I would like to offer some support for those of you who are interested in setting up  a peer to peer home network in a Windows 98 environment with a cable Internet service provider. Let's begin with setting up the peer to peer network between your two home computers. This may be  between two desktops or a laptop and a desktop. First, you will need a NIC ( Ethernet card ) for each computer. Desktops will require a PCI or ISA card ($59). I like the Netgear or Lynksys products because I have experience with them, but Intel also makes cards as do many other manufacturers. Your Laptop will require a NIC which most often is in the form of a PC card that goes in your PCMCIA slot.  Lynksys has a card of this type for around $50. Next, you will need patch cables (CAT 5) to connect the computers together. A hub will act as a go between. Netgear sells an inexpensive hub for this purpose($39). Do not buy a hub until you have read my suggestions on installing cable since the router I propose doubles as a hub.

First, open up your desktop and install the Ethernet Adapter Card in a slot. Insert and install the PCMCIA card into your laptop. Plug your patch cables into the numbered female sockets on the hub and the sockets on your desktops and/or laptop. Do not plug any cables into the uplink socket (more on this later). You can then boot up your computers which should recognize the cards and ask for the driver disks that came with the cards. You will then be asked for your Windows 98 setup disk which will install the necessary network files. Your computer will need to restart at this point to complete the network setup and you will be asked to create a login and password in order for your network to work. You may not enter a password and hit OK and from then on your password will be blank.

Next, check to make sure the following settings are installed in your network configuration. Go to the network icon on your desktop and right click. Choose properties. You should have "Client for Microsoft Network" on your network components list as well as your Ethernet adapter card and your TCP/IP for your Ethernet adapter card. Under primary logon, it should say client for Microsoft Networks.   Under file and print sharing you should check these features in order to share files and printers on your network. Next go to the identification tab and choose a name for your computer and your workgroup. You will then have to restart your machine. These are only general directions and card manufacturers do a fair job of directions with your hub and Ethernet cards.  In order to share data between your computers you will have tell them to start sharing. To share files,  go to Mycomputer and select the drive you want to share and then right click and choose properties. Here you can setup sharing by filing in a name for the shared drive and then setting the access type to suit your needs. Then go to your printer, by going to the print folder in Mycomputer and opening it. Choose the printer that you want to share and then right click and go to properties. Open the sharing tab and set the printer to be shared on your network. Any computer using this printer will need to be set up for that printer so you will need to install that printer's drivers on the network computer that you want to use the printer from.

If you do not want to have cable internet access, then this should complete your network installation. Should you decide to add cable to your system, then you should begin by realizing that cable access is very insecure. How insecure? Your little home network is open to hacking from the greater network to which you are about to connect. While there are many solutions to this problem, the solution I am proposing solves two other problems at the same time. First, your home net needs a hub. The go between, I mentioned earlier. Second, most cable providers want you to pay an additional fee for each extra computer you connect to their network. Remember, the old days of cable with the cable police checking to see if you have unathorized TVs with cable? Same thing. Lastly, the security problem. Cable is insecure. The solution is a Lynksys Router $110 to $179, depending on number of ports. It handles all three problems very nicely. You attach your cable modem to the uplink port of your Lynksys router and your patch cables from your networked computers to the numbered female ports and all the computers on your network share internet access without paying the added per computer fee. This is because cable sees only the router and thinks it is the only computer on your net. The Lynksys router makes all the computers invisible to the internet, using NAT which gives you a secure home network. The directions for installing the router come with the router and are very good.  All of the hardware for your network can be purchased from most of your local computer stores such as Bestbuy. Lynksys Cable Router , ISA or PCI Network Cards , Laptop PC Card , Cables.

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