Steps for creating a home or small office network

The checklist below lists the steps, in the order they should be completed, for setting up a home or small office network using the Network Setup Wizard. If a step does not apply to you, go on to the next step.

Before you start to set up your network, print this checklist so that you can refer to it. Also, read the Home and small office networking overview.

Step Reference
Sketch out your network: draw a diagram of your home or office, showing the location of each computer and printer. Or, you can create a table that lists the hardware on each computer. Sample table for determining hardware needs
Next to each computer, note the hardware, such as modems and network adapters, installed on each computer. Modems overview;
Network adapters overview
Choose the computer on which you will set up the residential gateway (or the computer that will be your Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) host computer). We recommend that this computer be running Windows XP Home Edition, Windows XP Professional or Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2). Choosing your Internet Connection Sharing host computer;
Network configurations overview
Determine the type of network adapters you need for your network: Ethernet, home phoneline network adapter (HPNA), wireless, or IEEE 1394. Network adapters overview;
Choosing an internal or external network adapter
Make a list of hardware that you need to buy. This includes modems, network adapters, hubs, and cables. Buying the right hardware
Buy the hardware. To find hardware that is supported by Windows operating systems, visit the Windows Catalog on the Microsoft Web site.
Install the correct network adapters and modems on each computer. See the manufacturers’ documentation.
If you are setting up a wireless network, run the Wireless Network Setup Wizard. Setting up a wireless network
Physically connect the computers together. Plug the cables into hubs, phone jacks, and the computer. Connect your computers together
Turn on all computers and printers.
Make sure the computer attached to the residential gateway (or the ICS host computer) has an active Internet connection. To establish your Internet connection, run the New Connection Wizard. Internet Connection Sharing;
To make an Internet connection
Run the Windows XP Professional Network Setup Wizard on the computer attached to the residential gateway (or the ICS host computer). Network Setup Wizard overview
Run the Network Setup Wizard on the other computers on your network. Configure other computers on your network using a floppy disk

Notes

To start the Network Setup Wizard, click Start, click Control Panel, click Network and Internet Connections, and then click Network Setup Wizard.
If you plan to use Internet Connection Sharing (ICS), and another computer using an earlier version of Windows has ICS enabled, disable ICS on this computer before enabling ICS on Windows XP Home Edition or Windows XP Professional. For more information, see Change the Internet Connection Sharing host computer.
The Network Setup Wizard is only supported on computers using Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition, Windows Millennium Edition, Windows XP Home Edition, Windows XP Professional, or Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2).
Windows Millennium Edition has a Home Networking Wizard. When joining this computer to the Windows network, make sure you run the Network Setup Wizard on the computer running Windows Millennium Edition