How do I setup my own home network? Peer-to-Peer network Basic Ethernet network with file sharing Network with modem Internet sharing Network with broadband Internet sharing

How do I setup my own home network?

Setting up a home network allow users to share files, share printers, share broadband Internet access, play network games and much more. Before setting up your own network, the network as well as what you want for the network to accomplish must be established. Below are links to different computer networks you can run at your home.

Peer-to-Peer network
Basic Ethernet network with file sharing
Network with modem Internet sharing
Network with broadband Internet sharing

Peer-to-Peer network

Advantages and Capabilities:
Connect two commuters.
Able to share files, play network games.

Disadvantages:Limited to two computers can connected to the network.

Estimated setup time:
10-15 Minutes

Required hardware and software:
- Two computers with 10/100 Ethernet network cards installed and working
- Network cross-over cable.

Microsoft Windows 95 and 98 Steps:

1. Verify network cards are properly installed in Device Manager and that you have the latest network drivers for the installed network cards. If problems are found with the network cards, see the basic network troubleshooting page.
2. Connect the two computers to each other.
3. Open Network properties by clicking Start, Settings, Control Panel and double-clicking "Network."
4. Verify your network card is listed as a network component. Note that this is not the dial-up adapter.
5. Verify that TCP/IP and IPX/SPX are installed for your network adapter. If one or both of these protocols are not listed for your network adapter, install the protocol.
6. Once the protocols have been installed under the Network window click the button "File and Print Sharing." Within this window you must specify if you want to enable file and print sharing on this computer. This must be done on each of the computers.
7. Setup the TCP/IP protocol by highlighting the TCP/IP protocol for the network adapter and clicking the "Properties" button.
8. Within the properties, select the option "Specify an IP address." Enter a value similar to the example below.
   
   IP Address: 102.55.92.1
   Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.192
   
   The above IP address must differ for each computer. Therefore, on the other computer it could be 102.55.92.2 with the same subnet mask.
9. Once the IP address and Subnet mask have been specified, close out of all windows and reboot the computer.

Microsoft Windows ME, 2000, and XP Steps:

1. Verify network cards are properly installed in Device Manager and that you have the latest network drivers for the installed network cards. If problems are found with the network cards, see the basic network troubleshooting page.
2. Connect the two computers to each other.
3. Open Network properties by clicking Start, Settings, Control Panel, and double-clicking "Network and Dial-up connections."
4. Double-click on the "Local Area Connection."
5. Click the "Properties" button.
6. Verify that TCP/IP and IPX/SPX are installed for your network adapter. If one or both of these protocols are not listed for your network adapter, install the protocol.
7. Once the protocols have been installed under the Network window verify that File and Print sharing is installed. If this is missing and you want to enable file and print sharing on this computer, click the install button and install File and Print sharing.
8. Setup the TCP/IP protocol by highlighting the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) protocol for the network adapter and clicking the "Properties" button.
9. Within the properties, select the option "Specify an IP address." Enter a value similar to the below values.
   
   IP Address: 102.55.92.1
   Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.192
   
   The above IP address must differ for each computer. Therefore, on the other computer it could be 102.55.92.2 with the same subnet mask.
10. Once the IP address and Subnet mask have been specified, close out of all windows and reboot the computer.

Basic network with file sharing

Advantages and Capabilities:
More than two computers can be connected to the network.

Disadvantages:Requires additional hardware and money.

Estimated setup time:
20-30 minutes.

Required hardware and software:
- Computers with 10/100 Ethernet network cards installed and working
- Standard network cables.
- Network Switch or Hub

Microsoft Windows 95 and 98 Steps:

1. Verify network cards are properly installed in Device Manager and that you have the latest network drivers for the installed network cards. If problems are found with the network cards, see the basic network troubleshooting page.
2. Connect each computer the network switch or hub.
3. Open Network properties by clicking Start, Settings, Control Panel and double-clicking "Network."
4. Verify your network card is listed as a network component. Note that this is not the dial-up adapter.
5. Verify that TCP/IP and IPX/SPX are installed for your network adapter. If one or both of these protocols are not listed for your network adapter, install the protocol.
6. Once the protocols have been installed under the Network window click the button "File and Print Sharing." Within this window you must specify if you want to enable file and print sharing on this computer. This must be done on each of the computers.
7. Setup the TCP/IP protocol by highlighting the TCP/IP protocol for the network adapter and clicking the "Properties" button.
8. Within the properties, select the option "Specify an IP address." Enter a value similar to the below values.
   
   IP Address: 102.55.92.1
   Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.192
   
   The above IP address must differ for each computer. Therefore, on the other computer it could be 102.55.92.2 with the same subnet mask.
9. Once the IP address and Subnet mask have been specified close out of all windows and reboot the computer.

Microsoft Windows ME, 2000, and XP Steps:

1. Verify network cards are properly installed in Device Manager and that you have the latest network drivers for the installed network cards. If problems are found with the network cards, see the basic network troubleshooting page.
2. Connect each computer the network switch or hub.
3. Open Network properties by clicking Start, Settings, Control Panel and double-clicking "Network."
4. Double-click on the "Local Area Connection."
5. Click the "Properties" button.
6. Verify that TCP/IP and IPX/SPX are installed for your network adapter. If one or both of these protocols are not listed for your network adapter, install the protocol.
7. Once the protocols have been installed under the Network window verify that File and Print sharing is installed. If this is missing and you want to enable file and print sharing on this computer, click the install button and install File and Print sharing.
8. Setup the TCP/IP protocol by highlighting the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) protocol for the network adapter and clicking the "Properties" button.
9. Within the properties, select the option "Specify an IP address." Enter a value similar to the below values.
   
   IP Address: 102.55.92.1
   Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.192
   
   The above IP address must differ for each computer. Therefore, on the other computer it could be 102.55.92.2 with the same subnet mask.
10. Once the IP address and Subnet mask have been specified, close out of all windows and reboot the computer.

Basic network with file and broadband modem sharing

Advantages and Capabilities:
All computers in house can share the same modem connection.

Disadvantages:- Requires additional hardware and money.
- Because a modem does not have much bandwidth, if multiple users are browsing or downloading files, this can cause what appears to be a very slow connection.

Estimated setup time:
30-40 minutes.

Required hardware and software:
- Computers with 10/100 Ethernet network cards installed and working.
- Network Router, Switch or Hub
- Computer running a software proxy.

Microsoft Windows 95 and 98 Steps:

1. Verify network cards are properly installed in Device Manager and that you have the latest network drivers for the installed network cards. If problems are found with the network cards, see the basic network troubleshooting page.
2. Connect each computer the network switch or hub.
3. Open Network properties by clicking Start, Settings, Control Panel and double-clicking "Network."
4. Verify your network card is listed as a network component. Note that this is not the dial-up adapter.
5. Verify that TCP/IP and IPX/SPX are installed for your network adapter. If one or both of these protocols are not listed for your network adapter, install the protocol.
6. Once the protocols have been installed under the Network window click the button "File and Print Sharing." Within this window you must specify if you want to enable file and print sharing on this computer. This must be done on each of the computers.
7. Setup the TCP/IP protocol by highlighting the TCP/IP protocol for the network adapter and clicking the "Properties" button.
8. Within the properties, select the option "Specify an IP address." Enter a value similar to the below values.
   
   IP Address: 102.55.92.1
   Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.192
   
   The above IP address must differ for each computer. Therefore, on the other computer it could be 102.55.92.2 with the same subnet mask.
9. Once the IP address and Subnet mask have been specified, close out of all windows and reboot the computer.
10. Once the network has been setup and is working, install, and then setup a proxy on one of the computers on the network. This computer will manage the Internet connection for each of the other computers on the network.

Microsoft Windows ME, 2000, and XP Steps:

1. Verify network cards are properly installed in Device Manager and that you have the latest network drivers for the installed network cards. If problems are found with the network cards, see the basic network troubleshooting page.
2. Connect each computer the network switch or hub.
3. Open Network properties by clicking Start, Settings, Control Panel and double-clicking "Network and Dial-up connections."
4. Double-click on the "Local Area Connection."
5. Click the "Properties" button.
6. Verify that TCP/IP and IPX/SPX are installed for your network adapter. If one or both of these protocols are not listed for your network adapter, install the protocol.
7. Once the protocols have been installed under the Network window verify that File and Print sharing is installed. If this is missing and you want to enable file and print sharing on this computer, click the install button and install File and Print sharing.
8. Setup the TCP/IP protocol by highlighting the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) protocol for the network adapter and clicking the "Properties" button.
9. Within the properties, select the option "Specify an IP address." Enter a value similar to the below values.
   
   IP Address: 102.55.92.1
   Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.192
   
   The above IP address must differ for each computer. Therefore, on the other computer it could be 102.55.92.2 with the same subnet mask.
10. Once the IP address and Subnet mask have been specified, close out of all windows and reboot the computer.
11. Once the network has been setup and is working install and setup a proxy on one of the computers on the network. This computer will manage the Internet connection for each of the other computers on the network.

Basic network with file and broadband Internet sharing

Advantages and Capabilities:
All computers in house can share the a broadband Internet connection.

Disadvantages:- Requires additional hardware and money.

Estimated setup time:
40-50 minutes.

Required hardware and software:
- Computers with 10/100 Ethernet network cards installed and working.
- Network Router, Switch or Hub
- Computer running a software proxy.

Router requirements:

When purchasing a network router, look for the below features.

• WAN Port
• Uplink ports
• Support for NAT

Hardware setup:

As illustrated in the above picture, you can notice that there are two methods of setting up this network. It is recommended that "Method One" be chosen because it offers for more computers to be connected to it. However, not purchasing a network hub or switch can save money.

Method One:

1. Connect the broadband Internet connection to the WAN port on the router.
2. Connect a network hub or switch to the router.
3. Connect each of the computers to the hub or switch.
4. Enter the network settings provided by the Broadband provider in your network router.

Method Two:

1. Connect the broadband Internet connection to the WAN port on the router.
2. Connect each computer to the router. If there are not enough ports for each of the computers, you must setup the network using the steps in method one.
3. Enter the network settings provided by the Broadband provider in your network router.

Microsoft Windows 95 and 98 Steps:

1. Verify network cards are properly installed in Device Manager and that you have the latest network drivers for the installed network cards. If problems are found with the network cards, see the basic network troubleshooting page.
2. Connect each computer the network switch or hub.
3. Open Network properties by clicking Start, Settings, Control Panel, and double-clicking "Network."
4. Verify your network card is listed as a network component. Note that this is not the dial-up adapter.
5. Verify that TCP/IP and IPX/SPX are installed for your network adapter. If one or both of these protocols are not listed for your network adapter, install the protocol.
6. Once the protocols have been installed under the Network window click the button "File and Print Sharing." Within this window you must specify if you want to enable file and print sharing on this computer. This must be done on each of the computers.
7. Setup the TCP/IP protocol by highlighting the TCP/IP protocol for the network adapter and clicking the "Properties" button.
8. Within the properties, verify that "Obtain IP address automatically" is selected.
9. Once the network settings have been setup and all network peripherals are on, reboot the computer.
10. To verify the router has released network values to the computer, click Start, Run, and type winipcfg and click ok. Additional information and help with winipcfg can be found on our winipcfg page. Verify when looking at the IP Configuration that you are looking under the network adapter and not the PPP adapter.

Microsoft Windows ME, 2000, and XP Steps:

1. Verify network cards are properly installed in Device Manager and that you have the latest network drivers for the installed network cards. If problems are found with the network cards, see the basic network troubleshooting page.
2. Connect each computer the network switch or hub.
3. Open Network properties by clicking Start, Settings, Control Panel,  and double-clicking "Network and Dial-up connections."
4. Double-click on the "Local Area Connection."
5. Click the "Properties" button.
6. Verify that TCP/IP and IPX/SPX are installed for your network adapter. If one or both of these protocols are not listed for your network adapter, install the protocol.
7. Once the protocols have been installed under the Network window verify that File and Print sharing is installed. If this is missing and you want to enable file and print sharing on this computer, click the install button and install File and Print sharing.
8. Setup the TCP/IP protocol by highlighting the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) protocol for the network adapter and clicking the "Properties" button.
9. Within the properties, verify that "Obtain IP address automatically" is selected.
10. Once the network settings have been setup and all network peripherals are on, reboot the computer.
11. To verify the router has released network values to the computer, click Start, Run, and type command and click ok. In the MS-DOS window type "ipconfig" and press enter. Additional information about ipconfig can be found on our ipconfig page.

Basic network troubleshooting Adapter resources

Basic network troubleshooting

Because of the variety of network hardware, network configurations, operating systems, and setups, not all of the below information may apply to your network or operating system.

Note: We cannot assist you with network problems due to an unknown password or unknown ISP settings, as we have no method of verifying or determining this information.

Adapter resources

Verify that the network adapter is properly installed and detected by the computer with no conflicts. In Microsoft Windows, open the Device Manager and verify there are no errors. "Network adapters" should be present for each network adapter installed in the computer, similar to the example on the right.

• How do I get into Windows Device Manager?
• Identifying problems in Windows Device Manager.

If conflicts exist or the network adapter is being detected as an "Other device", the network card has likely not been properly installed in the computer. Try letting Windows re-detect and install the network card by removing the network adapter and any other conflict devices from Device Manager and then rebooting the computer. If Windows re-detects the card but does not find the drivers, download the latest network card drivers from the computer manufacturer's website or the network card manufacturer's website.

• How do I remove a device in Windows Device Manager?
• Listing of network drivers and network card manufacturers.

Verify connections

Wired Network

If this is a wired network, verify that the network cable is properly connected and make sure the LEDs next to the network jack are properly illuminated. For example, a network card with a solid green LED or light usually indicates that the card is either connected or receiving a signal. If the green light is flashing, this is an indication of data being sent or received. The picture to the right is an example of a LAN port with two LED indicators next to the RJ-45 port. With this port, one LED will light up if connected properly and the other will flash when transmitting data.

If there are no lights or the lights are orange or red, the card may be bad, not connected properly, or may not be receiving a signal from the network. If you are on a small or local network and have the capability of checking a hub, switch, or router, verify that the cables are properly connected and that it has power. If after checking the connections, the LED indicators appear bad, the network adapter, port, or cable may be defective.

Wireless Network

If you're using a laptop with a wireless network, look for the laptop's Wi-Fi button and make sure it is turned on. Many laptops have a Wi-Fi button that allows the wireless network to be turned on and off. The Wi-Fi button is often located just above the keyboard or on the front edge of the laptop, but it also may be integrated with a F key as well. The pictures to the right are examples of a Wi-Fi button and Wi-Fi indicator on a F key that are enabled.

If the button is turned on, make sure you're using the correct Wi-Fi hotspot by right-clicking on the Network icon in the Windows Notification Area and clicking "Connect to a network". Usually, the network with the strongest connection (the most bars) will be your wireless router.

Finally, when connecting to most wireless networks, you need to enter the proper SSID password to connect to the network. If the incorrect password has been entered, you will not be able to access the network.

Adapter functionality

Verify that the network card is capable of pinging itself by using the ping command. Windows users can ping the computer from a Windows command line. Unix and Linux users can ping from the shell.

To ping the card or the localhost, type either of the following commands:

ping 127.0.0.1

or

ping localhost

Executing either of the above commands should get replies from the network card. If you receive an error, or the transmission fails, the network card is not physically installed into the computer correctly, has the incorrect or outdated drivers installed, or is defective.

Make sure the network card is physically installed in the computer correctly by removing it and re-inserting it again. Check the network card manufacturer's website for the latest drivers and install those drivers. If the network card is defective, it needs to be replaced.

Connect to the router

If all of the above steps have been checked, and your network has a router, make sure the computer can connect to the router by performing the below commands.

Determine the routers address

Using the ipconfig command (or ifconfig command for Linux), determine the router's address by looking at the Gateway address. Below are the steps for Microsoft Windows users. Linux users can substitute ipconfig for ifconfig.

1. Open the Windows command line.
2. At the command prompt, type ipconfig and press Enter. You should see output similar to the example below.

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : computerhope.com.
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.103
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1

The Default Gateway is the address of your router. Most home routers have a gateway address that starts with 192.168, like the address shown above. Assuming your gateway address is 192.168.1.1, attempt to ping the router to see if it can send and receive information by running the below command.

ping 192.168.1.1

If you get replies back from the router, the connection between your router and computer are good, and you can skip to the next step.

If you do not receive any replies back from the router, either the router is not set up properly, or your connection between the router and the computer is not correct. Reset your router to make sure it is not a problem with your router by following the steps below.

1. Turn off the power to the computer and leave it off.
2. Unplug the power to your router and cable modem or DSL modem.
3. Leave the power cables disconnected for 10-15 seconds and then plug in your modem and then your router again.
4. Finally, turn on your computer again and repeat this step to see if you can ping your router.

If you have a wireless network and followed the above steps, but cannot ping the router, turn the computer off again and connect the computer to the router using a network cable instead of wirelessly. If a wire also does not work, contact the manufacturer of the router for additional support or replacement.

Firewall

If your computer network utilizes a firewall, make sure all required ports are open, especially port 80, which is the HTTP port. If possible, disable the firewall software or disconnect the computer from the firewall to make sure it is not causing the network problems.

The Internet is not working

If you're able to ping the router, but are still unable to connect to the Internet, either your router is improperly configured, or the ISP is having issues.

Note: Some ISPs, such as Comcast, require special software to be installed. Make sure any software included with your Modem or other hardware has been installed on at least one computer if you are setting up a new Internet connection.

If your Internet has been working but recently stopped working, give it a few minutes to make sure it is not a temporary outage. If after waiting a few minutes, you still have problems, and you have not already disconnected the power to your router and modem, follow the steps below.

1. Turn off the power to the computer and leave it off.
2. Unplug the power cable to your router and cable modem or DSL modem.
3. Leave the power cables disconnected for 10-15 seconds, plug in your modem again, and then plug in your router again.
4. Finally, turn on your computer and see if you can ping your router.

If after following the above steps, the Internet is still not working, open the Windows command line and run the below command.

ping google.com

Running the above command should get a reply from Google. If you get a reply, this is an indication that the Internet is working, but you may be encountering a problem with the Internet browser you are using to browse the Internet. Try an alternative browser, such as Firefox or Chrome.

If you're getting no reply from Google, your router or modem is not reaching the Internet. If you have a router, make sure your router has DHCP enabled and that theWAN or Gateway address is the proper ISP address.

Finally, if trying the above steps has not helped, contact your ISP to make sure there is no problem on their end and to assist you further with any special configurations.

Additional troubleshooting

Another method of determining network issues is to use the tracert command if you are a Windows user or the traceroute command if you are a Linux or Unix variant user. This command gives you an overview of each of the devices (routers) a packet travels (hops) over a network and can give you an idea of where a problem exists in your network or outside of your network.

To use this command, you must be at the command line and type one of the below commands depending on your operating system.

tracert google.com

or

traceroute google.com

If successful, you should begin to see each hop between the computer and network devices. When the connection fails, determine what device is causing the issue by reviewing the traceroute listing.

Help with ping, winipcfg, and other network commands MS dOS commands

Help with ping, winipcfg, and other network commands

Below is a listing of the various network related commands used in MS-DOS, Windows, Linux, Unix, and other operating systems. Each command includes additional information to what the command does, the command's syntax, and miscellaneous information.

Note: If you are not the root or admin of a computer, these commands may not work.

Arp
Finger
Hostname
Ipconfig
Pathping
Ping
Nbtstat
Net
Netstat
Nslookup
Route
Tracert and Traceroute
Whois
Winipcfg

Arp

Display or manipulate the ARP information on a network device or computer.

• See the arp command page for further help and information.

Finger

The finger command available in Unix and Linux variants allows a user to find sometimes personal information about a user. This information can include the last time the user logged in, when they read their e-mail, etc. If the user creates a .PLAN or other related file the user can also display additional information.

• See the Unix and Linux finger command page for further information and help.

Hostname

The hostname command displays the host name of the Windows XP computer currently logged into.

• See the hostname command page for further help and information.

Ipconfig

Ipconfig is an MS-DOS utility that can be used from MS-DOS and an MS-DOS shell to display the network settings currently assigned and given by a network. This command can be utilized to verify a network connection as well as to verify your network settings.

Windows 2000 users should use this command to determine network information.

• See the ipconfig command page for further information and help.

Pathping

Pathping is an MS-DOS utility available for Microsoft Windows 2000 and Windows XP users. This utility enables a user to find network latency and network loss.

• See the pathping command page for further help and information.

Ping

Ping is one of the most commonly used network commands that allows you to ping another network IP address. Pinging another address helps determine if the network card can communicate within the local network or outside network.

• How to ping an IP address or website.
• See the ping command page for further help on the MS-DOS and Windows command line command.
• See the Unix and Linux ping command page for further information on this command.

Nbtstat

The nbtstat MS-DOS utility that displays protocol statistics and current TCP/IP connections using NBT.

• See the nbtstat command page for further help on this MS-DOS and Windows command.

Net

The net command is available in MS-DOS and Windows and is used to set, view, and determine network settings.

• See the net command page for further information on this command.

Netstat

The netstat command is used to display the TCP/IP network protocol statistics and information.

• See the netstat command page for further help with this MS-DOS and Windows command.
• See the Unix and Linux netstat command for further help with this command.

Nslookup

The nslookup MS-DOS utility that enables a user to do a reverse lookup on an IP address of a domain or host on a network.

• See the nslookup command page for further help on this MS-DOS and Windows command.
• See the Unix and Linux nslookup command page for further help with this command.
• Linux users may also be interested in the host command that performs a similar task.

Route

The route MS-DOS utility enables computers to view and modify the computer's route table.

• See the route command page for further information and help with this command.

Tracert and traceroute

The tracert command in MS-DOS and Windows (known as traceroute in Unix-like operating systems) is a useful tool for diagnosing network issues. It allows you to view a listing of how a network packet travels through the network and where it may fail or slow down. Using this information you can determine the computer, router, switch or other network device possibly causing your network issues.

• See the tracert command for further help with the MS-DOS and Windows command.
• See the Unix and Linux traceroute command for further help with this command.

Whois

The whois command available in Unix and Linux variants helps allow a user to identify a domain name. This command provides information about a domain name much like the WHOIS on network solutions. In some cases the domain information will be provided from Network Solutions.

• See the Unix and Linux whois command for further information on this command.

Winipcfg

The winipcfg command available in Windows allows a user to display network and network adapter information. Here, a user can find such information as an IP address, Subnet Mask, Gateway, etc.