have the same workgroup name. You may want to write it down to make sure that you enter the exact same workgroup name on each computer in your network.

Now that we've got names and a workgroup, let's move on to file sharing.

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