Using Windows 95/98/NT and an Internet connection, you can share network resources over the Internet almost exactly like you can over a LAN.
What
You Need to Get Started:
First, make sure
that your Internet connection to your provider runs well. Troubleshooting
gets messy unless you know what works and what doesn't. To set up your
Windows 95 machine for Peer-to-Peer Internetworking, all you need is a
Windows 95 machine with a functioning connection to your provider. You
also need the Windows 95 Service Pack 1,
(this file is 1.2 megabytes). The Service Pack fixes a potential security
risk while using the default networking drivers.
Step
1: Verify that Client for Microsoft Networks Is Installed
Go into your
Control Panel, then double-click Network. You'll see the Network dialog
box, which looks like this. If Client for Microsoft Networks is installed,
go to the next step. If Client for Microsoft Networks does not appear on
the list, then press Add, then Client, then find the Client for Microsoft
Networks option. Press OK and it will appear in the Networks dialog box.
Step
2: Verify that Sharing is Enabled
Go into your
Control Panel, then double-click Network. You'll see the Network dialog
box, which looks like this. If File and printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks
is installed, go to the next step.
Step
3: Configure File and Printer Sharing
Go into your
Control Panel, then double-click Network. Press the File and Print Sharing
button. You'll get a dialog box like this. Click one or both boxes, depending
on if you'd like to share your files and/or printers.
Step
4: Set your Computer Name and Workgroup
Go into your
Control Panel, then double-click Network. You'll see the Network dialog
box, which looks like this. Click the Identification tab. The tab looks
like this. Fill in a name for your computer (this is the NetBIOS name).
You can call it anything, and it is not case-sensitive. Fill in WORKGROUP
for the Workgroup option.
Step
5: Verify Log On To Network Option
If you're using
Dial-up Networking, go to your Dial-Up Networking Folder and select your
dial-up connection icon. Press the right mouse button and choose Properties....
Now press the Server Type... button. You'll get the Server Types dialog
box, which looks like this. Check the Log On To Network option. Also, make
sure that the computer you wish to connect to has File And Printer Sharing
For Microsoft Networks installed, and is sharing some resources (directories,
drives, printers, etc.).
Step
6: Login and Connect
Dial-up and login
to your regular Internet connection as you normally would. Then, go to
any Explorer window or the My Computer window. Click the Map Network Drive
button. You'll see a dialog box pop up and show you your first available
drive letter, like this. On the Path: line, enter the information for the
computer you want to log on to, using the \\ComputerName\SharedResourceName
format. If you only know the \\ComputerName, you can still connect. Just
make sure the Network Neighborhood icon is present on your desktop, press
the button, then select Run..., and type in the \\ComputerName. You'll
get a dialog box with all the shared resources available on the remote
computer. Or, to just connect to a drive on an NT machine, run the \\ComputerName\driveletter$.
Make sure the dollar sign follows the drive letter!
Mapping
Remote Drives
To make a remote
drive appear local to your system, you can map it. Select My Computer on
the desktop and press the right mouse button. Select the Map Network Drive
option. You'll receive a dialog box that lets you choose which drive letter
to assign and a text box for the UNC address of the remote resource. If
you select the Reconnect at logon option, Windows 95 will attempt to re-establish
a connection and assign the same drive letter to this resource the next
time you logon. Press OK and the connection will be made. The drive is
now accessible by any DOS or Windows application! To disconnect from the
mapped drive, simply choose Disconnect Network Drive when you right-click
on My Computer.
Copyright © 1999-2004 Ted J. Mieske
All Rights Reserved.