How to Network Two Windows 95/98
Computers
Last updated: 1/17/2000
INTRODUCTION. A local area network
(LAN) consists of one or more computers networked together, with cables and
networking hardware and software components, in a small area such as home
office, building, or even a group of buildings, such as a college campus.  This
article will show you how to setup the simplest of Local Area Networks: two
Windows 95/98 computers, each with a network interface card (NIC) and connected
together with a twisted-pair crossover
cable. Once networked you will be able to share disk drives,
printers, and Internet connections, and play multi-computer games.
This is known as a peer-to-peer network. There
is no dedicated file server controlling the network.
PROTOCOLS. A protocol is a standard
set of rules, embodied in software and hardware, which determine how computers
communicate with each other across networks. The protocols we will
be concerned with are:
TCP/IP or
Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol are the protocols used
on the Internet and may be used on a LAN to share an Internet connection
and for other purposes, such as to communicate with LAN-based web server.
IPX/SPX is the protocol used on Novell networks. You may
need it for some programs, most notably, in the case of a 2-PC network,
to run some multi-PC games.
NetBEUI ("net buoy"), or
NetBIOS Extended User Interface, is a fast, efficient protocol used primarily
in smaller LANs. This is one of the easiest protocols to install
and configure and the one we will use if the other two protocols are not
required for the LAN. In a 2-PC network we would use TCP/IP for the
dial-up adapter and the Internet and NetBEUI for the network adapter and
the LAN. If we were to use TCP/IP for the LAN, it would not work
as well and would require additional and more complex steps to configure.
This article will cover only the use of NetBEUI and configuring
it with TCP/IP and a dial-up connection present. I plan to cover other
configurations and networking with Windows 98 Second Edition in future articles. These
instructions will get you going... I would install the NetBEUI protocol
first, anyway, to do initial configuration, testing, and troubleshooting
of the network. That is, start as simple as possible before implementing
more complex protocols. If you can get NetBEUI working, you will know
that the network adapters and cable are functioning properly.
UPDATE YOUR SOFTWARE
 If
you have a Super7 motherboard with the VIA MVP3 chipset, such as the Epox
MVP3G-M, and Windows 98, download install
Via's IRQ Routing Driver. Without it, you will probably have interrupt
(IRQ) problems with your network adapter.
Make
sure your Windows 98 is up-to-date. There is a known
problem with the original version Windows 98 and Plug 'n Play network adapters which
may cause problems with implementing these instructions. If you have
Windows 98, click Start, Click Windows Update at the top of the menu, connect
to Microsoft and update. You may want to consider upgrading to Windows
98 Second Edition or ordering the Windows
98 Service Pack 1.
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