I’d like all computers to have Internet access.

I’d like to share files on all computers. Presently, I have no problems with Windows 2000 seeing Windows XP, or Windows 98 or ME seeing each other. However, I don’t believe they see all the shares. Sometimes, I’m told I don’t have permissions to a share. I haven’t set passwords and don’t want to since security isn’t an issue.

Finally, I have an Epson printer on the Windows XP machine. I want all the other computers to use this printer. I used the Printer wizard to install a network printer on the remote machines, but the Epson doesn’t show up. I called Epson and they told me the printer is not designed as a network printer.

Help!

Wow! There’s a lot going on in your SMALL office. However, let’s take one step at a time and make this all work.

Internet access: 
Each machine requires an IP address. Use your Linksys router to provide automatic IP addresses to your computers (it does so by default). Simply connect the components as you outlined: modem to router, router to switch, and switch to computers. Turn everything on and it should plug-and-play.

To get on the network, each computer requires three things: a network adapter, client software, and a protocol. Verify these settings in the Network Properties on each machine. By installing a network card with appropriate drivers, you install the adapter. Generally, Client for Microsoft Networks is then installed by default. Finally, configure TCP/IP as the ONLY protocol. Using additional protocols (like NetBEUI or IPX/SPX) will slow performance. TCP/IP is required for the Internet and provides all the other connections needed as well. By default, TCP/IP looks to obtain an IP address automatically (from your router, in this case).

File Shares: 
There are minor differences in how Win98/ME and Win2K/XP provide access to shares. The first time you run Win98/ME, assuming the Windows Family Logon is selected in Network Properties, you are asked for a password. By providing a password, the default user name (entered during installation) is associated with this password. These credentials are used to access network shares after each restart. (To change these credentials, log off as the default user and enter a new name and password.) Win2K/XP requires a user name to logon, though each can be set to use a blank password (or even no password for XP). If security is not an issue, a common user account can be set (like Administrator) with the same password on all machines. Give this account access to all shared resources. As long as the logged on user account matches an account with permissions on the remote machine, access will be granted.

Printer: 
Finally, let’s fix the Epson printer problems. Having followed the steps above, the printer should now appear to be available to you in the Printer installation wizard. However, since the drivers for Windows 98 and ME are different than those for Windows 2000 or XP, you will need to install the drivers for all of these operating systems onto the machine where the printer is physically attached. You accomplish this by installing the printer on the local computer, and then going into the property settings of that printer. Click on sharing, then on additional drivers. Here you can see that you can add drivers for Windows 2000 or XP (when they are the same), Windows 95/98/ME, or Windows NT or 2000 (when they are different then drivers for XP). Provide the appropriate driver disk or set of installation files at the prompt, and the drivers will be installed on the serving computer. When you run the installation wizard from the other machines, the appropriate drivers will be downloaded from the Windows XP computer and installed on the remote machine. You will then be able to print across the network.