Windows XP Peer-to-Peer Networking

12/01/2001
The micro-business spacedefined often as home offices and small retailers
with between one to 10 users&has bedeviled Microsoft, which has tried to
provide a well-accepted solution within this niche. Some published reports
claim that the micro-business space is where the company's competitors such
as Linux have enjoyed success. But Microsoft hopes to turn it around with a
little-known capability in Windows XP Professional known as peer-to-peer
networking. This feature allows these micro-businesses to easily deploy a
functional network without a server-class machine.
Windows XP's peer-to-peer networking capability is based on the following
functionality:
A physical network that connects all computers
Folder sharing
Printer sharing
Sharing-level permissions
Workgroup networking model (not domain)
Basic Internet firewall
It's called peer-to-peer networking, but one of the machines in the network is
actually made superior to the others. While all machines are capable of
sharing folders and printers, the "mothership" computer (a user workstation) is
designated to host the Internet and firewall configuration. Windows XP does
this by creating a separation zone between the network interfaces (e.g. NIC
cards) on the mothership computer. It's here that the built-in firewall capability
provides basic network address translation (NAT) that effectively prevents
shared resources from being visible on the Internet. Granted, this firewall
capability may not meet everyone's needs, but at least it's available. I don't
blame you if you seek out a more robust hardware-based firewall to increase
your security comfort level.
Stepping into Peer-to-Peer
So let's get going. I assume you have Windows XP Professional in front of
you. Note that the Windows XP Home Edition does not support this peer-to-
peer network functionality.
1. Click Start, Control Panel, Network Connections.
2. Select Set up a home or small office network link under Network Tasks
on the left-side.
3. The Welcome to the Network Setup Wizard screen on the Network
Setup Wizard appears. Click Next.
4. The Before you continue screen appears, listing the steps that will be
completed. Click the checklist for creating a network link. The result is
shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1. The steps for creating a home or small
office network screen is truly a methodology for
successfully deploying a peer-to-peer network.
(Click image to view larger version.)
5. Close the Steps for creating a home or small office network screen.
6. Click Next on the Before you continue screen.
7. If the wizard finds disconnected networking interfaces, you'll see the
screen in Figure 2, entitled The Wizard found disconnected network
hardware. You'll need to connect the network interfaces or select the
Ignore disconnected network hardware checkbox to continue. Once
you've resolved this problem, click Next.

Figure 2. You need to resolve network interface
connectivity before proceeding to a connection
method. (Click image to view larger version.)
8. The Select a connection method screen appears. Here you will select
from three connection options (see Figure 3). Make your selection and
click Next.

Figure 3. Define the network Internet connection
topology. (Click image to view larger version.)
Note: For the first computer you set up, which typically acts as the
"mothership" of the peer-to-peer network, you should click the This computer
connects directly to the Internet radio button. For the computers that you set
up thereafter (second, third, fourth, etc.), select the second radio button, which
says that another computer is already hosting and managing the Internet
connection.
9. On the Select your Internet connection screen, select the network
connection that relates to the Internet under Connections and click Next.
You must make a selection or the Next button will remain grayed out
(see Figure 4).

Figure 4. Configuring the Internet connection.
(Click image to view larger version.)
10. The next screen, Your computer has multiple connections, is very
important for both Internet connectivity and firewall issues (see Figure
5). It's here you begin to assist the wizard by defining the "inside"
network adapter (local area network) and the "wild-side" network
adapter (Internet connection). Make the appropriate selection and click
Next. In my case, I selected Let me choose the connections to my
network.

Figure 5. Establishing the routed connection
between local computers and the Internet. (Click
image to view larger version.)
Note. Figure 5 is conceptually similar to the early screens of the Internet
Connection Wizard (ICW) in Small Business Server 2000 where the
inside/wild-side definition occurs. If you select Determine the appropriate
connection for me (Recommended), Windows XP performs tests to see which
network interface returns Internet information.
11. Because of the selection I made in, the Select the connections to
bridge appears. This is shown in Figure 6. Make the connection
selection and click Next.

Figure 6. Select the network interface that applies
to the local area network. (Click image to view
larger version.)
12. Complete the Computer description and Computer name fields on
the Give this computer a description and name screen (similar to Figure
7), and click Next.

Figure 7. Name the computer and provide a
description. (Click image to view larger version.)
13. Complete the Workgroup name field on the Name your network
screen and click Next (see Figure 8).

Figure 8. You are creating a workgroup, not a
domain. (Click image to view larger version.)
14. Review your settings on the Ready to apply your network settings
screen and click Next (see Figure 9).

Figure 9. Your selected settings are summarized
here. Don't forget you can select this information
with your mouse and copy and paste it into a
WordPad document for future reference. (Click
image to view larger version.)
15. Click Finish after the configuration process is completed.