Corey's Network Corner
~~Corey
Seaton
Configuring
Your Home Network, Part IV
Configuring
the Server
Go into the
Windows Control Panel and choose "Network". You'll see 3 tabs -
Configuration, Identification and Access Control. This may be slightly
different in different versions of Windows (I'm using Win98), but should
be essentially the same.
We'll do the
Identification tab first. For computer name, enter anything you want (eg
"Phil" if the owner of the computer is Phil). For workgroup, put
whatever you like, but each computer should be the same. I use
"WORKGROUP"! For computer description, put whatever you like.
Under
"Access Control", make sure you've selected "Share-level
access control".
Now for the
configuration tab. The first thing to do is add Microsoft Family Logon.
This isn't required for internet connection sharing, but if you don't
install it, every time Windows starts you'll get asked to enter your
networking password even if you haven't got one! Therefore I highly
recommend it. Installation of Microsoft Family Logon is achieved by
clicking "Add", choosing "Client" then clicking
"Add", choosing "Microsoft" on the left and
"Microsoft Family Logon" on the right and clicking
"OK". After this is completed (you'll need your Windows CD here)
you'll be back to the basic network control panel screen. Now change your
Primary Network Logon to "Microsoft Family Logon".
Next you'll want to
enable file and printer sharing. This also isn't required for internet
connection sharing, but is really useful and it'd be a strange home
network that didn't have this set up. To do this, click on "File and
Print Sharing", check the boxes to enable these services, then click
"OK".
Now you need
to add the TCP/IP network protocol - "the" internet protocol.
It's probably already there since you already have the cable modem
connected to this computer, but you'll need to add it again so that it
works with the second network card in the server. Click "Add",
choose "Protocol" then click "Add", then choose
"Microsoft" on the left and "TCP/IP" on the right and
click "OK".
At this point you'll
have lots of stuff in the little box that says "The following network
components are installed:" The box will be a little cluttered and
should look like this: Client for Microsoft Networks; Microsoft Family
Login; [name of network card that you installed]; [name of network card
from cable modem provider, probably something like "SMC EZ Card
10/100 (SMC1211TX"]; TCP/IP -> [name of network card]; TCP/IP
-> [name of other network card]; File and printer sharing for Microsoft
Networks.
If there are
any other network components present, they can and generally should be
removed by clicking on each component and then clicking
"Remove"; however if you have any dial-up adapters installed
(they'll say "Dial-Up Adaptor") then you may want to keep
"Dial-Up Adapter" and "TCP/IP -> Dial-Up Adapter"
so that you can still use your modem to dial in to the internet. If you
just want to send faxes you only need "Dial-Up Adapter".
You should also set
this to be the "default protocol", that is, the default method
for the server to connect to the internet. This is done by clicking on the
"Advanced" tab and making sure the "Set this protocol to be
the default protocol" box is checked.
You're done
configuring "TCP/IP -> [name of network card from cable modem
provider]", so click "OK".
Now
configure "TCP/IP -> [name of network card you bought]" for
the server. Click on it and then click "Properties". In the
"IP Address" tab, select "Specify an IP address" and
enter 192.168.0.1 as the IP address and 255.255.255.0 for the subnet mask.
In "WINS Configuration" click "Disable WINS
Resolution". Make sure "Gateway" is all blank. In "DNS
Configuration", click "Disable DNS". In
"Bindings", make sure "Client for Microsoft Networks",
"File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks" and
"Microsoft Family Login" are all checked. Don't change anything
in "NetBIOS" unless you know what you're doing.
Lastly, click on the
"Advanced" tab. You may want to enable full duplex mode on the
network card. This makes the card transfer data a little faster. You can
do this if the computers are connected directly or via a switch (ie a hub
with switching capabilities), but not if the computers are connected to a
non-switching hub, or via coaxial cables. To enable full duplex, change
the appropriate setting in this section - I know this sounds a bit vague,
but the exact way to do it is different for different cards. It's
generally pretty self-explanatory, as you can see it is for my card:
You've now
finished configuring the server computer! Click "OK" to exit the
TCP/IP section, "OK" again to exit the Network Control Panel,
and restart your computer when Windows asks you to.
And that’s
about it. You’ve just completed another step in the process of setting
your up your own network.
Until next
time,
Happy
Networking,
Corey
Corey Seaton is a Systems Support
Officer with Queensland Health. He also moderates an email group
on Home Networking. Why don't you join and talk to others who are
networking their home PCs? Networking
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