Networking Questions and Answers - How to Network PCs

Question: How do you network PCs using a hub or router?

Answer: If you want to network computers using a hub or switch its fairly simple. You would not use a router unless you want to have your computers on 2 or more different networks. DSL/Cable routers have switches built in and that's how you network your computers and share the internet connection at the same time.

Just make sure you have configured network cards in all the computers and connect them to the hub or switch. Then make sure they are all in the same workgroup so they can communicate. They also have to get an IP address from some DHCP device such as a DSL/Cable router. If you don't have a DHCP device then you can give them static IP addresses. Just make sure they are all on the same subnet. For example, you can use 192.168.1.5 for one and 192.168.1.6 for the next and so on.

To be able to share files, folders and printers you need to make sure that sharing is enabled and that you have setup file shares etc. You can set permissions on the shares so only certain users can access them.

Here are some helpful links that will make it easier to setup.

http://www.onlinecomputertips.com/networking/dhcp.html
http://www.onlinecomputertips.com/networking/find_ip.html
http://www.onlinecomputertips.com/networking/hub.html
http://www.onlinecomputertips.com/networking/sharing.html
http://www.onlinecomputertips.com/networking/shared_resources.html
http://www.onlinecomputertips.com/windows/file_print_sharing.html

Back to the Networking Questions Index

Back to the Main Answers Page

Back to the Computer Help Home Page