If you have more than one computer and would like to be able to share an Internet connection, files, and printers between computers, perhaps you should consider setting up a home network. This blog post will cover how to set up a home network using Windows Vista. If you’re using another operating system, you can find networking tutorials by doing a simple Google search.

Overview

Setting up a home network doesn’t have to be difficult and can be done by anyone, as long as you have the right information and supplies. In order to set up a home network, some recommended supplies include an Internet connection, a wireless router or modem, Ethernet cable or wireless adapters, and a printer, if you plan on sharing a printer between multiple computers.

Setting up and Configuring the Hardware

Before you begin configuring your home network, you should first ensure that you have properly set up and installed the equipment that will enable you to connect your computers together. If you have a cable, FiOS, or DSL modem, you should ensure that it’s plugged in, turned on, and connected to a wireless (or wired, if you prefer) router, using an Ethernet cable. Some modem and router manufacturers may suggest that you install and configure your modem or router before setting it up or turning it on, so I would suggest that you look at the instructions that came with your hardware to be sure.

Once you have set up, installed, and configured your modem and router, you should then connect your computers to your modem or router, either using an Ethernet cable or using a wireless adapter. Some computers, such as many laptops, come with a preinstalled wireless adapter that doesn’t require much set up. However, if you purchased an external or internal wireless adapter for your computer, I would suggest that you read the instructions to see what the manufacturer of your wireless adapter recommends you do in order to install and configure the wireless adapter.

If you don’t have any of the supplies that you may need in order to set up and configure a home network, you may be able to purchase them at a store, such as Best Buy or RadioShack.

Creating a Home Network

Once you have both installed and configured the equipment necessary for networking your computers together, you should ensure that you are able to access your modem, router, and the Internet from all of the computers that you plan to network together. If your computers are connected to your router using an Ethernet cable, you should be able to access your modem, router, as well as the Internet, as long as you have properly installed and configured all of the hardware.

If you are using a wireless adapter to connect to your wireless modem or router, you may have to select a network to connect to, which you can do by clicking on the connection icon, which is located in the System Tray, which should say “Wireless networks are available.” and then selecting a network from the list.

After you have connected to your network, you may want to set up a new network by going to the Control Panel and clicking on “View network status and tasks”, which is located under the “Network and Internet” section of the Control Panel.

From there, you should select either “Manage wireless networks” or “Set up a connection or network”. Once you’ve chosen an option, you should be able to either manage an existing network or create a new network. Depending on your choice, you should follow any on screen instructions that you may be given, in order to set up a network.

Configuring File and Printer Sharing

If you already have already set up a network or are happy the way things are, but would like to be able to share files between computers, you should configure file sharing by going to the Control Panel and then clicking on “Set up file sharing”, which is located under the “Network and Internet” section of the Control Panel.

From there, you should be able to select which things on your network you would like to share. You can enable network discovery, file sharing, public folder sharing, printer sharing, password protect sharing, as well as media sharing, as long as your firewall is configured to allow these settings.

You can find out more information, as well as configure the settings for the above things from the “Network and Sharing Center” section of the Control Panel.

Troubleshooting

If you happen to run into trouble while creating or setting up your home network, there are a few things that you can do in order to figure out what is causing you problems, as well as fix those problems.

One way that you may be able to figure out what is causing problems with your home network or connection is to run the “Diagnose and repair” tool by going to the Control Panel and then clicking on “View network status and tasks”, which is located under the "Network and Internet” section of the Control Panel.

From there, you should click on the “Diagnose and repair” link, which you should find in the left sidebar of the Network and Sharing Center. If the “Diagnose and repair” tool finds out what is causing you to have problems with your network, it should also suggest ways to fix or repair these problems.

If you are having problems with your network or Internet connection, another thing that you may want to do is check to ensure that your computer or router’s firewall, as well as security settings are configured properly.

You can view and manage your computer’s security settings by going to the Control Panel and then clicking on “Check this computer’s security status”, which is located under the “Security” section of the Control Panel. From there, you should be able to view and manage your computer’s security settings, including the Windows Firewall, automatic updates, malware protection, as well as other security settings.

If you would like to view and configure the Windows Firewall’s settings, you can do so by going to the Control Panel and then clicking on “Allow a program through Windows Firewall”, which is located under the “Security” section.

After clicking on the link, you should be able to view the Windows Firewall’s general settings, exceptions list, as well as advanced settings.

Another thing that you may want to check if your having problems with your network or Internet connection would be your router or modem’s settings. If you would like to check your router or modem’s settings, you may be able to do so by going to 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1 in a browser and then entering your username and password.

If you aren’t sure what your username and password are, perhaps you should try using a username and password combination, such as “admin” and “password” or “admin” and “admin”, which may be the default passwords for some modems and routers.

Once you’ve logged into your modem or router, you should be able to both view and manage it’s settings. However, I would suggest that you be careful not to change any settings that you’re unsure of, as they may end up doing more harm than good.

Network Security

If you have chosen to have a wireless network, other people may be able to access your Internet connection, as well as view your data and files without you even knowing that they were there. However, there are a few ways that you can secure your network.

One way that you can ensure that nobody has access to your Internet connection or data and files it to disable your modem or router’s wireless connection and simply connecting your computers to your modem or router using Ethernet cables. This will ensure that nobody can access your network unless they have physical access to it.

However, if you would prefer to have a wireless network, you may be able to encrypt your wireless connection. In order to do this, you may have to log into your modem or router and then entering your username and password.

From there, you should find the “Security” section or another similar section, where you should be able to view and mange your router’s security settings, including encryption. There are a few different types of encryption that you may be able to use, such as WEP or WPA, which you can learn more about by doing a search on the Internet. Also, there is a post on TechnicalCafe called “Securing Your Wireless Connection” that may be able to help you.

Hopefully after reading this post, you will be able to set up and configure a home network, whether it be wireless or not.

If you have any questions, comments, suggestions, or corrections, please feel free to leave a comment below or use the Contact page to send me an e-mail!