Home Networking

[amitranjanray]

What is the best and the easiest way for connecting TWO computers to share files, games and broadband internet? Hardware requirement...? Cost...? Do I ought to know anything else? Thanks.

Detail:
Computer #1 (on 1st floor): Windows XP Home SP3; BSNL DataOne Broadband connection; Modem - Huawei SmartAX MT882 connected to USB port (no network interface card).

Computer #2 (on ground floor): Windows XP Pro (no network interface card)

Amit Ray
http://amitranjanray.googlepages.com

 

[shantam2005]

You need to have a wireless Router that will be connected with the modem and a Wifi card in the computer on the ground floor.The router will cost you around 800-1200 bux and the card also the same...........If you need a wired connection then you will need a NIC in the computer on the ground floor and then connect the Ground Floor computer with the Modem's Ethernet port through an Ethernet Cable.The NIC will cost around 200-300 bux.If you need more speed for file sharing between the two computers I suggest using the wired method as it also is very cheap

 

[superprash2003]

if you dont mind using wired.. then you wont have to spend money on a wireless router.. just connect a LAN cable from your modem's LAN port to your pc( you just have to buy a LAN card for your pc)

 

[amitranjanray]

Thank you Shantam2005 and Superprash2003 for your help. Please tell me more about the pros and cons of wired and wireless LAN. I am 63years old and a total newbie. Regards

 

[agent609]

heres the cheapest nd best solution 1.buy a lan card for ur ground floor pc. should be around 150-300 rs 2.buy a PC-Hub cat5 lan cable of how much ever meters u want. a 2m cable costs around 50, i m guessing ur need ll be covered within 200-300rs 3.connect the lan cable to ur modems RJ45 port 4. configure a different ip for ur ground floor pc nd ur all set to go 5. for file sharing, to access another pc from one pc all u have to do is run \\computer-name

 

[bsnluser]

Please tell me more about the pros and cons of wired and wireless LAN.

Here are my few comments:
1. Wired connection is going to be much more reliable than wireless.
2. Wired connection is also going to be much more faster than a wireless connection.
3. Going wired is going to be cheaper if the distance between two computers is not too large.
4. If it is very difficult or impossible to connect the two PCs with a cable, then go wireless by all means.

Using a wired connection:

You need to put a LAN card in your PC which does not have one yet. Then connect the two computers using a 10/100 mb LAN cable (also called a network cable or network cable with CAT5 connectors).

Once that is done, you need to give both of your PCs are fixed IP address. Check the IP address being used by the computer which is connected to the internet. If the IP address is something like 192.168.x.y, then you are good. If not, ask here again.

Next, you need to give your other computer a fixed IP address on the *same network*. If your internet computer has 192.168.x.y as an example, then give your other computer 192.168.x.z (where z is a different number than y).

At time, your both computer should be able to talk to each other by IP addresses.


Hope this helps.

 

[amitranjanray]

Thanks a million, everybody. I am sure I can see a dim light. However, I am not so sure I understand the thing about IP address. How do I go about doing that? I will try out the ways that has been suggested. Be prepared to be pestered more in future if and when I get stuck. Cheers

Amit Ray
amitranjanray - Amit Ray Nature PhotosWildlife and Nature Photos from India

 

[essbebe]

Home Network Diagrams - Direct Connection
See Image 7. For the present you can have a parallel Phone connection
and connect the ADSl splitter and modem, where required.
Para two:
Sharing files/and folders: Available.
How to configure Internet Connection Sharing in Windows XP
Read How to configure file sharing in Windows XP
For reference only
\"Windows XP Home Edition-based computers always have Simple File Sharing
enabled\" and \"Simple File Sharing is always turned on in Windows XP Home
Edition-based computers\".
By default, Simple File Sharing is enabled in Professional and can be
disabled. You don't get a choice in Home Edition where it is ALWAYS on
except under an admin-level account (which requires rebooting into Safe
Mode).

 

[bsnluser]

Thanks a million, everybody. I am sure I can see a dim light. However, I am not so sure I understand the thing about IP address. How do I go about doing that? I will try out the ways that has been suggested. Be prepared to be pestered more in future if and when I get stuck. Cheers

An IP address is a unique number to given each computer on a network. When you connect your home computers using network cables (possibly including a device called a switch -- which just is an interconnection of network cables -- if you have more than two computers), you get a computer network that is called a Local Area Network (LAN).

Similarly, each computer connected to the internet also has a unique IP address. The internet is also called public network or Wide Area Network (WAN).

When you connect your modem to the BSNL internet, you modem get an public IP address and becomes part of the WAN.

Your computer, however, gets an IP address of something like 192.168.x.y or 169.254.x.y. These IP address are specified to be for LANs only. This way, your LAN computers talk with WAN, or the internet, via the modem.

The above scenario is not complete stuff that happens, but it gives a fairly good picture. (Just to be thorough, if your modem is working bridge mode, then your computer which is connected to the modem gets a public IP address while the modem works as a "bridge").

Now, the way to specify the IP address for a computer depends on the OS you are running. If you are running Windows XP, then check the properties of that local area connection from "Show All Connections" (or similar window).

Finally, do not worry about posting queries here, we love to help!

 

[shantam2005]

I suggest you that If the distance betwen the 2 computers is not too large then you should surely go for wired as its cheaper,reliable,faster,and has very low maintenance costs:dance::thumbsup::yahoo: