share my printer between 2 computers and surf with 2 computers atsame time

Hello all,

People probably asked you a thousand times but I can't manage to
gather the information I need by searching the web so here is my
situation:

I have a pc with windows XP home SP3 upstairs and a HP Deskjet 916c
printer which is upstairs too. Downstairs I have a notebook with
windows xp professional and also a motorola sb5100E modem.

What I do now to surf the web with my notebook is pull the cable (UTP
with RJ45 connector) that comes from my pc upstairs out of my modem
(which is downstairs) and then connect my notebook with another
shorter UTP cable to the modem. For printing I go upstairs with my
notebook and take the usb cable out of my pc to plug it into my
notebook. I know there's a much easier way without having to plug out
cables all the time but I'm a total noob when it comes to networking
issues.

To summarise, I would like to:
1a. avoid swapping cables all the time
1. share one printer between 2 computers without having both computers
turned on all the time (one computer may be off while printing from
the other).
2. be able to surf the net with both computers simultaneously is not a
must but if it's easy to setup it's always welcome.

What kind of hardware would I have to buy for this? I read about
switches, hubs, routers, print servers and I don't have a clue what
the difference is, let go how to set it up. Important thing to add: I
like to play online games from time to time and I read that routers
can be quite tricky when you want to forward ports so I'm a bit
reluctant about routers unless you can convince me otherwise (I find
it already hard enough trying to figure out how to program my
firewall).

Thanks a lot in advance for your help.

Delta wrote:
> Hello all,
>
> People probably asked you a thousand times but I can't manage to
> gather the information I need by searching the web so here is my
> situation:
>
> I have a pc with windows XP home SP3 upstairs and a HP Deskjet 916c
> printer which is upstairs too. Downstairs I have a notebook with
> windows xp professional and also a motorola sb5100E modem.
>
> What I do now to surf the web with my notebook is pull the cable (UTP
> with RJ45 connector) that comes from my pc upstairs out of my modem
> (which is downstairs) and then connect my notebook with another
> shorter UTP cable to the modem. For printing I go upstairs with my
> notebook and take the usb cable out of my pc to plug it into my
> notebook. I know there's a much easier way without having to plug out
> cables all the time but I'm a total noob when it comes to networking
> issues.
>
> To summarise, I would like to:
> 1a. avoid swapping cables all the time
> 1. share one printer between 2 computers without having both computers
> turned on all the time (one computer may be off while printing from
> the other).
> 2. be able to surf the net with both computers simultaneously is not a
> must but if it's easy to setup it's always welcome.
>
> What kind of hardware would I have to buy for this? I read about
> switches, hubs, routers, print servers and I don't have a clue what
> the difference is, let go how to set it up. Important thing to add: I
> like to play online games from time to time and I read that routers
> can be quite tricky when you want to forward ports so I'm a bit
> reluctant about routers unless you can convince me otherwise (I find
> it already hard enough trying to figure out how to program my
> firewall).
>
> Thanks a lot in advance for your help.

The main piece of hardware you need to buy is a router. Do not be
apprehensive about port forwarding (should you need to do that for
gaming or otherwise, it is actually quite easy to set up).

The main choice you have to make is whether to have the router include
wireless capability or not. Because wireless routers for home use are
relatively inexpensive these days, I'd suggest buying a wireless router
even if you don't initially intend to use that capability.

If you already have a UTP cable going between upstairs and downstairs,
you can use that to have a wired network. A wired network will be
faster and more secure than a wireless network, but will require pulling
cables. Almost all home routers, wired and wireless, come with 4 LAN
ports. A wired configuration would be as follows:

modem --> short UTP cable --> router's WAN port

router LAN port 1 --> UTP cable to upstairs --> desktop
router LAN port 2 --> UTP cable to laptop
router LAN port 3 --> available
router LAN port 4 --> available

If you get a wireless router, you could substitute a wireless link for
either or both of the UTP cable connections, assuming of course that
there is a wireless adapter in the computer. The laptop may have one
built in; otherwise, you can buy either external wireless adapters or
(for the desktop) a PCI wireless adapter. If you go wireless, check to
ensure that all existing hardware is capable of WPA2 (or at least WPA)
encryption. If it isn't, consider buying new hardware that is.

The above configuration permits Internet sharing. In order to share
resources (e.g., files and printers), a little software setup is
required. If you leave the printer connected via USB to the upstairs
PC, you will be able to print from the laptop -- but only if the
upstairs PC is turned on and active. If you want to be able to print
regardless of whether the PC is on, the printer will have to be
connected directly to the network. This requires either (a) a
network-ready printer or (b) a print server.

In either case, the printer will need to be connected to the router.
This connection may be wireless or wired. If wired, you will either
need a second UTP cable from the router to the printer or you will need
a switch that will be connected on one side to the router and on the
other side to the upstairs PC and the printer.

Software setup of the network is straightforward. There are many
websites. Here are a few (I haven't checked all of these recently, but
I believe all of the links should still be good):

http://www.practicallynetworked.com/
http://www.practicallynetworked.com/..._protocols.htm
http://www.practicallynetworked.com/...ilesharing.htm (Home)
http://www.practicallynetworked.com/...ring/index.htm (Pro)
http://www.bcmaven.com/networking/faq.htm
http://www.bcmaven.com/networking/myths.htm
http://www.ezlan.net/index.html - Jack, MVP
http://www.howtonetworking.com/default.htm - Bob Lin, MVP
http://www.howtonetworking.com/Troub...cessibale0.htm
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/0...n-windows.html

And last but not least, MVP Malke's network troubleshooting advice:

Here are general network troubleshooting steps. Not everything may be
applicable to your situation, so just take the bits that are. It may
look daunting, but if you follow the steps at the links and suggestions
below systematically and calmly, you will have no difficulty in setting
up your sharing.

For XP, start by running the Network Setup Wizard on all machines (see
caveat in Item A below).

Problems sharing files between computers on a network are generally
caused by 1) a misconfigured firewall; or 2) inadvertently running two
firewalls such as the built-in Windows Firewall and a third-party
firewall; and/or 3) not having identical user accounts and passwords on
all Workgroup machines; 4) trying to create shares where the operating
system does not permit it.

For XP and Windows 2003 Server, MVP Hans-Georg Michna has an excellent
small network troubleshooter. It may also be useful with Vista.

http://winhlp.com/wxnet.htm

Here are some general networking tips for home/small networks:

A. Configure firewalls on all machines to allow the Local Area Network
(LAN) traffic as trusted. With Windows Firewall, this means allowing
File/Printer Sharing on the Exceptions tab. Normally running the Network
Setup Wizard on XP will take care of this for those machines.The only
"gotcha" is that this will turn on the XPSP2 Windows Firewall. If you
aren't running a third-party firewall or have an antivirus with
"Internet Worm Protection" (like Norton 2006/07) which acts as a
firewall, then you're fine. With third-party firewalls, I usually
configure the LAN allowance with an IP range. Ex. would be
192.168.1.0-192.168.1.254. Obviously you would substitute your correct
subnet. Do not run more than one firewall.

B. For ease of organization, put all computers in the same Workgroup.
This is done from the System applet in Control Panel, Computer Name tab.

C. Create matching user accounts and passwords on all machines. You do
not need to be logged into the same account on all machines and the
passwords assigned to each user account can be different; the
accounts/passwords just need to exist and match on all machines. If you
wish a machine to boot directly to the Desktop (into one particular
user's account) for convenience, you can do this. The instructions at
this link work for both XP and Vista:

Configure Windows to Automatically Login (MVP Ramesh) -
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/Autologon.htm

D. If one or more of the computers is XP Pro or Media Center:

1. If you need Pro's ability to set fine-grained permissions, turn off
Simple File Sharing (Folder Options>View tab) and create identical user
accounts/passwords on all computers.

2. If you don't care about using Pro's advanced features, leave the
Simple File Sharing enabled. Simple File Sharing means that Guest
(network) is enabled. This means that anyone without a user account on
the target system can use its resources. This is a security hole but
only you can decide if it matters in your situation.

E. Create shares as desired. XP Home does not permit sharing of users'
home directories (My Documents) or Program Files, but you can share
folders inside those directories. A better choice is to simply use the
Shared Documents folder.


--
Lem -- MS-MVP

To the moon and back with 2K words of RAM and 36K words of ROM.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Guidance_Computer
http://history.nasa.gov/afj/compessay.htm

On Jun 21, 10:01 pm, Lem <lem...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Delta wrote:
> > Hello all,
>
> > People probably asked you a thousand times but I can't manage to
> > gather the information I need by searching the web so here is my
> > situation:
>
> > I have a pc with windows XP home SP3 upstairs and a HP Deskjet 916c
> > printer which is upstairs too. Downstairs I have a notebook with
> > windows xp professional and also a motorola sb5100E modem.
>
> > What I do now to surf the web with my notebook is pull the cable (UTP
> > with RJ45 connector) that comes from my pc upstairs out of my modem
> > (which is downstairs) and then connect my notebook with another
> > shorter UTP cable to the modem. For printing I go upstairs with my
> > notebook and take the usb cable out of my pc to plug it into my
> > notebook. I know there's a much easier way without having to plug out
> > cables all the time but I'm a total noob when it comes to networking
> > issues.
>
> > To summarise, I would like to:
> > 1a. avoid swapping cables all the time
> > 1. share one printer between 2 computers without having both computers
> > turned on all the time (one computer may be off while printing from
> > the other).
> > 2. be able to surf the net with both computers simultaneously is not a
> > must but if it's easy to setup it's always welcome.
>
> > What kind of hardware would I have to buy for this? I read about
> > switches, hubs, routers, print servers and I don't have a clue what
> > the difference is, let go how to set it up. Important thing to add: I
> > like to play online games from time to time and I read that routers
> > can be quite tricky when you want to forward ports so I'm a bit
> > reluctant about routers unless you can convince me otherwise (I find
> > it already hard enough trying to figure out how to program my
> > firewall).
>
> > Thanks a lot in advance for your help.
>
> The main piece of hardware you need to buy is a router. Do not be
> apprehensive about port forwarding (should you need to do that for
> gaming or otherwise, it is actually quite easy to set up).
>
> The main choice you have to make is whether to have the router include
> wireless capability or not. Because wireless routers for home use are
> relatively inexpensive these days, I'd suggest buying a wireless router
> even if you don't initially intend to use that capability.
>
> If you already have a UTP cable going between upstairs and downstairs,
> you can use that to have a wired network. A wired network will be
> faster and more secure than a wireless network, but will require pulling
> cables. Almost all home routers, wired and wireless, come with 4 LAN
> ports. A wired configuration would be as follows:
>
> modem --> short UTP cable --> router's WAN port
>
> router LAN port 1 --> UTP cable to upstairs --> desktop
> router LAN port 2 --> UTP cable to laptop
> router LAN port 3 --> available
> router LAN port 4 --> available
>
> If you get a wireless router, you could substitute a wireless link for
> either or both of the UTP cable connections, assuming of course that
> there is a wireless adapter in the computer. The laptop may have one
> built in; otherwise, you can buy either external wireless adapters or
> (for the desktop) a PCI wireless adapter. If you go wireless, check to
> ensure that all existing hardware is capable of WPA2 (or at least WPA)
> encryption. If it isn't, consider buying new hardware that is.
>
> The above configuration permits Internet sharing. In order to share
> resources (e.g., files and printers), a little software setup is
> required. If you leave the printer connected via USB to the upstairs
> PC, you will be able to print from the laptop -- but only if the
> upstairs PC is turned on and active. If you want to be able to print
> regardless of whether the PC is on, the printer will have to be
> connected directly to the network. This requires either (a) a
> network-ready printer or (b) a print server.
>
> In either case, the printer will need to be connected to the router.
> This connection may be wireless or wired. If wired, you will either
> need a second UTP cable from the router to the printer or you will need
> a switch that will be connected on one side to the router and on the
> other side to the upstairs PC and the printer.
>
> Software setup of the network is straightforward. There are many
> websites. Here are a few (I haven't checked all of these recently, but
> I believe all of the links should still be good):
>
> http://www.practicallynetworked.com/...et/index.html- Jack, MVPhttp://www.howtonetworking.com/default.htm- Bob Lin, MVPhttp://www.howtonetworking.com/Troubleshooting/notaccessibale0.htmhttp://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/05/using-network-setup-wizard-in-w...
>
> And last but not least, MVP Malke's network troubleshooting advice:
>
> Here are general network troubleshooting steps. Not everything may be
> applicable to your situation, so just take the bits that are. It may
> look daunting, but if you follow the steps at the links and suggestions
> below systematically and calmly, you will have no difficulty in setting
> up your sharing.
>
> For XP, start by running the Network Setup Wizard on all machines (see
> caveat in Item A below).
>
> Problems sharing files between computers on a network are generally
> caused by 1) a misconfigured firewall; or 2) inadvertently running two
> firewalls such as the built-in Windows Firewall and a third-party
> firewall; and/or 3) not having identical user accounts and passwords on
> all Workgroup machines; 4) trying to create shares where the operating
> system does not permit it.
>
> For XP and Windows 2003 Server, MVP Hans-Georg Michna has an excellent
> small network troubleshooter. It may also be useful with Vista.
>
> http://winhlp.com/wxnet.htm
>
> Here are some general networking tips for home/small networks:
>
> A. Configure firewalls on all machines to allow the Local Area Network
> (LAN) traffic as trusted. With Windows Firewall, this means allowing
> File/Printer Sharing on the Exceptions tab. Normally running the Network
> Setup Wizard on XP will take care of this for those machines.The only
> "gotcha" is that this will turn on the XPSP2 Windows Firewall. If you
> aren't running a third-party firewall or have an antivirus with
> "Internet Worm Protection" (like Norton 2006/07) which acts as a
> firewall, then you're fine. With third-party firewalls, I usually
> configure the LAN allowance with an IP range. Ex. would be
> 192.168.1.0-192.168.1.254. Obviously you would substitute your correct
> subnet. Do not run more than one firewall.
>
> B. For ease of organization, put all computers in the same Workgroup.
> This is done from the System applet in Control Panel, Computer Name tab.
>
> C. Create matching user accounts and passwords on all machines. You do
> not need to be logged into the same account on all machines and the
> passwords assigned to each user account can be different; the
> accounts/passwords just need to exist and match on all machines. If you
> wish a machine to boot directly to the Desktop (into one particular
> user's account) for convenience, you can do this. The instructions at
> this link work for both XP and Vista:
>
> Configure Windows to Automatically Login (MVP Ramesh) -http://windowsxp.mvps.org/Autologon.htm
>
> D. If one or more of the computers is XP Pro or Media Center:
>
> 1. If you need Pro's ability to set fine-grained permissions, turn off
> Simple File Sharing (Folder Options>View tab) and create identical user
> accounts/passwords on all computers.
>
> 2. If you don't care about using Pro's advanced features, leave the
> Simple File Sharing enabled. Simple File Sharing means that Guest
> (network) is enabled. This means that anyone without a user account on
> the target system can use its resources. This is a security hole but
> only you can decide if it matters in your situation.
>
> E. Create shares as desired. XP Home does not permit sharing of users'
> home directories (My Documents) or Program Files, but you can share
> folders inside those directories. A better choice is to simply use the
> Shared Documents folder.
>
> --
> Lem -- MS-MVP
>
> To the moon and back with 2K words of RAM and 36K words of ROM.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_.../compessay.htm

Wow, thanks a lot for your detailed explanations. I'm affraid I'm
going to need a lot of aspirines too if I want my own small network!-)
I thought I would just need a cable going from my printer to some
magical small box and that's it... Some mess I've got myself into...

On Jun 21, 10:01 pm, Lem <lem...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Delta wrote:
> > Hello all,
>
> > People probably asked you a thousand times but I can't manage to
> > gather the information I need by searching the web so here is my
> > situation:
>
> > I have a pc with windows XP home SP3 upstairs and a HP Deskjet 916c
> > printer which is upstairs too. Downstairs I have a notebook with
> > windows xp professional and also a motorola sb5100E modem.
>
> > What I do now to surf the web with my notebook is pull the cable (UTP
> > with RJ45 connector) that comes from my pc upstairs out of my modem
> > (which is downstairs) and then connect my notebook with another
> > shorter UTP cable to the modem. For printing I go upstairs with my
> > notebook and take the usb cable out of my pc to plug it into my
> > notebook. I know there's a much easier way without having to plug out
> > cables all the time but I'm a total noob when it comes to networking
> > issues.
>
> > To summarise, I would like to:
> > 1a. avoid swapping cables all the time
> > 1. share one printer between 2 computers without having both computers
> > turned on all the time (one computer may be off while printing from
> > the other).
> > 2. be able to surf the net with both computers simultaneously is not a
> > must but if it's easy to setup it's always welcome.
>
> > What kind of hardware would I have to buy for this? I read about
> > switches, hubs, routers, print servers and I don't have a clue what
> > the difference is, let go how to set it up. Important thing to add: I
> > like to play online games from time to time and I read that routers
> > can be quite tricky when you want to forward ports so I'm a bit
> > reluctant about routers unless you can convince me otherwise (I find
> > it already hard enough trying to figure out how to program my
> > firewall).
>
> > Thanks a lot in advance for your help.
>
> The main piece of hardware you need to buy is a router. Do not be
> apprehensive about port forwarding (should you need to do that for
> gaming or otherwise, it is actually quite easy to set up).
>
> The main choice you have to make is whether to have the router include
> wireless capability or not. Because wireless routers for home use are
> relatively inexpensive these days, I'd suggest buying a wireless router
> even if you don't initially intend to use that capability.
>
> If you already have a UTP cable going between upstairs and downstairs,
> you can use that to have a wired network. A wired network will be
> faster and more secure than a wireless network, but will require pulling
> cables. Almost all home routers, wired and wireless, come with 4 LAN
> ports. A wired configuration would be as follows:
>
> modem --> short UTP cable --> router's WAN port
>
> router LAN port 1 --> UTP cable to upstairs --> desktop
> router LAN port 2 --> UTP cable to laptop
> router LAN port 3 --> available
> router LAN port 4 --> available
>
> If you get a wireless router, you could substitute a wireless link for
> either or both of the UTP cable connections, assuming of course that
> there is a wireless adapter in the computer. The laptop may have one
> built in; otherwise, you can buy either external wireless adapters or
> (for the desktop) a PCI wireless adapter. If you go wireless, check to
> ensure that all existing hardware is capable of WPA2 (or at least WPA)
> encryption. If it isn't, consider buying new hardware that is.
>
> The above configuration permits Internet sharing. In order to share
> resources (e.g., files and printers), a little software setup is
> required. If you leave the printer connected via USB to the upstairs
> PC, you will be able to print from the laptop -- but only if the
> upstairs PC is turned on and active. If you want to be able to print
> regardless of whether the PC is on, the printer will have to be
> connected directly to the network. This requires either (a) a
> network-ready printer or (b) a print server.
>
> In either case, the printer will need to be connected to the router.
> This connection may be wireless or wired. If wired, you will either
> need a second UTP cable from the router to the printer or you will need
> a switch that will be connected on one side to the router and on the
> other side to the upstairs PC and the printer.
>
> Software setup of the network is straightforward. There are many
> websites. Here are a few (I haven't checked all of these recently, but
> I believe all of the links should still be good):
>
> http://www.practicallynetworked.com/...et/index.html- Jack, MVPhttp://www.howtonetworking.com/default.htm- Bob Lin, MVPhttp://www.howtonetworking.com/Troubleshooting/notaccessibale0.htmhttp://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/05/using-network-setup-wizard-in-w...
>
> And last but not least, MVP Malke's network troubleshooting advice:
>
> Here are general network troubleshooting steps. Not everything may be
> applicable to your situation, so just take the bits that are. It may
> look daunting, but if you follow the steps at the links and suggestions
> below systematically and calmly, you will have no difficulty in setting
> up your sharing.
>
> For XP, start by running the Network Setup Wizard on all machines (see
> caveat in Item A below).
>
> Problems sharing files between computers on a network are generally
> caused by 1) a misconfigured firewall; or 2) inadvertently running two
> firewalls such as the built-in Windows Firewall and a third-party
> firewall; and/or 3) not having identical user accounts and passwords on
> all Workgroup machines; 4) trying to create shares where the operating
> system does not permit it.
>
> For XP and Windows 2003 Server, MVP Hans-Georg Michna has an excellent
> small network troubleshooter. It may also be useful with Vista.
>
> http://winhlp.com/wxnet.htm
>
> Here are some general networking tips for home/small networks:
>
> A. Configure firewalls on all machines to allow the Local Area Network
> (LAN) traffic as trusted. With Windows Firewall, this means allowing
> File/Printer Sharing on the Exceptions tab. Normally running the Network
> Setup Wizard on XP will take care of this for those machines.The only
> "gotcha" is that this will turn on the XPSP2 Windows Firewall. If you
> aren't running a third-party firewall or have an antivirus with
> "Internet Worm Protection" (like Norton 2006/07) which acts as a
> firewall, then you're fine. With third-party firewalls, I usually
> configure the LAN allowance with an IP range. Ex. would be
> 192.168.1.0-192.168.1.254. Obviously you would substitute your correct
> subnet. Do not run more than one firewall.
>
> B. For ease of organization, put all computers in the same Workgroup.
> This is done from the System applet in Control Panel, Computer Name tab.
>
> C. Create matching user accounts and passwords on all machines. You do
> not need to be logged into the same account on all machines and the
> passwords assigned to each user account can be different; the
> accounts/passwords just need to exist and match on all machines. If you
> wish a machine to boot directly to the Desktop (into one particular
> user's account) for convenience, you can do this. The instructions at
> this link work for both XP and Vista:
>
> Configure Windows to Automatically Login (MVP Ramesh) -http://windowsxp.mvps.org/Autologon.htm
>
> D. If one or more of the computers is XP Pro or Media Center:
>
> 1. If you need Pro's ability to set fine-grained permissions, turn off
> Simple File Sharing (Folder Options>View tab) and create identical user
> accounts/passwords on all computers.
>
> 2. If you don't care about using Pro's advanced features, leave the
> Simple File Sharing enabled. Simple File Sharing means that Guest
> (network) is enabled. This means that anyone without a user account on
> the target system can use its resources. This is a security hole but
> only you can decide if it matters in your situation.
>
> E. Create shares as desired. XP Home does not permit sharing of users'
> home directories (My Documents) or Program Files, but you can share
> folders inside those directories. A better choice is to simply use the
> Shared Documents folder.
>
> --
> Lem -- MS-MVP
>
> To the moon and back with 2K words of RAM and 36K words of ROM.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_.../compessay.htm

I've read your post over and over again, including websites and
youtube videos and I think I'm starting to get the basics. So from
what I understand (and correct me if I'm wrong), let's assume
following setup:
Downstairs, from my modem with a short UTP cable to the wireless
router and then connect the already installed UTP cable that links
upstairs with downstairs on one end to the router and the other end to
a switch. From the switch upstairs I then go with a short UTP cable to
the pc and another short UTP cable to a usb print server. I connect
my printer's usb cable to the other end of the print server.
Downstairs, since my laptop has wireless, I could connect to the
router wirelessly. So wireless with my laptop for surfing and hard
cable for my gaming pc for best quality and speed.

In summary, the components that I need:
-wireless router
-switch
-2 short UTP cables
-print server

Questions:
- Does a switch need a power cable for AC?
- Anything to watch out for when buying a usb print server?
- How can I check my laptop for WPA2 encryption?
- I understand linksys N-series is a popular router. Which one would
you recommend in terms of price/quality and user friendliness?

Thanks,
Alex

On Jun 25, 3:10 am, Delta <ad1...@telenet.be> wrote:
> On Jun 21, 10:01 pm, Lem <lem...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> > Delta wrote:
> > > Hello all,
>
> > > People probably asked you a thousand times but I can't manage to
> > > gather the information I need by searching the web so here is my
> > > situation:
>
> > > I have a pc with windows XP home SP3 upstairs and a HP Deskjet 916c
> > > printer which is upstairs too. Downstairs I have a notebook with
> > > windows xp professional and also a motorola sb5100E modem.
>
> > > What I do now to surf the web with my notebook is pull the cable (UTP
> > > with RJ45 connector) that comes from my pc upstairs out of my modem
> > > (which is downstairs) and then connect my notebook with another
> > > shorter UTP cable to the modem. For printing I go upstairs with my
> > > notebook and take the usb cable out of my pc to plug it into my
> > > notebook. I know there's a much easier way without having to plug out
> > > cables all the time but I'm a total noob when it comes to networking
> > > issues.
>
> > > To summarise, I would like to:
> > > 1a. avoid swapping cables all the time
> > > 1. share one printer between 2 computers without having both computers
> > > turned on all the time (one computer may be off while printing from
> > > the other).
> > > 2. be able to surf the net with both computers simultaneously is not a
> > > must but if it's easy to setup it's always welcome.
>
> > > What kind of hardware would I have to buy for this? I read about
> > > switches, hubs, routers, print servers and I don't have a clue what
> > > the difference is, let go how to set it up. Important thing to add: I
> > > like to play online games from time to time and I read that routers
> > > can be quite tricky when you want to forward ports so I'm a bit
> > > reluctant about routers unless you can convince me otherwise (I find
> > > it already hard enough trying to figure out how to program my
> > > firewall).
>
> > > Thanks a lot in advance for your help.
>
> > The main piece of hardware you need to buy is a router. Do not be
> > apprehensive about port forwarding (should you need to do that for
> > gaming or otherwise, it is actually quite easy to set up).
>
> > The main choice you have to make is whether to have the router include
> > wireless capability or not. Because wireless routers for home use are
> > relatively inexpensive these days, I'd suggest buying a wireless router
> > even if you don't initially intend to use that capability.
>
> > If you already have a UTP cable going between upstairs and downstairs,
> > you can use that to have a wired network. A wired network will be
> > faster and more secure than a wireless network, but will require pulling
> > cables. Almost all home routers, wired and wireless, come with 4 LAN
> > ports. A wired configuration would be as follows:
>
> > modem --> short UTP cable --> router's WAN port
>
> > router LAN port 1 --> UTP cable to upstairs --> desktop
> > router LAN port 2 --> UTP cable to laptop
> > router LAN port 3 --> available
> > router LAN port 4 --> available
>
> > If you get a wireless router, you could substitute a wireless link for
> > either or both of the UTP cable connections, assuming of course that
> > there is a wireless adapter in the computer. The laptop may have one
> > built in; otherwise, you can buy either external wireless adapters or
> > (for the desktop) a PCI wireless adapter. If you go wireless, check to
> > ensure that all existing hardware is capable of WPA2 (or at least WPA)
> > encryption. If it isn't, consider buying new hardware that is.
>
> > The above configuration permits Internet sharing. In order to share
> > resources (e.g., files and printers), a little software setup is
> > required. If you leave the printer connected via USB to the upstairs
> > PC, you will be able to print from the laptop -- but only if the
> > upstairs PC is turned on and active. If you want to be able to print
> > regardless of whether the PC is on, the printer will have to be
> > connected directly to the network. This requires either (a) a
> > network-ready printer or (b) a print server.
>
> > In either case, the printer will need to be connected to the router.
> > This connection may be wireless or wired. If wired, you will either
> > need a second UTP cable from the router to the printer or you will need
> > a switch that will be connected on one side to the router and on the
> > other side to the upstairs PC and the printer.
>
> > Software setup of the network is straightforward. There are many
> > websites. Here are a few (I haven't checked all of these recently, but
> > I believe all of the links should still be good):
>
> >http://www.practicallynetworked.com/...orked.c...Jack, MVPhttp://www.howtonetworking.com/default.htm-Bob Lin, MVPhttp://www.howtonetworking.com/Troubleshooting/notaccessibale0.htmhtt......
>
> > And last but not least, MVP Malke's network troubleshooting advice:
>
> > Here are general network troubleshooting steps. Not everything may be
> > applicable to your situation, so just take the bits that are. It may
> > look daunting, but if you follow the steps at the links and suggestions
> > below systematically and calmly, you will have no difficulty in setting
> > up your sharing.
>
> > For XP, start by running the Network Setup Wizard on all machines (see
> > caveat in Item A below).
>
> > Problems sharing files between computers on a network are generally
> > caused by 1) a misconfigured firewall; or 2) inadvertently running two
> > firewalls such as the built-in Windows Firewall and a third-party
> > firewall; and/or 3) not having identical user accounts and passwords on
> > all Workgroup machines; 4) trying to create shares where the operating
> > system does not permit it.
>
> > For XP and Windows 2003 Server, MVP Hans-Georg Michna has an excellent
> > small network troubleshooter. It may also be useful with Vista.
>
> >http://winhlp.com/wxnet.htm
>
> > Here are some general networking tips for home/small networks:
>
> > A. Configure firewalls on all machines to allow the Local Area Network
> > (LAN) traffic as trusted. With Windows Firewall, this means allowing
> > File/Printer Sharing on the Exceptions tab. Normally running the Network
> > Setup Wizard on XP will take care of this for those machines.The only
> > "gotcha" is that this will turn on the XPSP2 Windows Firewall. If you
> > aren't running a third-party firewall or have an antivirus with
> > "Internet Worm Protection" (like Norton 2006/07) which acts as a
> > firewall, then you're fine. With third-party firewalls, I usually
> > configure the LAN allowance with an IP range. Ex. would be
> > 192.168.1.0-192.168.1.254. Obviously you would substitute your correct
> > subnet. Do not run more than one firewall.
>
> > B. For ease of organization, put all computers in the same Workgroup.
> > This is done from the System applet in Control Panel, Computer Name tab.
>
> > C. Create matching user accounts and passwords on all machines. You do
> > not need to be logged into the same account on all machines and the
> > passwords assigned to each user account can be different; the
> > accounts/passwords just need to exist and match on all machines. If you
> > wish a machine to boot directly to the Desktop (into one particular
> > user's account) for convenience, you can do this. The instructions at
> > this link work for both XP and Vista:
>
> > Configure Windows to Automatically Login (MVP Ramesh) -http://windowsxp.mvps.org/Autologon.htm
>
> > D. If one or more of the computers is XP Pro or Media Center:
>
> > 1. If you need Pro's ability to set fine-grained permissions, turn off
> > Simple File Sharing (Folder Options>View tab) and create identical user
> > accounts/passwords on all computers.
>
> > 2. If you don't care about using Pro's advanced features, leave the
> > Simple File Sharing enabled. Simple File Sharing means that Guest
> > (network) is enabled. This means that anyone without a user account on
> > the target system can use its resources. This is a security hole but
> > only you can decide if it matters in your situation.
>
> > E. Create shares as desired. XP Home does not permit sharing of users'
> > home directories (My Documents) or Program Files, but you can share
> > folders inside those directories. A better choice is to simply use the
> > Shared Documents folder.
>
> > --
> > Lem -- MS-MVP
>
> > To the moon and back with 2K words of RAM and 36K words of ROM.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_...tp://history.n...
>
> I've read your post over and over again, including websites and
> youtube videos and I think I'm starting to get the basics. So from
> what I understand (and correct me if I'm wrong), let's assume
> following setup:
> Downstairs, from my modem with a short UTP cable to the wireless
> router and then connect the already installed UTP cable that links
> upstairs with downstairs on one end to the router and the other end to
> a switch. From the switch upstairs I then go with a short UTP cable to
> the pc and another short UTP cable to a usb print server. I connect
> my printer's usb cable to the other end of the print server.
> Downstairs, since my laptop has wireless, I could connect to the
> router wirelessly. So wireless with my laptop for surfing and hard
> cable for my gaming pc for best quality and speed.
>
> In summary, the components that I need:
> -wireless router
> -switch
> -2 short UTP cables
> -print server
>
> Questions:
> - Does a switch need a power cable for AC?
> - Anything to watch out for when buying a usb print server?
> - How can I check my laptop for WPA2 encryption?
> - I understand linksys N-series is a popular router. Which one would
> you recommend in terms of price/quality and user friendliness?
>
> Thanks,
> Alex

Anyone?

Thanks