How to Set up a Computer Network

This wikiHow teaches you how to set up a computer network for a group of Windows or Mac computers. You can set up a wireless network for a few computers, or you can use a wired connection if you're adding a large number of computers to a...

Method 1 of 4:

Using a Wireless Network on Windows

  1. Picture 1 of How to Set up a Computer Network
    Click the Wi-Fi symbol
    Picture 2 of How to Set up a Computer Network
    . It's in the lower-right corner of the screen. A pop-up window will appear.
    1. If Wi-Fi is currently disabled, click the Wi-Fi button in the lower-left side of the pop-up window before proceeding.
    2. In some cases, you'll need to click the ^ icon in the lower-right side of the screen to see the Wi-Fi icon.
  2. Picture 3 of How to Set up a Computer Network
    Select a network. Click the network to which you want to connect each of your network computers.
  3. Picture 4 of How to Set up a Computer Network
    Click Connect. It's in the lower-right side of the network's name box.
  4. Picture 5 of How to Set up a Computer Network
    Enter the network's password. Type in the network's password when prompted.
  5. Picture 6 of How to Set up a Computer Network
    Click Next. It's below the network. As long as the password is correct, doing so will connect you to the network.
  6. Picture 7 of How to Set up a Computer Network
    Connect other computers in the network to the Internet. For each computer that you want to use in your network, repeat the Wi-Fi connection process. Once each computer is connected to the Wi-Fi network, you can proceed with setting up file sharing.
  7. Picture 8 of How to Set up a Computer Network
    Open Start
    Picture 9 of How to Set up a Computer Network
    . Click the Windows logo in the bottom-left corner of the screen.
  8. Picture 10 of How to Set up a Computer Network
    Type in control panel. Doing so will search your computer for the Control Panel app.
  9. Picture 11 of How to Set up a Computer Network
    Click Control Panel. It's a blue rectangle icon at the top of the Start menu.
  10. Picture 12 of How to Set up a Computer Network
    Click Network and Sharing Center. This option resembles a set of blue monitors.
    1. If you see "Category" in the upper-right side of the page, first click the Network and Internet heading on the main Control Panel page.
  11. Picture 13 of How to Set up a Computer Network
    Click Change advanced sharing settings. It's a link in the upper-left side of the page.
  12. Picture 14 of How to Set up a Computer Network
    Check the "Turn on network discovery" box. This will ensure that your computer can interact with other computers that are plugged into the Internet source.
    1. You can also enable the "Turn on file and printer sharing" option and the "Allow Windows to manage homegroup connections" option if they aren't automatically selected.
  13. Picture 15 of How to Set up a Computer Network
    Click Save changes. It's at the bottom of the page.
  14. Picture 16 of How to Set up a Computer Network
    Enable network discovery on the other network computers. Once each computer in the networked group has network discovery enabled in Control Panel, your wired network will be ready to use.
Method 2 of 4:

Using a Wireless Network on Mac

  1. Picture 17 of How to Set up a Computer Network
    Click the Wi-Fi symbol
    Picture 18 of How to Set up a Computer Network
    . It's in the top-right side of the screen. A drop-down menu will appear.
    1. If your Wi-Fi isn't enabled, click
      Picture 19 of How to Set up a Computer Network
      and then click Turn Wi-Fi On near the top of the menu instead.
  2. Picture 20 of How to Set up a Computer Network
    Select a network. Click the Wi-Fi network to which you want to connect each computer in your network.
  3. Picture 21 of How to Set up a Computer Network
    Enter the network's password. Type the password for the network into the "Password" field.
  4. Picture 22 of How to Set up a Computer Network
    Click Join. It's at the bottom of the window. Doing so will connect your computer to the Internet.
  5. Picture 23 of How to Set up a Computer Network
    Connect other network computers to the Internet. For each computer that you want to use in your network, repeat the Wi-Fi connection process. Once each computer is connected to the Wi-Fi network, you can proceed with setting up file sharing.
  6. Picture 24 of How to Set up a Computer Network
    Open the Apple menu
    Picture 25 of How to Set up a Computer Network
    . Click the Apple logo in the top-left corner of the screen. A drop-down menu will appear.
  7. Picture 26 of How to Set up a Computer Network
    Click System Preferences…. It's near the top of the drop-down menu.
  8. Picture 27 of How to Set up a Computer Network
    Click Sharing. You'll find this blue folder-shaped icon in the middle of the System Preferences window.
  9. Picture 28 of How to Set up a Computer Network
    Check the "File Sharing" box. It's on the left side of the page. This will ensure that you can share files from your computer to other computers on the network.
    1. You can check any other file sharing options that you want to use for your network here as well.
  10. Picture 29 of How to Set up a Computer Network
    Close the System Preferences window. Your changes will be saved; the current computer is now set up for network sharing.
  11. Picture 30 of How to Set up a Computer Network
    Enable file sharing on the other network computers. Each computer that's connected to your Internet source will need file sharing to be enabled. Once you've completed this process, your wireless network will be ready to use.
Method 3 of 4:

Using a Wired Network on Windows

  1. Picture 31 of How to Set up a Computer Network
    Make sure that you have the necessary hardware. You'll need an Internet source (e.g., a router) into which you can plug each individual computer, as well as Ethernet cables to connect the computers to the Internet source.
    1. Most standard routers only come with a few Ethernet ports, but you can buy network hubs that support upward of 10 connections.
    2. Make sure that you know the approximate distance from each computer to the Internet source. You'll need Ethernet cables that can span this distance.
  2. Picture 32 of How to Set up a Computer Network
    Set up the Internet source. Plug one end of an Ethernet cable into the "Internet" port on the back of the modem, then connect the other end of the cable to the "Internet" or "Ethernet" port on your Internet source.
    1. You'll also need to plug in the Internet source's power cable before proceeding.
  3. Picture 33 of How to Set up a Computer Network
    Plug each computer into the Internet source. Attach one end of an Ethernet cable to the square Ethernet port on your computer, then attach the other end of the cable to the Internet source.
    1. Typically speaking, you'll use desktop computers for a network, which means the Ethernet ports will be on the back of each CPU box.
  4. Picture 34 of How to Set up a Computer Network
    Open Start
    Picture 35 of How to Set up a Computer Network
    . Click the Windows logo in the bottom-left corner of the screen.
  5. Picture 36 of How to Set up a Computer Network
    Type in control panel. Doing so will search your computer for the Control Panel app.
  6. Picture 37 of How to Set up a Computer Network
    Click Control Panel. It's a blue rectangle icon at the top of the Start menu.
  7. Picture 38 of How to Set up a Computer Network
    Click Network and Sharing Center. This option resembles a set of blue monitors.
    1. If you see "Category" in the upper-right side of the page, first click the Network and Internet heading on the main Control Panel page.
  8. Picture 39 of How to Set up a Computer Network
    Click Change advanced sharing settings. It's a link in the upper-left side of the page.
  9. Picture 40 of How to Set up a Computer Network
    Check the "Turn on network discovery" box. This will ensure that your computer can interact with other computers that are plugged into the Internet source.
    1. You can also enable the "Turn on file and printer sharing" option and the "Allow Windows to manage homegroup connections" option if they aren't automatically selected.
  10. Picture 41 of How to Set up a Computer Network
    Click Save changes. It's at the bottom of the page.
  11. Picture 42 of How to Set up a Computer Network
    Enable network discovery on the other network computers. Once each computer in the networked group has network discovery enabled in Control Panel, your wired network will be ready to use.
Method 4 of 4:

Using a Wired Network on Mac

  1. Picture 43 of How to Set up a Computer Network
    Make sure that you have the necessary hardware. You'll need an Internet source (e.g., a router) into which you can plug each individual computer, as well as Ethernet cables to connect the computers to the Internet source.
    1. Most standard routers only come with a few Ethernet ports, but you can buy network hubs that support upward of 10 connections.
    2. Make sure that you know the approximate distance from each computer to the Internet source. You'll need Ethernet cables that can span this distance.
  2. Picture 44 of How to Set up a Computer Network
    Set up the Internet source. Plug one end of an Ethernet cable into the "Internet" port on the back of the modem, then connect the other end of the cable to the "Internet" or "Ethernet" port on your Internet source.
    1. You'll also need to plug in the Internet source's power cable before proceeding.
  3. Picture 45 of How to Set up a Computer Network
    Plug each computer into the Internet source. Attach one end of an Ethernet cable to the square Ethernet port on your computer, then attach the other end of the cable to the Internet source.
    1. Typically speaking, you'll use iMac computers for a network. This means that you'll find the Ethernet port on the back of the iMac's monitor.
    2. If you're using Mac laptops for your network, you'll need to buy a USB-C network adapter for your computer and then plug it into one of the USB-C slots on the side of your Mac, since Mac laptops no longer include Ethernet ports.
  4. Picture 46 of How to Set up a Computer Network
    Open the Apple menu
    Picture 47 of How to Set up a Computer Network
    . Click the Apple logo in the top-left corner of the screen. A drop-down menu will appear.
  5. Picture 48 of How to Set up a Computer Network
    Click System Preferences…. It's near the top of the drop-down menu.
  6. Picture 49 of How to Set up a Computer Network
    Click Sharing. You'll find this blue folder-shaped icon in the middle of the System Preferences window.
  7. Picture 50 of How to Set up a Computer Network
    Check the "File Sharing" box. It's on the left side of the page. This will ensure that you can share files from your computer to other computers on the network.
    1. You can check any other file sharing options that you want to use for your network here as well.
  8. Picture 51 of How to Set up a Computer Network
    Close the System Preferences window. Your changes will be saved; the current computer is now set up for network sharing.
  9. Picture 52 of How to Set up a Computer Network
    Enable file sharing on the other network computers. Each computer that's connected to your Internet source will need file sharing to be enabled. Once you've completed this process, your wired network will be ready to use.
Update 24 March 2020
networkclickinternetcomputer

You should read it

Maybe you are interested

Category

System

Mac OS X

Hardware

Game

Tech info

Technology

Science

Life

Application

Electric

Program

Mobile