Setting Up My First Network

[Major Xarzu]

I have never set up a network before.  But now I find I have to for the first time.

My Cam and my Printer are both unusable with Vista.  But I have an idea for a solution.  I put my old computer on a network.  I know that this is hwo they use printers at work.  I assume I can do the same at home.  Can I do the same sort of thing with my cam?

For the printer, here are my results from the printer's manufacturer:
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h292/Athono/lexmark.jpg

( http://downloads.lexmark.com/cgi-perl/down...od=Lexmark+X125 )

I am sure I can set up the printer via a network but I do not know how to go about doing this.  How does one set up a network?

For the cam, here my results from looking for answers from the cam's manufacturer
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h292/Athono/cam.jpg

( http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/480/3383&cl=gb,en )

I found a program that allows me to use the cam over a network. This http://www.webcamxp.com/home.aspx is way cool.

Now the first thing to do is to set up a network.  The Vista Online Help had a lot of information I did not need because already I have two machines connected to the internet by way of a router.  It seems difficult to go through this information and know what I do need to do and what I do not need to do.  So here I am.  I have found out what the IP address is for the two machines and they are both connected to the same internet connection by way of a router.  Now what?  How do I make them see each other?

[dahlarbear]

1.  Don't know about the "cam".  Have no real "Vista" experience", but have worked some with Windows XP file and Printer sharing.

If you don't have Vista drivers for the printer, I don't think you'll be able to print from the Vista machine, but you should be able to print shared Vista files from the Windows XP machine.

You may have to enable the "Computer Browser" service on one of the machines in order to see the resources of each computer on the other's "My Network Places".

If you have a functioning network, you would try to ping each computer from the other by IP address to ensure you have physical connectivity.  You might have to disable or configure the LAN side firewalls to permit ping to go through (ICMP protocol, I believe).  If successful, you would then ping each other by their computer name, e.g. "RedCloud" (NETBIOS) to ensure you have name resolution working.

You should then try to access the other computer's shared resources (using either the NETBIOS name or IP address where it says "ComputerName"):

Using Start-Run

    1. Click Start, and then click Run.
    2. In Open, type \\ComputerName\SharedPrinterName, and then press ENTER.

For example, to connect to the shared printer named COLOR on the computer named HOMESRV, you would type \\HOMESRV\COLOR. You can use upper or lowercase letters for the computer and printer share names.

If you don't remember the name of the share, you can do the following:
    1. Click Start, and then click Run.
    2. In Open, type \\ComputerName and then press ENTER.

You need to ensure "File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks" is installed and enabled on the LAN connection.  You also need to enable sharing for the files, directories, or printers you wish to share.  You may have to disable or configure the firewalls to permit file and printer sharing. 

2.  Windows XP.  For Windows XP file and print sharing see the following downloadable Microsoft documents.  If you're impatient, it's OK to start with the "Troubleshooting" document first:
    File and Printer Sharing with Microsoft Windows
    Troubleshooting File and Printer Sharing in Microsoft Windows XP

3.  Windows Vista.  For Vista file and printer sharing try these links:
    File and Printer Sharing in Windows Vista
    Troubleshoot file and printer sharing

4.  Computer Browser Service.  If you're looking in "My Network Places", people frequently complain about not seeing the "other" computers and their resources.  This has to do with the "Computer Browser" service.  At least one of the computers on the LAN (the one that's powered "on" most of the time), should have the "Computer Browser" service running.  It will build and maintain a "master" list of the other computers in your workgroup, so when they go to look at "My Network Places" this list can be sent to them without having to build one from scratch for each request.  Look at the following downloadable Microsoft documents (primarily for Windows XP):
    Computer Browsing for SOHO Networks with Microsoft Windows
    Troubleshooting Computer Browsing on SOHO Networks with Microsoft Windows

[dahlarbear]

The following Microsoft web page appears to be user friendly instructions to  Enable file and printer sharing under Vista.  I think it's worth a look.

[marco]

Like dahlarbear said make sure you can ping the other computers so you know you can connect with them.  If the computers are on the same network and you can ping them then you should have no problem sharing printers with XP from Vista.  I have a setup with my own computers to do that.  If you have an ethernet port on the printer you can connect the printer directly to the network, if not then the printer I assume will be connected directly to one of the computers, probably the XP.  In this case this is what you would do:

First make sure you have the printer installed on the one machine.

Then from Vista go to control panel, printers, then click the add printer tab.

From here click the option network, wireless, bluetooth.  It's something like that.

Then if both computers are on the same network Vista should detect any printers that are on the other machine or machines.  Just click the one you want and that's it.

On a side note, if the printer you want to access is connected directly to another computer you have to leave that computer on all the time if you plan to print.  If you are able to connect the printer directly to the network then you won't have this problem.  As for the camera, I'm not sure, I do use stuff like that, so I can't help you there.