Peer to Peer Networks

A network of computers configured to allow files and folders to be shared with everyone or with selected users. Peer-to-peer networks are quite common in small offices that do not use a dedicated file server. All versions of Windows, Mac and Linux can function as nodes in a peer-to-peer network and allow their files to be shared.

 Peer to Peer Network Setup:

 To setup a peer to peer network in a home with multiple
computers connected to an ethernet Hub.

On Windows XP, go to my computer properties, Then Computer Name tab.
Then Click “To rename this computer or join a domain, click Change).

On Member of, Click Workgroup and choose a name for your network.
Remember this name, you will need to do this on all of the computers,
that you want on your network. Once you reboot each computer you will start
seeing the other computers in My Network, view workgroup computers.
To Share files we need to setup Sharing on Files and Folders.

To setup Sharing files, folders, or drives

File sharing is configured from the computer that contains the filesand folders
you wish to share. You can share an entire drive with the network so that all the
files and folders on that drive become available to the other computers on your
network, or you can share just specific folders. For example, if you store photographs
of your trips in a folder named “trip030409″ on your computer, and you want to
make the photographs available to your network, you can choose to share only the
trip030409s folder.

 To share a file,folder, or drive in Windows XP operating system

1. You must have administrative privileges on your computer to share files and
   folders in Windows XP.

2. Open My Computer.

3. Browse to the file or drive that you want to make available to other computers
   on your network, and then select it.

4. On the File menu, click Sharing and Security.

5. Click Share this Folder on the Network tab. By default, the folder is made available
   to all of the other computers on your network, and everyone has read-only access.
   To give everyone read-write access, select the Allow Network Users to Change My Files
   check box.

6. You need to do this on each computer that you would like the network to share its
   files and folders.