Gateway DX442XP User Manual

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Contents

Gateway DX442XP User Manual Manual pdf 56 page image

Chapter 5: Networking Your Computer50Testing your networkNow that your home network is set up, log onto one of your computers and access a favoriteInternet Web site.If you are unable to connect to the Internet:• Run the New Connection Wizard (for more information, see “Setting up an Internet account”on page 20).• Check all physical cable connections• Compare the status lights on the front of the router or access point with the patternsdescribed in the router or access point literature• Temporarily turn off any firewall software on your desktop computer• Turn off all of the devices, then power them back on• Refer to your router’s or access point’s troubleshooting information• Contact your Internet service providerSharing resourcesWith a network, you can share your Internet connection, drives, and printers.Sharing drives and printersWith a network, you can share drives (for example hard drives and DVD drives) and printers amongthe computers connected to the network.After the drives and printers on each network computer are shared, you can access them as thoughthey were attached directly to your computer. Then you can:• View a network drive• Open and copy files stored on other network computers• Print documents on network printersSharing drives or foldersIf you want to share a drive or folder, use the following instructions.To share drives or folders:1 In My Computer or Windows Explorer, right-click the drive or folder that you want to share,then click Sharing and Security. The folder properties dialog box opens.If you share a drive, the entire contents of that drive will be available to everyone on yournetwork. If you share a folder, only the contents of that folder will be available to everyoneon the network.ImportantTo share a printer among the network computers, each computer must have theshared printer’s drivers installed. Follow the instructions included with your printer to installthe printer drivers on each computer.