Tech Guide: Small-business networking

By Brian Nadel, Special to ZDNet

28 May 2004 11:41 AM

Tags: network, guide, small, setup, ethernet, powerline, business, wireless

How do you get a Web connection to each PC? It's easy. In fact, a single broadband connection can be shared by dozens of workers so that each computer has access to all that the Internet has to offer.

Internet-connection sharing tips:

1. Consider getting a combo cable or DSL modem with a wireless router. These devices do it all, save space, and integrate the setup.
   
   
2. You'll need to make sure that each connected computer has the same workgroup name, found in the Windows System Properties section. Windows computers use the workgroup name for services such as file and printer sharing.
   
   
3. Set the hard drives of each PC so that they can share data. That way you can forget about running around with floppy disks or CDs. You can share a folder or a drive by right-clicking it in Windows and selecting Sharing and Security. The Sharing and Security panel also lets you establish permissions for specific user groups so that you can give certain users access while denying access to others.
   
   

Right-clicking your My Computer icon and selecting Properties lets you choose the workgroup name for your Windows network.

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