Setting up the Network

Now that you have decided what to use and gotten the stuff you need - let's set it up. It will only take a short time. You have a couple of decisions to make during setup. However, you can select one and easily change it later.

First you need to determined what protocol you want to use. You have three choices:

Netbeui: Fast and very simple. Requires no special setup.

IPX/SPX: Another alternative. Requires minimal amount of setup

TCP/IP: This is the protocol you will need if you want to route to the Internet through a proxy. It requires a little more setup but it is the "IN" protocol today and is what is exclusively used on the Internet. If using and installing TCP/IP you will most likely be asked for an IP address and netmask during installation of the of the network card.

Try using an IP as follows : 192.168.255.xxx  Pick any except zero and 255. Do not use the same on multiple installation. Each computer will need a unique IP address. These addresses (192.168.0.0 to 192.168.255.255)  are reserved for private networks and are none routable on the Internet. The netmask uses for these addresses is 255.255.255.0

More info on IP Addressing -See my IP Addressing Page

NOTE: YOU ONLY NEED TO INSTALL ONE PROTOCOL-MULTIPLE IS NOT AN ADVANTAGES BUT RATHER THE OPPOSITE. If you play games and you want to use TCP/IP you also want to install IPX/SPX since several games like IPX/SPX

• Read the instructions which came with the network Card or kit. Remember they know more than I do about their Hardware.
• Shut down the computer and turn power off. Preferably remove the power connector. Remove the chassis and find a spare spot PCI or ISA and insert the new card.
• Insert the two terminators at the coax connector in back (if using BNC). If using RJ45 add a wire from the card to the hub and power power up.
• Win95 will find the card on boot up. If the card came with a drivers disk use it to install the appropriate drivers.
• Right click on the network Neighborhood and select properties (alternate open control panel click on networks - it'll get you to the same place). check to see that client for Microsoft network is installed.
  • If not then install it as follows:
  • click the add button   -then highlight client and select add.
  • Select Microsoft then Client for Microsoft Network and click OK
  • NOTE: you may answer NO when it asks you to reboot and do the next steps and then reboot after done.

  The client will install. You will need to reboot and it will ask for your Win95 installation media. On boot up when you get the password screen please click OK and leave the password blank. You will have to do this every time you log on.

• Get back to the network panel. Next check to see that file and printer sharing is installed. If not then install as follows
  • Click Add and highlight Service
  • click add and select Microsoft
  • Select File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks then click OK
  • You will be asked to reboot and for your Installation media
• Again return to the Network panel (properties sheet). Click the file and Print sharing button and check that both "I want to give others access to my files " and "I want to allow others to  print to my printer" is checked. Next check to see that the primary logon is "Client for Microsoft Networks".
• The protocol(s) might have been installed when the card was setup and you may have been asked during the initial boot up. Check the panel and see what is installed. It will look like this (assuming you already have dial-up installed)

  TCP/IP-> Network card    (indicates TCP/IP is installed and bound to the  card)

  Netbeui-> Network card (indicates Netbeui is installed and bound to the card)

  IPX/SPX-> Network Card( indicates IPX/SPX is installed and bound to the card)

  Remember install only one !!!  <no harm if you installed all>

  If you do not have any protocol(s) bound to your card, install the protocol(s) by clicking  ADD then select (highlight) protocol. Click add and select Microsoft. Then select the protocol you want and click OK. Follow instructions provided by WIN95.

  After installing the protocol get back to the network properties sheet then highlight your network card and make sure there is a check mark for the protocol(s) you have selected. You will see what is above for the appropriate protocol if this is the case.

• Checking out the Installation
  • Verify the following items

    1. Open Network properties sheet (right click network neighborhood and select properties). Click the identification tab. Each Computer on your network need a unique computer name (netbios name). you may select any name you want. Use the same workgroup name for all the computers. Workgroup (default) is fine. In computer description you may insert whatever you please.

    2.  Click the access control tab and make sure that "share level access control" is selected.

    3.  Click configuration and highlight the protocol with the arrow to the network card.

    Netbeui - click properties. Select bindings tab. It should be bound (check marks) to "Client for Microsoft Networks" and to "File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks".

    IPX/SPX- Highlight then click properties. Click bindings and the same as above should be selected. You also want to enable Netbios over IPX/SPX if this is the only protocol your using.

    TCP/IP - Highlight and select properties. On the very first page IP address make sure that you have the IP address you selected 192.168.255.XXX. Note XXX is a number between 1-254. The Netmask is 255.255.255.0

    Click DNS tab - DNS should be disabled.

    Click WINS tab - WINS should be disabled

    Click Gateway - Leave it blank

    Click Bindings - The same as listed above for the other protocols should be checked.

  • One more item - You need to open My computer and right click on whatever items you want to share. Then select share from menu and select Read only -Full or depends on Password. Assign passwords to the shares.

  Note: When connecting to the Internet you may be asked whether you want to disable File and Printer Sharing since there is a security risk This question will only appear if File And Printer Sharing is enabled in the Dial-up Adapter. You may answer "YES" since you only need File and Printer Sharing bound to the network card for your internal LAN. If you decide later to try to connect to other computers using the Internet as a WAN then you need it enabled in Dial-up Networking too. If you do this make sure you have the WIN95 update and use passwords for your shared resources.

  Here is a URL for setting it up and also it provides another view of mt setup. This is an excellent place and well worth reading before starting -  Winfiles Networking Information

  IF you made any changes reboot your computer and your done.

• Repeat procedure for the other computer.
• Install the wiring to the two computers. If you are using RJ45 then wire from the network card in each computer to the hub. If your using BNC (Coaxial ), connect to the network card on each computer. Make sure you install the Terminator at the left over port of the T on each network card.
• Your done!!! Power up your system and you should have an operating Network.

  Try the following:

  Network neighborhood should shown the other computer.

  You may use Start Find and enter the computer name for the other computer and it will be found.

  You may open Explorer and select tools ---> map network drive. Type in \\ Computer name \ sharename . leave out the spaces. You selected the computer name and also the share name. Let's assume it the computer name you assigned was heavenly and you were sharing the C drive. You left the share name as C. Then when accessing from the other computer you would type in \\heavenly\c and the c drive would appear on the other computer as a new drive . This drive can be used just as if it was installed in the second computer.

  HAVE FUN !!!!

• Some common Problems:
  1. Can't find the other computers:
     1. Make sure all of them are in the same work group
     2. Make sure you are using the same protocol on all
     3. Make sure you have something shared on each one
     4. Make sure Browsing is enabled -of set to auto it might take some time for the computers to decide who is master browser
     5. Make sure File and printer Sharing is enabled on each one

      

• PS: Often the question arise - how do I get the network going without WIN95 installed. I had a drive failure and the CD-ROM is on the other computer. Well, you can use DOS. If you have NT that is easy since it will create install disks for DOS networking but WIN95 will not.

  Microsoft have provided the DOS installation for Microsoft client free at their web site: Try Article ID: Q108391

  You may also try this one in addition if using the is using the MS-DOS Workgroup Add-on for DOS  - NNet.exe

  Some good places to visit for more information:

  AJ. Helmig' Page	A Very Nice page on networking
  Linksys	How to build a network - Very Good

  Peer to Peer Networking

  Good Information including wiring

  John's Page

  Lot's of good networking info including ISDN

  Win95 Peer to Peer	Maybe the Best for simplicity and understanding
  Lan -Internet	Connecting Lan to Internet with a single Phone Connection

  Article ID: Q145843

  MS article "How to connect to a remote Server"

  Article ID: Q139710	MS article "How to enable Dial-up networking server Capabilities"
  Article ID: Q156772	Adding Additional IP Addresses to a Single Network Adapter
  Article ID: Q153102	MS article "Dial-Up Networking Server Always answers after one ring"
  Dun 1.2 download	Downloading and installing Dial-up Networking 1.2 upgrade for Win 95