How do I setup Sharing on my computers that are connected to a Router/Switch

[jaytone]

Hi
I just hooked up my three computers to a SMC Cable Router/Switch. I would like two of them to share certain folders. I understand that it is possible to have two of them Share certain folders on each computer. My questions are

1. How do I setup the network to share certain folders

2. How does each computer "see" the shared folders of the other computer, is it done through the Windows Explorer ?

3. What is the easiest way for the two computers to access the shared folders.

thanks.

 

[Ben]

I don't know which OS your using so this is a general description.

1)I'm assuming that you already have TCP/IP installed on each computer and bound to the NIC.

If you use TCP/IP, you need to assign an IP number to each computer. Use something like 192.168.0.1 for computer 1, 192.168.0.2 for computer 2, etc. Use 255.255.255.0 for the subnet mask.

Or if the router will DHCP, turn it on and then you can set the IP addresses of each computer to "Obtain IP address automatically". I don't know what your setup is.

In order for the computers to "see" each other, the first three numbers need to be the same. For example 192.168.0.XXX

2)Your going to need "Microsoft File and Print Sharing" installed on each computer you want to share.

3)You need all the computers that are sharing to be in the same "workgroup".

4)You need to go into the properties for each drive you want to share and "share" it.

You can see the other computers shared drives using Network Neighborhood. You can also "map" a drive that you want to use all the time so that it will reconnect to that drive every time you start your machine.