Interesting

How to create and configure a local area network between two computers

Good day!

Eh, if in the 90s of the last century a computer was a luxury, now many people have not one, but several computers / laptops at home ...

If you connect computers to a local network (in which there will even be only 2 devices), you can get undeniable advantages:

  • the ability to open files located on another PC, work with them, etc. Now you do not need to run back and forth with a flash drive or disk;
  • the ability to make a network printer (scanner, CD / DVD drive, etc.), and use it from all PCs in the local network;
  • the ability to play network games (this is a separate and most interesting opportunity that can be talked about for a long time).

In this article, I wanted to consider the issue of building a home local network (and setting it up), which will be useful to all novice users.

I will follow the path of step-by-step analysis, start with the question of connecting one PC to another, then I will consider setting up Windows, and how, in fact, to share (make available to the local network) folders, printers, etc.

So...

*

Options for building a home local network

When creating a home local network, two options are most often used:

  1. connect two computers (PC with laptop, PC with PC, etc.) using a cable (often called twisted pair);
  2. acquire specials. a "box" called a Wi-Fi router (😎). A PC is connected to the router using a network cable, and laptops, phones, tablets and other devices get access to the Internet via Wi-Fi (the most popular option today).

*

Option number 1: connection of 2 PCs using a twisted pair

pros : simplicity and cheapness (you need 2 things: a network card, and a network cable); ensuring a sufficiently high speed that not every router is capable of delivering less radio waves in the room.

Minuses : extra wires create confusion, get in the way; after reinstalling Windows OS - network configuration is required again; for Internet access to be on the second PC (2), the first PC (1) must be turned on.

What is necessary : so that each PC has a network card, network cable. If you plan to connect more than 2 PCs to a local network (or for one PC to be connected to the Internet, and at the same time to be in a local network), one of the PCs must have 2-3 or more network cards.

In general, if both PCs have network cards, and you have a network cable (also called an Ethernet cable), then connecting them using it is not difficult. I don't think there is much to consider here.

Note: Please note that usually the green (yellow) LED on the network cards starts to light up when you connect the cable to it.

Two laptops connected by cable

Another important point!

Network cables on sale are different: and not only in color and length 👌. The fact is that there are cables for connecting a computer to a computer, and there are those that are used to connect a PC to a router.

For our task you need a cross-linked network cable (or a cross-cut cable - here who calls what).

In a crossover cable, the yellow and green pairs are swapped at the end connectors; in standard (for connecting a PC to a router) - the colors of the contacts are the same.

Twisted pair / network cable

In general, if two PCs are turned on, they are working, you connected them with a cable (the LEDs on the network cards blinked), the network icon next to the clock stopped displaying a red cross - it means the PC found the network and is waiting for its configuration. This is what we will do in the second section of this article.

*

Option number 2: connecting 2-3 or more PCs using a router

pros : most devices: phones, tablets, laptops, etc. will get access to the Wi-Fi network; fewer wires "underfoot", after reinstalling Windows - the Internet will work.

Minuses : purchase of a router (after all, some models are far from cheap); "complex" device configuration; the radio waves of the router can affect health, higher pings and freezes (if the router cannot cope with the load).

What is necessary : router (usually comes with a network cable to connect one PC to it).

With connection router, as a rule, there are no big problems either: the cable coming from the Internet provider is connected to the special. router connector (it is often called "Internet"), and local PCs are connected to other connectors ("LAN ports").

👉 To help!

How to connect and configure a new Wi-Fi router yourself - instructions with pictures

Those. the router becomes an intermediary (an approximate diagram is shown in the screenshot below. By the way, in this diagram, there may not be a modem on the right, it all depends on your Internet connection).

Scheme of connecting to the Internet through a router

By the way, pay attention to the LEDs on the case of the router: when you connect the Internet cable from the provider, from the local PC, they should light up and blink.

In general, setting up a Wi-Fi router is a separate big topic, besides, for each router, the instructions will be slightly different. Therefore, it is hardly possible to give universal recommendations in one single article ...

☝ By the way, when connecting via a router, the local network is usually configured automatically (i.e. all computers connected via a network cable should already be in the local network, a couple of small touches will remain (about them below)).

The main task after that is to set up a Wi-Fi connection and Internet access. But since this article is about a local area network, I'm not focusing on this ...

*

Setting up a local network (Windows 7, 8, 10)

In this subsection of the article, I will give universal instructions, regardless of how your local network is organized: connected via a network cable, or using a router. Where the settings will relate to a specific option, there will be notes.

Note: all settings are relevant for Windows 7, 8, 8.1, 10.

*

Computer and workgroup name

Relevant for connecting via a router, and directly ...

Allegory: each person has his own name, surname, patronymic, date of birth, city, etc. - no two people are exactly alike. The same is in the network - there should not be computers with the same name ...

The first thing to do when setting up a local network is to check and configure working group name and computer name... Moreover, you need to do this on every computer on the local network!

To find the name of your computer, open 👉 the Windows Control Panel at:

Control Panel \ System and Security \ System

Next, make sure the following:

  1. PC name and slave. the group must be in Latin;
  2. each PC / laptop in the local network must have its own unique name (for example: PC1, PC2, PC3);
  3. every PC / laptop must have the same working group (for example: WORKGROUP).

To change the name and workgroup - press the button "Change parameters" .

Computer name, workgroup

Then press the button "Change" , enter the new computer name and workgroup. Save the settings and restart your computer (see the screen below with tips).

Change workgroup and PC name

In general, when you bring all the names in accordance with the requirements above, you can proceed to the next stage of configuration.

*

Enabling Sharing of Printers and Folders

Relevant for connecting through a router, and directly ...

This innovation appeared in Windows 7, supposedly provides more security for the OS (purely in my opinion, it only creates the need for additional configuration of the local network).

The bottom line is that by default Windows blocks and does not give access to open and share folders, a printer, etc., until the security policy is "relaxed".

To remove this block and enable sharing, you need to:

  1. First open the Windows Control Panel: Control Panel \ Network and Internet \ Network and Sharing Center ... Next, in the menu on the left, open the link "Change advanced sharing settings."

    Change add. sharing options

  2. Then, one by one, go to three tabs: private, guest and all networks. In each of them, you need to set certain parameters. Let's go through each ...
  3. In the tab private , you need to put the sliders in front of the items: enable network discovery, enable file and printer sharing, allow Windows to manage homegroup connections (as in the screenshot below).

    Private network

  4. Next open the tab guest , in it you need: enable network discovery, enable file and printer sharing (example in the screenshot below 👇).

    Guest network

  5. Next open the tab all networks , there you need to: disable sharing, use 128-bit encryption, disable password-protected sharing. Next, save your settings and restart your PC.

    All networks

*

Setting up IP addresses, DNS, masks, gateways

1) For a network organized using a router

In general, for PCs connected to a local network using a router, usually nothing needs to be configured (everything works by default). If something is wrong, just in case, I recommend that you go and check the connection properties.

To do this, you first need to open "network connections" ... This is done simply:

  1. first open the window "Run" - combination of buttons Win + R ;
  2. then enter the command ncpa.cpl and press Enter (works in all versions of Windows 7, 8, 10).

ncpa.cpl - View all network connections

Next open local area connection properties ... (to do this, just click on the connection with the right mouse button - select the required one in the pop-up menu, see the screen below).

Local Area Connection Properties

Next open IP version 4 properties (TCP / IPv4) and check if it is worth getting the IP and DNS address automatically. If this is not the case, set it to automatic, save the settings.

Setting up IP, DNS, gateway

*

2) To connect PC to PC via network cable

PC 1

By PC 1, I mean a computer that has two network cards: one of them is connected to the ISP's Internet cable, and the other has a local network cable going to PC 2.

Note: although, the Internet cable from the provider does not have to be. If it is not there, select PC 1 and PC 2 - arbitrarily ...

And so, open the properties of the network connection over the local network (how to do this - see a little higher in the article).

Next, open IP version 4 properties (TCP / IPv4) and enter:

  1. IP address: 192.168.0.1;
  2. subnet mask: 255.255.255.0 (see screen below);
  3. save the settings.

PC 1

PC 2

IN IP version 4 properties (TCP / IPv4) second PC, the following parameters must be set:

  1. IP address: 192.168.0.2,
  2. subnet mask: 255.255.255.0;
  3. main gateway: 192.168.0.1;
  4. preferred DNS server: 192.168.0.1 (see screenshot below);
  5. save the settings.

PC 2

👉 Actually, directly configuring the local network is completed. Now you can start the fun part - sharing and using the shared resources of the local network. Actually, what we were going to ...

*

Sharing Internet access on a second PC

Relevant for PCs directly connected with a LAN cable ...

It is necessary to configure PC 1 (i.e. the one to which we have the ISP's Internet cable connected).

First we open network connections : press the combination Win + R , we introduce ncpa.cpl , Further Enter .

ncpa.cpl - View all network connections

Next, go to internet connection properties (to do this, right-click on it).

Properties of the connection through which the Internet goes

Next open the tab "Access" , and put a tick in front of the item "Allow other network users to use this computer's internet connection" ... Save your settings.

Allow other users to access the internet

If everything is done correctly, the Internet will be on both computers.

Note: of course, for the Internet to be on PC 2 - PC 1 must be turned on! This, by the way, is one of the inconveniences of such a local network, when connected via a router - the Internet will be available regardless of which PC is turned on / off.

*

Sharing folders / files for sharing

1) I'll get down to business right away: open the explorer, and right-click on the folder that you want to share (i.e. give access to it to all users of the local network). Next, select from the menu: share / individual people .

Share folder

2) Next, choose "Everything" users, and click the add button.

Add Users

3) Set the resolution: read or read and write.

☝ Note:

  • read is allowed: users will only be able to copy your files to themselves (they will not be able to delete or change them!);
  • read and write allowed: local network users will have full control over files in folders: they can delete all files, change any of them, etc. 👉 In general, I would not recommend providing such access to important and large folders (for transferring files, it is better to have a separate folder to which you give full access).

Read or write

4) Next, check the user rights again and press the button "Share" (requires administrator rights).

Share this

5) After a few seconds, Windows will inform you that the folder has been shared. So everything went well.

Done

6) To access the folder:

  1. open the explorer;
  2. then open the "Network" tab (on the left, at the bottom of the window);
  3. we open computer name where the folder was shared. As you can see, in the screenshot below - it is shared, you can go into it and start copying (reading) any files.

Check / folder is shared / now everyone can copy files from it

*

Sharing a printer (shared network printer)

1) The first thing to do is open the control panel:

control panel / hardware and sound / devices and printers.

2) Next, right-click on the printer you want to give access to and make it networked. In the pop-up context menu - open properties .

3) Then open the tab "Access" and check the box "Sharing this Printer" ... Save the settings (see screen below).

Actually, now the printer is shared and it can be used by other PCs / laptops / tablets and other devices in the local network.

How to share a printer

4) To connect a network printer, open conductor , select computer name on which the printer is shared. Next, you should see it: click on it right mouse button and select the option in the menu connectivity .

How to connect a network printer

5) Then you can open any document, press Ctrl + P (File / Print), and try to print a friend page.

Note: By default, Windows usually specifies a different printer (not the one you connected over the network). Do not forget to change it when printing.

*

👉 To help!

Regarding setting up a local network printer - I recommend that you read one of my past articles

*

On this I am finishing the article.

Happy and quick setup to everyone.

All the best!

👋

First publication: 12.02.2017

Correction: 01/05/2020

$config[zx-auto] not found$config[zx-overlay] not found