Help me set-up a home network between my devices

[astorboy-anmol]

Hi! I have a few devices in my home like a desktop, a laptop, a printer, a tablet(Nexus 7) and a smartphone. I usually need transfer files between the device so i use data cables, usb drives or memory cards. But I have a broadband router in my home which I think can be used to set up a wireless network between the devices. Can anyone suggest a way I can set up a network between the devices, each device acting as clients ( I don't want any servers in my network)? Please explain each and every step I need to perform including the softwares I need to have. I am just a novice at this but based on what i learned in class 9( I passed class 12 recently) the network I'm trying to set up is in star topology where the router will act as a central hub.
Thanks in advance!

 

[astorboy-anmol]

PS. I don't want any of my devices connected to the internet. I think it is possible to connect all my devices using the WiFi signals from the router. Please correct me if I am incorrect.

 

[Borek]

Locating router manual would be my first step, it should describe a procedure of connecting things. I doubt you need any special software, most routers can be accessed just using browser.

 

[inotyce]

For wired network, a cable is enough to get 2 firewall_less computers to exchange files via P2P file sharing mechanism, no IP configuration is required. For wireless network, there is no way you can get your wireless device to communicate with others. Thanks to your question, I realize this too is a gap in my knowledge about wireless technology, I guess they have yet to reach WAP to get to know each other first.

 

[Borek]

For wireless network, there is no way you can get your wireless device to communicate with others.

Strange, they do communicate here. Some directly, some through router.

 

[inotyce]

Strange, they do communicate here. Some directly, some through router.

That is because I have had no experience in accessing a shared folder in my LAN computer from a wireless device without internet connection.

 

[Borek]

That is because I have had no experience in accessing a shared folder in my LAN computer from a wireless device without internet connection.

What internet connection? We are talking about LAN here.

But this is completely off topic, you have hijacked the thread.

 

[harborsparrow]

I do not think you will be able to use your wireless intranet (local LAN without internet) to connect devices such as Android to computers running Windows. Mac OS X and Windows will talk to each other though. For the Android devices, I suspect you'll need a cable or maybe Bluetooth wireless.

 

[astorboy-anmol]

Oh... And with widows how do I set up the network?

 

[inotyce]

Oh... And with widows how do I set up the network?

Internet + ISP(UserId & Password)+Your computers

Your computers need a router to connect to the internet (Lease-Line/broadband/fiber, ADSL etc)
One I use at home is a cheap ADSL/phone-line internet I registered with a local service provider, they offered me free a router, password and user-id; they also helped me set up the router (appropriate channel, plus other necessary statistical data etc)

To share files among windows computers, you need a host which is like a home for all of others to access and use the resources you would want to share

Computer A --> Host(Computer B) <-- Computer C

Supposing that these 3 computers are seen each other via a working router (with or without internet)

1. Create a folder in some special location (e.g D:\\share) of computer B
2. Go to its Properties' Sharing tab and Click Share button
3. A file sharing dialog should appear
4. In the drop down box, choose Everyone
5. Click Ok

 

[harborsparrow]

It's easy to get every Windows computer on the network--just connect an ethernet cable from the computer to the router (or to a hub or switch connected to the router). The router connects all the computers to the internet.

Give each computer a unique name (and keep a record of it). I'm talking about the Netbios name of the computer. You can see the computer's name by right-clicking over Computer and selecting Properties in the desktop, or by opening the System applet of the Control Panel.

If you want to share files and printers among the computers, you'll have to turn on File and Printer Sharing and then deliberately cause each computer to share files (if desired).

 

[astorboy-anmol]

Oh... Thank you

 

[rcgldr]

It's easy to get every Windows computer on the network--just connect an ethernet cable from the computer to the router (or to a hub or switch connected to the router). The router connects all the computers to the internet.

The internet connection isn't required. The router will assign local ip's to each computer or network device connected to the router, and once the local ip's are set, the computers can communicate with each other. Assuming this is windows, you also need to set all the computers to use the same "workgroup" name.

One exception is if you have a multiple ip setup. In this case the router may assign each computer it's own "external" internet ip. To avoid this, disconnect the router from the internet before powering everything up, it should revert to assigning local ip's to each computer.