newbie home network question

Hi. I'm posting for advice, warnings, and/or references to previous
threads (since I just got here).

I have 3 dell towers all running WinMe, and two notebooks, one XPhome,
one XPpro.

I have the Dell truemobile router Ether'd to two towers, and 802.11b'd
to the other tower and both notebooks.

My WWW access on all 5 computers is fine using the router from a DSL
line.

My goal is printer sharing and file sharing, my fear is doing
something which will lose Internet access on one or more computers.

I'm starting to think my setup is pretty common, so GOOD website
references would be welcome, too.

Thanks in advance for lending your experience to me.

Len


Len Smiley

In article <(E-Mail Removed) >,
(E-Mail Removed) (Len Smiley) wrote:
>Hi. I'm posting for advice, warnings, and/or references to previous
>threads (since I just got here).
>
>I have 3 dell towers all running WinMe, and two notebooks, one XPhome,
>one XPpro.
>
>I have the Dell truemobile router Ether'd to two towers, and 802.11b'd
>to the other tower and both notebooks.
>
>My WWW access on all 5 computers is fine using the router from a DSL
>line.
>
>My goal is printer sharing and file sharing, my fear is doing
>something which will lose Internet access on one or more computers.
>
>I'm starting to think my setup is pretty common, so GOOD website
>references would be welcome, too.
>
>Thanks in advance for lending your experience to me.
>
>Len

The simplest thing is to run XP's Network Setup Wizard on each
computer, which will make all the necessary settings for file and
printer sharing. Tell it that the computers connect to the Internet
through a "residential gateway", which is what it calls a router.
I've written a web page with details:

XP ICS - Starting the Network Setup Wizard
http://www.practicallynetworked.com/...rksetupwiz.htm

You can make the same settings manually if you don't want to use the
Wizard:

1. On XP, disable the Internet Connection Firewall on the local area
network connection, as described here:

Windows XP Internet Connection Firewall
http://www.practicallynetworked.com/...c_firewall.htm

2. On WinMe, go to Control Panel | Network and install "Client for
Microsoft Networks" and "File and printer sharing for Microsoft
Networks".

In either case, you can then right click and share any desired disks,
folders, and printers. On XP, make the share names no longer than 12
characters so that WinMe will be able to access them.
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional - Windows Networking
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com

Steve Winograd's Networking FAQ
http://www.bcmaven.com/networking/faq.htm

Thanks. There was a little element of "musical chairs" involved but
the strategy of avoiding the Me wizard and using the XP wizard on the
Me boxes semms to have done everything (after many, many reboots).

Len


"Steve Winograd [MVP]" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:<(E-Mail Removed)>. ..
> In article <(E-Mail Removed) >,
> (E-Mail Removed) (Len Smiley) wrote:
> >Hi. I'm posting for advice, warnings, and/or references to previous
> >threads (since I just got here).
> >
> >I have 3 dell towers all running WinMe, and two notebooks, one XPhome,
> >one XPpro.
> >
> >I have the Dell truemobile router Ether'd to two towers, and 802.11b'd
> >to the other tower and both notebooks.
> >
> >My WWW access on all 5 computers is fine using the router from a DSL
> >line.
> >
> >My goal is printer sharing and file sharing, my fear is doing
> >something which will lose Internet access on one or more computers.
> >
> >I'm starting to think my setup is pretty common, so GOOD website
> >references would be welcome, too.
> >
> >Thanks in advance for lending your experience to me.
> >
> >Len
>
> The simplest thing is to run XP's Network Setup Wizard on each
> computer, which will make all the necessary settings for file and
> printer sharing. Tell it that the computers connect to the Internet
> through a "residential gateway", which is what it calls a router.
> I've written a web page with details:
>
> XP ICS - Starting the Network Setup Wizard
> http://www.practicallynetworked.com/...rksetupwiz.htm
>
> You can make the same settings manually if you don't want to use the
> Wizard:
>
> 1. On XP, disable the Internet Connection Firewall on the local area
> network connection, as described here:
>
> Windows XP Internet Connection Firewall
> http://www.practicallynetworked.com/...c_firewall.htm
>
> 2. On WinMe, go to Control Panel | Network and install "Client for
> Microsoft Networks" and "File and printer sharing for Microsoft
> Networks".
>
> In either case, you can then right click and share any desired disks,
> folders, and printers. On XP, make the share names no longer than 12
> characters so that WinMe will be able to access them.
> --
> Best Wishes,
> Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)
>
> Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
> for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
> addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.
>
> Microsoft Most Valuable Professional - Windows Networking
> http://mvp.support.microsoft.com
>
> Steve Winograd's Networking FAQ
> http://www.bcmaven.com/networking/faq.htm