Home networking.

[Toryn]

Ok, I'm pretty much useless with networks these days and my friends asking questions .

He's on a wired LAN network at home, through a linksys router. He wants to know can it be setup that so that he can access files on the computer downstairs?

This is because all the music/films and whatnot are stored on the downstairs computer, so he wants to know, can he access those files and watch/listen to them on his computer upstairs?

And if so, how?

Cheers

 

[Lorithad]

Yeah, it can be done pretty easily if all computers involved are on the same router.

The main thing is to have all of them set to the same workgroup, then share the folder that you want over the network.

If nessesary, you may need to grant "everyone" permission to that folder, otherwise they'll just get an access denied error when they try to access it over the network.

 

[Toryn]

Any particular way of setting the work group or is it just in the control panel -> network connections?

 

[CalcProgrammer1]

Windows 95: Under the Control Panel -> Network, there's an Identification tab, set computer name and workgroup.

Windows 98, 2k, XP: Under the System dialog, there should be a tab to set computer name and join a workgroup. In XP you can also use the Network Setup Wizard thing to configure, you can also copy the Wizard to a floppy disk and run it on non-XP computers.

Windows Vista: No clue...they messed it up big time. There is a way but I forget.

Ubuntu/Ubuntu-ish Linux distros: Install samba packages (Ubuntu will do this for you, go to System -> Admin. -> Shared Folders). Then edit /etc/samba/smb.conf for your workgroup and computer name, then you can add shares to that file.

This will work as long as all the comps are on the same local network. They don't have to be directly connected to the router, as long as the router provides them with an IP address (you can use switches, wireless AP's, hubs, etc as long as there is a router at the top of the network).

 

[Toryn]

Thank you two, I think thats sorted it.