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After achieving geeky things today, I thought this would be very appropriate to talk about.

Home networks can be very useful things if you have more than one computer in the house.  You can conveniently share printers and transfer files without having to run between rooms all the time.  Windows provides a Network Setup Wizard, which is what I recommend for the layman.  But sometimes Windows can be tempermental and not do the job properly, so if you are confident in administrating Windows, you should find it pretty straight forward to set up manually. 

For this, I am assuming that you have the hardware set up i.e. modem and router connected and turned on.  Turn on any printers you have in the network as well.  Now, follow the instructions below.

1. Go to Control Panel and Network Connections.
2. Double click Local Area Connection and click on Properties.
3. Check the "File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks" box.
4. Click "Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)", click on Properties and click Advanced.
5. Click on the "WINS" tab and check the "Enable NetBIOS over TCP/IP" box.
6. Click Ok and Ok all the other open boxes.

You will have to disable the built in Windows firewall if it's not disabled already.  It says it's not recommended to turn it of, but just ignore this.  You will also have to alter some settings in your Antivirus / Firewall software.  We use McAfee, so that will be the basis for this example. 

1. Go to the Advanced menu and Configure and select Internet and Network.
2. Where it says "Firewall protection is enabled", click Advanced.
3. Select Windows Services and check "Windows File Sharing (NETBIOS) Ports 137 – 139".
4. Click Ok and cross off McAfee.

This should now set it up so it can see the computers and printers on the network.  The real test is adding a printer to your computer.  If it works, then you're all set to go and use the network.  If not, you'll have to spend a bit of time troubleshooting.  To add a printer, do the following.

1. Go to Control Panel and Printers and Faxes.
2. Click Add Printer.  Follow the wizard, and select "A network printer, or a printer attached to another computer". 
3. Select "Browse for printer" and select the name of the computer you wish to connect to (for example, mine is "\\FAMILY\Espon Stylus Photo 520"). 
4. Click Ok.

You need to make sure that the firewall for the Local Area Connection on the computer that the printer is connected to is disabled as well.  Make sure McAfee has Firewall permissions on that computer by following the steps above.  This was the trap I fell into when I first did it.  Try printing something – if it works, it will be magic! 

My printer has reached the end of its life, so it's good that we've got two printers in the house, so I can now print directly to the printer downstairs from up here. 

Happy networking!