SETTING UP A LAN NETWORK UNDER WIN95 FOR GAMING AND FOR FILE AND PRINTER SHARING:

This document walks you through the settings necessary to setup a Local Area Network (LAN) on Windows 95 and 98 systems for both file/printer sharing and for gaming. This document will assume that you have already installed Ethernet cards and their drivers in all the computers on the network, and have connected the cards with the appropriate cabling. Please refer to the manual and installation instructions that came with your network hardware.

SETTING UP NETWORK DRIVERS FOR FILE & PRINTER SHARING (NetBEUI):

NOTE: You'll need to have your Windows CD handy for this. Whenever making changes to the Network settings, Windows will need to load files from the Windows CD. For LAN parties it's always a good idea to take your Windows CD, as well as a copy of the drivers for your network card, along with you.

For each computer on the network:

• Click on the "Network" icon in Control Panel:

1. Click on the "Identification" tab:

• Enter a unique computer name. I find using the name of the user of that computer to be the best system. At LAN parties we tend to use our online nicknames. Use all uppercase letters for simplicity.

• Enter a workgroup name using all uppercase letters. The name doesn't matter, as long as you use the same workgroup name on all the computers on the network (multiple workgroups are used on company LANs sometimes to separate departments i.e.: ACCOUNTING, DESIGN, etc). For our purposes it's best to use the same workgroup name on all computers so they'll all see each other properly. Just call it "MY_NETWORK". Use all uppercase letters for simplicity.

2. Click on the "Configuration" tab:

• If NetBEUI network protocol is not already installed, click on "Add" and then select "Protocol" as the type of component, "Microsoft" as the manufacturer, and "NETBEUI" as the protocol.

• If "Client for Microsoft Networks" is not already installed, click on "Add" and then select "Client" as the type of component, "Microsoft" as the manufacturer, and ""Client for Microsoft Networks" as the client.

3. Go back to the "Configuration" tab:

• In the component window, highlight NETBEUI -> <#Network adapter card name#> and click on the "Properties" button (NOTE: There may be other NETBEUI protocols installed such as Dial-Up Adapter, but you only want to make changes to the one with the name of your network card in it):

• Click on the"Bindings" tab and place checkmarks next to "Client for Microsoft Networks" and "File and Printer sharing for Microsoft Networks"

4. Go back to the "Configuration" tab:

• Click on "File and Print Sharing" button:

• Place a checkmark next to "I want to be able to give access to my files" and "I want to be able to allow others to print to my printer(s)"

5. Go back to the "Configuration" tab:

• Under "Primary Network Logon" select "Windows Logon". This will avoid having Windows ask the user for a network password each time the computer boots to Windows. (The system I've been walking you through here doesn't have a network password anyway).

6. Click on the "Access Control" tab:

• Make sure that "Share-level access control" is enabled.

7. Click on the "OK" button. Windows will ask you for the Windows CD and install several files. If at any time Windows gives you a warning about a file on the computer being newer than the one on the CD that it wants to copy, always click "Yes" to keep the newer file. Windows will need to reboot after installing all the network components.

ENABLING FILE SHARING:

For each computer on the network:

• Double-click on the My Computer icon on your desktop:

• For each drive on that computer that you want to share (allow other computers to be able to access) right click on it's icon and select "Sharing" (NOTE: You can also share individual folders on a harddrive thus allowing other users to have access to only the folders you want them to):

• Enable "Shared As" and type a shared name (the actual drive letter will do).

• Depending on who will have access to your computer's files, you'll need to decide how you want to share your drives. Your two basic choices are "Full" and "Read-only" (we can ignore "Depends on password" for this setup):

• "Full access" allows anyone to read and write to your drive as if it was on their computer. They can change, rename, move, and delete files as well.

• "Read-only" allows other users to copy and read files only - they can't delete or modify a file on your drive in any way. It's a good idea to use "Read-only" to avoid accidental or intentional file loss, unless there is a specific need for others to modify your files.

A shared drive will have a hand icon appear over the drive icon. Once the above settings are completed on each system, you should be able to see all the computers on the network when you click on "Network Neighborhood" on your desktop (or open it in Explorer). You can now click on any computer on the network to access it's hard drive.

MAPPING NETWORK DRIVES:

Most Windows 98 software can access network neighborhood and save and load files directly to and from another computer on the network. Some applications can't and you may have to re-map a network drive. Mapping allows you to assign a network drive path to a normal drive letter. When mapped, a network drive will appear in "My Computer" as a drive with a drive letter and can be accessed by any program. Mapping "fools" Windows into thinking a network drive is actually installed in your computer.

• Open "Network Neighborhood", click on a network computer, then right click on a network drive and select "Mapping". Select a local drive letter to map the drive to, then click on "OK".

ENABLING PRINTER SHARING:

1. On the host computer (the computer that has the printer connected to it that you want to share):

• Click on the "Printers" icon in Control Panel, right-click on the printer you want to share, select "Sharing", enable "Shared As" and type a Share Name (i.e.: HP LaserJet 4).

2. On the client computer (the computer printing to a network printer):

• Click on the "Printers" icon in Control Panel, click on "Add Printer", click on "Next", click on "Network Printer", click on "Next".

• Now enter the full network path to the printer in format of "\\<COMPUTER NAME\<PRINTER NAME>" or click on "Browse" and find the printer under the proper network computer. Click on "Next" when finished.

• Select the printer from the driver list or click on "Have Disk" to install the drivers from the floppy or CD as you normally would for a local printer.

ADDING ADDITIONAL NETWORK PROTOCOLS FOR GAMING (TCP/IP and IPX):

While NetBEUI is ideal for file transferring, most games use either TCP/IP or IPX network protocols. These protocols need to be enabled and setup properly for network games.

For each computer on the network:

1. Click on the "Network" icon in Control Panel.

• Click on the "Configuration" tab:

• If TCP/IP network protocol is not already installed, click on "Add" and then select "Protocol" as the type of component, "Microsoft" as the manufacturer, and "TCP/IP" as the protocol.

• If IPX/SPX network protocol is not already installed, click on "Add" and then select "Protocol" as the type of component, "Microsoft" as the manufacturer, and "IPX/SPX-compatible" as the protocol.

2. Go back to the "Configuration" tab:

• In the component window, highlight "TCP/IP -> <#Network adapter card name#>" and click on the "Properties" button (NOTE: There may be other TCP/IP protocols installed such as Dial-Up Adapter, but you only want to make changes to the one with the name of your network card in it):

• Click on the "Bindings" tab. MAKE CERTAIN THERE ARE NO BINDINGS SELECTED.

• Click on the "IP Address tab". Select "Specify an IP address".

• Each computer on the network must have a unique IP address. An IP address consists of four numbers each ranging from 0 - 255. On your local LAN it's important that the first three numbers be the same on all computers connected to the network. Which numbers you use is not important, as long as they're the same on all the computers on the network.. The last number of the IP address should be unique for each computer on the network (if two computers on the network have the same IP address, those computers will get a network error when they try to access the network). I recommend that on the first computer in the network you enter the IP address: 192.168.0.1. On each subsequent computer you setup on the network, add a one to the last number in the IP Address - for example, the second computer in this network would be 192.168.0.2 and so on.

NOTE: Make a note of each computer's IP address. Most games like Quake2 will search the network for a server, but some older games will need to be told the server's IP address.

For LAN parties, in order to keep people from using the same IP address, it's a good idea to have someone assign everyone a unique IP address when they check in.

• Under "Subnet Mask" enter 255.255.255.0

• Click on the "DNS Configuration" tab. Make certain that "Disable DNS" is selected.

• Click on the "WINS Configuration" tab. Make certain that "Disable WINS Resolution" is selected.

2. Go back to the "Configuration" tab:

• In the component window, highlight "IPX/SPX-compatible protocol -> <#Network adapter card name#>" and click on the "Properties" button (NOTE: There may be other IPX/SPX protocols installed such as Dial-Up Adapter, but you only want to make changes to the one with the name of your network card in it):

• Click on the "Bindings" tab. MAKE CERTAIN THERE ARE NO BINDINGS SELECTED.

• Click on the "Advanced" tab and highlight "Frame Type" in the "Property" window. Change the value to 802.2 (If left on Auto, this can cause pauses in Quake engine games).

 

 

Written by Robert Osorio, The Flying Penguin
TheFlyingPenguin.com

Last Updated 6/26/99

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