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Wireless Networking Step-by-Step with Windows XPSetting up Windows XP on your wireless network starts with making sure your hardware is recognized and that you have the latest drivers. You need to give your computer a name, if it doesn't already have one, and enter a workgroup name that will be shared by all the PCs on your wireless LAN. Windows XP is ready to share files and printers by default, but you should check to make sure. If you want to let XP handle these tasks for you, simply launch the Home Networking Wizard and follow along as the Wizard steps you through the process. You'll be up and running in no time. If you use Windows XP, you're in luck. The operating system is built with networking in mind and offers features for sharing files and the Internet, as well as some built-in wireless smarts that should make setting up an 802.11 network quite simple. You probably noticed the word "should" in the last sentence. There are a few potential hangups that we'll help you get around. Most important is to have updated drivers for your wireless network card. You can experience a range of wireless networking problems in Windows XP if you are not using the most recent driver. We choose XP to walk you through the steps for setting up your network for two reasons. First, the operating system is Microsoft's latest and will ship with most new PCs. Second, using these directions, Windows 2000 users should be able to get up and running, since the operating systems work so similarly. Unlike Windows 2000, XP offers the Network Setup Wizard to make the job a bit simpler. However, the Wizard, like many other things designed to make your life easier, in fact sometimes gets things wrong. It's a good idea to know how to change your network settings manually, and we'll cover that first.
Link to Steps:Step 3- File and Print Sharing Step 4- Change Workgroup settings Step 5- Sharing Internet Access |
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