Microsoft KB Archive/813936

= How to set up a small network with Windows XP Home Edition (PART 1) =

Article ID: 813936

Article Last Modified on 5/7/2007

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition

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SUMMARY
This article includes Part 1 of the &quot;Set Up a Small Network with Windows XP Home Edition&quot; guide. Part 1 introduces this topic.

Note To view the other topics of the &quot;Set Up a Small Network with Windows XP Home Edition&quot; guide, see the Microsoft Knowledge Base articles that are listed in the &quot;References&quot; section of this article.

The &quot;Set Up a Small Network with Windows XP Home Edition&quot; guide includes the following topics:

Part 1. Introduction: Set Up a Small Network with Windows XP Home Edition

Part 2. Buying the Network Hardware

Part 3. Connecting the Computers

Part 4. Installing the Network Card

Part 5. Configuring TCP/IP Protocol

Part 6. Setting the Computer Names and the Workgroups

Part 7. Sharing Folders

Part 8. Sharing a Printer



Part 1. Introduction: Set Up a Small Network with Windows XP Home Edition
The &quot;Set Up a Small Network with Windows XP Home Edition&quot; guide describes how to quickly set up a small network that is practical for home users. It only takes one day to set up shared access to hard disks, folders, CD-ROM drives, printers, and the Internet.

Your new network can connect up to six workstations in a workgroup. A workgroup divides the corresponding tasks among the workstations. As a result, newer computers can provide disk space on their larger hard disks, and older computers can handle print jobs, set up Internet connections, or back up data. Larger networks distinguish between servers that provide services and client computers that use these services. As a result, the computers are specialized for their specific tasks. Your small network does not require this division of tasks. Every computer can take over server functions and use the workgroup's resources at the same time. Because all the computers have the same rights, this configuration is known as a peer-to-peer network.



In a peer-to-peer network, all the computers share their resources.

