We would be using the hardware listed below for our networking project. Of course, yours would most likely vary from this.With this set-up in place, any device can be connected to the network wirelessly to share its resources.
– Samsung N110 netbook (referred to as the Host PC)
– Starcomms USB internet modem
– Samsung SCX-4521F All-In-One Laser Printer
– Belkin N+ Wireless Router
– UPS/Inverter (Optional but recommended)
We have discussed in earlier posts in this series on how to configure your PCs, connect and install peripherals. I would suggest you go through them first. However, i would itemize the steps to take below;
– Install the Starcomms modem to the PC and make sure you can connect to the internet.
– Share the Internet connection. A static IP address would be automatically assigned to the PC, please note this. Mine is 192.168.0.1
– Connect and install the Printer to the PC and make a test print.
– Share the printer, make it available to the network.
– Use a “Straight-Through” network cable to connect the network port of the PC to one of the (usually) four switch ports on the back of the router. Make sure you do not connect the cable to the Internet (WAN) port of the router. These ports are usually differentiated by the colours of the ports.
Ensure your router has been previously setup according to the specification of the manufacturers.The DHCP configuration of the router should remain enabled, makes no difference for this project.
From my setup, the IP address allocated to the Host PC by the Starcomms modem is 192.168.0.1. Any other device that would be connected to this network must have static IP address allocated to it in the form 192.168.0.x where X is from 2 to 254.
For the Host PC, the portion labelled “Default Gateway” and “Preferred DNS Server” in the IP addressing screen must be left blank. However, for other devices that would be connecting to the network, the IP address of the Host PC should be used for the “Default Gateway” and “Preferred DNS Server”, which in my case is 192.168.0.1.
All the peripherals attached to the PC can be shared by ANY device on the network, if it has the capability. For your PCs, ensure that the software for the peripheral (Printer) is installed on each PC and the Printer configured on the PC. For other mobile devices like your phones, tablets, ipads, etc, most have inbuilt functionalities or available 3rd party softwares to send print jobs to the printer.
HTC TyTn II is a Windows Mobiles 6 phone. By default, it does not come with an application to enable it send print jobs wirelessly to a printer but it does it with a 3rd party application called Active Print. The application is also available on the IOS platform for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.
Other devices that may be of interest are network surveillance cameras. Install one in your home and view whatever is going on in your home from your office via the internet. The options are endless.
We have tried to make this series of tutorials very easy to understand but as with everything computers, hiccups can always present itself when you do not expect. The first step you should take whenever you do not have connectivity on your device(s) is to reboot your host PC and the router.
However, if our networking series seems a bit out of your league but you really need to have your home or office networked, wired or wireless, please contact us by clicking here and we will be glad to assist you – for a fee of course!.
