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How to - connect 2 pcs and 1 printer on a network

  • 02-05-2008 4:11pm
    #1
    connundrum
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,563 ✭✭✭


    Hi,

    I'm not good with the theory behind networking at all, so please play nice.

    I need to set up a small office with 2 pcs and have them communicate with 1 printer. Will I call in a techie guy or can I do it myself?

    I'll be stopping off tomorrow to buy cables so let me know what I needs.

    Danke


Comments

  • #2
    highlydebased
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,472 ✭✭✭highlydebased


    Network switch, computers might already have a networking card/port installed, check, and two cat5 cables


  • #3
    FruitLover
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,534 ✭✭✭FruitLover


    Does the printer have a network port? If so, then you'll want three cat5 cables. If not, then you'll need to share it from one of the PCs, in which case you could just use a single crossover cable to connect the two PCs without a switch.


  • #4
    connundrum
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,563 ✭✭✭connundrum


    Ok cool, but I presume its not as easy as sticking the cables in and boom - each computer can see the other's files?


  • #5
    rrpc
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,244 ✭✭✭rrpc


    connundrum wrote: »
    Ok cool, but I presume its not as easy as sticking the cables in and boom - each computer can see the other's files?

    It depends on the OS installed on each of the computers. Also, if you have broadband, you must have a router and most of those have 4 LAN inputs, so you can have up to 4 PC's connected and thus a small network.

    Basically, you should have both PC's on the same workgroup, the default on MS Windows XP Pro is called WORKGROUP and on XP Home it's called MSHOME. You can find out by right-clicking on 'My Computer' and clicking 'Properties'. There's a Computer Name tab which also will give you the option to change the workgroup name.

    Secondly, you need to have both computers on the same IP address range. If you have a broadband router and both PC's are connected then this is already done by the router.

    Otherwise you will have to do this manually. Go to 'Network' in the control panel, and get the properties sheet for the TCP/IP protocol. Change 'obtain IP address automatically' to manual and enter 192.168.0.1 for the first computer and 192.168.0.2 for the second, the netmask for both is 255.255.255.0.

    The last number in the IP address can be anything up to 254 so long as the first three numbers are the same, both computers are now on the same address range.

    That's about it. You need to turn on file and printer sharing and install the printer on one of the computers (if this isn't already done), then share it. You then 'Add printer' on the second computer and choose 'network printer' and then browse for the printer. The driver will be automtically installed from the first computer.

    If you have a broadband router, you'll need to get patch cables of the correct length to connect the computer(s) to it. If you don't, you get a crossover cable with which you connect the two computers LAN ports. Obviously this has to be long enough to reach between the two PC's.

    To see each other's files, you need to share the folders they're in. You can do this in Windows Explorer by right-clicking on the folder and choosing the sharing option from the menu. (You have to have file and printer sharing enabled first).


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