Introduction to home and small business networking
Published: August 15, 2006
Setting up a network is a great way to get more use out of your computers and peripherals, and to have more fun with them. With a network, you can:
| • | Share a single Internet connection among multiple computers. |
| • | Share files among computers. |
| • | Use a printer connected to a different computer. |
| • | Play recorded TV, videos, and digital music stored on your computer on your Xbox 360. |
Setting up home and small business networks is much easier than it used to be. With Microsoft Windows XP, you no longer need to hire a computer expert—you can set up your network on your own. You can even create a wireless network so that you can use your laptop from anywhere in your home.
To set up your network
1. | Connect to the Internet. Depending on your location, you may have several options for broadband Internet connections. Once you're connected to the Internet and your network is set up, you'll be able to get online from any computer, as if each computer had its own connection. |
2. | Choose a network type, and buy your network hardware If you have a laptop and you want to use it from different rooms in your home, pick a wireless network. Otherwise, a wired network is the most secure and reliable choice. |
3. | Set up your wired or wireless network. Setting up a wired network is as simple as hooking up a stereo or TV. Wireless networks are only slightly more complex, but if you choose network hardware that supports Windows Connect Now technology, wireless setup will be fairly straightforward. |
4. | Connect your computers running Windows XP, Windows 2000, or Windows 98/Me. Once you discover how easy it is to set up your network, you might want everyone in your household to have his or her own computer. You can also connect your Xbox or Xbox 360 to your network to play games on Xbox Live or to enjoy your digital music, videos, and recorded TV when you're not playing a game. |
After you set up your network, you should take a few minutes to protect it. Windows XP, especially after you have installed Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2), is designed to be secure by default. However, it never hurts to increase your understanding of Internet security and privacy.
Once your network is set up, your Internet connection will be automatically shared. But you can do more than just share your Internet connection among your computers. You can also share files between computers and print documents to remote printers. For more information, and for help troubleshooting any problems that might come up, refer to Using and maintaining your network.
