Windows XP Home Edition: The Missing Manual

The Network Setup Wizard

Once you’ve set up the networking equipment, you have to inform Windows XP about what you’ve been up to. You also have to configure your computers to share their files, folders, printers, modems, Internet connections, and so on. Fortunately, the Network Setup Wizard handles this duty for you. (You must have an Administrator account to run this wizard.)

To launch the wizard, choose Start→Control Panel, and then open Network Connections. In the task pane at the left side of the window (Figure 17-2), click the link that says, “Set up a home or small office network.”

Figure 17-2. Left: Start the Network Setup Wizard by clicking this link. Right: Select the option that best describes this computer’s relationship to the Internet. If the PC will be the gateway to the Internet for other PCs on the network, choose the first option. Otherwise, just choose Other to tell the wizard as much.

Tip

If you’ve chosen to hide your task pane, you can choose Start→All Programs→Accessories→)Communications→Network Setup Wizard instead.

A welcome message appears; click Next. The remaining screens of the wizard are as follows:

“Before you continue”

The screen contains a link called “Checklist for creating a network.” If you click it, you see a help page that guides you through the steps of setting up a network. It incorporates much of the information you’ve read so far in this chapter. ...