Step-by-Step

To make it easy to start with Windows Networking, I have decided to create this new section
to explain Step-by-Step in sequence the procedure to install a network card and to configure the
network.

I will assume, that you use:
Windows95 or Windows98 or WindowsME and / or
Windows 2000 Professional
Windows XP Home and Professional

and that you are installing a PCI-network adapter or a PC-card/PCMCIA-card
(for a notebook-computer).
(which avoids a lot of the configuration problems of ISA-networking cards, even if they were "Plug-and-Play",
which too often turned into "Plug-and-Pray", also since ISA networking cards have disappeared from the shops,
since most new PCs have today a very limited number of ISA slots, sometimes just one, sometimes none).
If you like to network via USB: USB Networking Indroduction.

The procedure below also applies to WLAN - Wireless Networking, where you first need
to configure the wireless options and then the network settings as for networking via cables.

Most of the steps below require on a Windows 2000 or a Windows XP system,
that your are logged in either as a "Standard user" (Member of the "Power Users")
or as "Administrator".
Please make sure that you are familiar with Windows 2000 User Management
or Windows XP Home / Windows XP Professional Edition User Management and
have the proper usernames and passwords before starting the network installation.

1) Decide on the type of network: Coax (10base2) or Twisted-Pair (10baseT/100baseT)
If you did not yet purchase the network cards or a networking kit, you should view this page
to decide the type of network to be used, which have different speeds, expandability and cost.
Note: except for different throughputs, it does not really matter, which type of Ethernet
networking is installed, the setup/configuration/operation in Windows is identical.

2) Which brand of Network card to purchase ?
As long as a network cards supports the type of Ethernet you decided to install, cards of different
vendors can communicate with each other. However, there are differences in Network cards and
their vendors, mostly when it comes to support and providing new/updated drivers.

3) Define the names for computer / workgroup and decide on the Network protocol.
Computer networking is very similar to human communication: you need a name to address
a person (or a computer), you need to agree on a communication language (or protocol)

4) Check, that you have all required CD-ROM's and Floppy-disks
When installing a network, Windows will need to install network components from the
Windows setup-files, either from the Windows CD-ROM or from the harddisk.
You will also need to have for the installed network cards the specific drivers, either from a
floppy/CD-ROM supplied with the network card or included in your Windows version.

After reading about all this , do you need a break ? Some computer Jokes ?

5 ) Check your current network configuration
Am I crazy ? You have not yet install any network, but I am asking you to check your current
network configuration ???
You are reading this page on the Internet ? There is a good chance that you have connected via
a modem to the Internet and that the connection is made via Dial-Up Networking.
For Windows, Dial-Up networking is part of networking and you need to make sure, that
your dial-up networking will still be working after the installation of a network card.

6) Installation of the Network Card
Finally (after the 5 previous steps) we are ready to install the network card.
Please, handle the card carefully (watch out for "static electricity") , make sure to
disconnect power from the PC, open the cover, install the card, close the cover and
connect the network cable to the card.

7) Installation of the Network Card Driver
Once you inserted a PC-CARD/PCMCIA- network card into a notebook or restart Windows
after the installation of the PCI-network card in a desktop computer, Windows will detect the
card and install drivers. You will need to check this and made some adjustments/fine-tuning.

8) Adjust / Fune-tune your Network Configuration for Windows95/98/ME (modified : Sept. 19,2000)
Adjust the Network Configuration for Windows2000 / XP (modfified May 10,2002 )
Depending on the Windows version, you need to add/remove/configure some protocols,
and you need to install File-and-Print-Sharing

9) Test the Network Connection
Before attempting to access data via the network, I strongly suggest to make a quick diagnostic
test with Windows provided tools to check, that you have a connection via the network to the
other system to verify that the network card and cables are ok.

Commercial Message:

White Papers on Email Security :
One Virus Engine Is Not Enough: The Case for Maximizing Network Protection with Multiple Anti-Virus
Scanners (Short Summary) ( Full Article)
Why You Need an Email Exploit Detection Engine: Networks Must Supplement Anti-Virus Protection for
Maximum Security (Short Summary) ( Full Article)
Protecting your network against email threats: How to block email viruses and attacks (Short Summary) ( Full article )
Why anti-virus software is not enough: The urgent need for server-based email content checking
(Short Summary) ( Full article )
Email security (Short Summary) ( Full article )

10) Give permission to connect/access (to share) the resources
on your Win9x system / on your Windows20000 /XP Prof. System / XP Home
once a network is installed, you need first to allow other systems to connect to your
disk, folders and or printers.

11) Connect to a computer via the Network Neighborhood / My Network Places
(updated :June 3, 2001)
Finally ready to use the network and to access network files via UNC-naming.

12) Map a Network drive (created Oct. 8, 2000)

13) Printing via the Network

14) Security issue while being connected to the Internet, if you have File-and-Printer
sharing installed, allowing somebody on the Internet to connect to your system and to
create some damage (like: delete all files)

15) Who is connected ?

16) protect your data by making Backup's
If you connect systems via a network to share the data, you MUST make sure to protect yourself
against loosing data by making backups.