Lab-07 Computer Connection in LAN

Lab 07: Computers Connection in Local Area Network

7.1 Objective

Having completed this experiment, you will be able to:

1. Building Peer to Peer network
2. Building Switch based network
3. Sharing File, Folder, and printer in a network

Apparatus:2 Pcs, Cross Over cable, Printer, Switch and Straight through cable.

7.2 Introduction

Peer to Peer network

In this lab you will learn how to connect two computers directly to each other. This is the
simplest network you can imagine. The network having two directly computers connected is
called peer to peer network. Later on, you will learn that such a simple network is not
“according to the definition of network.”

Peer to Peer requirement

Two computers having windows 7/8/10, one cross cable with appropriate length.

Procedure of Peer to Peer

Step 1.
Identify the proper Ethernet cable and connect the two PC’s. Make sure that you are using
the crossover cable constructed in the previous lab. Turn off both the computers. Attach one
end of the cable in the Network Interface Card (NIC or LAN card) of one computer and the
other end in the NIC of the other computer.

Step 2.
Plug in and turn on the computers. To verify the computer connections, ensure that the link
lights on both NICs are lit.

Step 3.
Be sure to record the existing IP settings of both the computers, so that you can restore them
ate end of the lab. The IP setting information includes IP address, subnet mask, default
gateway and the DNS server information.

Step 4.

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Perform on both computers. Click Start>Control Panel> Network Connection. Select the
Local Area Network Connection and click Change Settings of This Connection on the left
side window. You will see a figure showing the properties related to this connection.

Step 5.
Select Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) from the list and click the properties button. Set the IP
address information for each of the PC.

Figure 7.1: Internet Protocol Version 4(TCP/IP) Properties Window

Step 6.
Verify that the two computers can communicate. Use ping commands.

Step 8.
Restore the actual settings of both the computers you have recorded at the start of the lab. You
can share files, folders, printers and dialup network connection among these two computers.

Building a Switched based network

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Int the switched based network end user devices connected with the switch. These computers
can send data through the switch. For switched based network three or more computers are
required having Windows XP/2000 and LAN Cards installed, Layer 2 Switch, Straight-
Through cables equal to the number of computers you want to connect with appropriate
length.

Steps to perform

1. Make sure that you have picked straight cables.

2. Power off all the computers and the switch.
3. Connect the computers to the switch.
4. Power On the computers and the switch.
5. Configure each computer with IP address and subnet masks.

On each of the computer apply the following settings:

Computer 1: IP Address: 192.168.1.1, Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
Computer 2: IP Address: 192.168.1.2, Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
Computer 3: IP Address: 192.168.1.3, Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0

Leave the other entries blank. Verify the connections to all the systems using the ping command .

Share Files and Printers

1. First make sure both machines are members of the same Workgroup which by default is
named Workgroup.

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Figure 7.2: System Properties Window

2. On the Windows 10 machine go into setting Network and internetwork.

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Figure 7.4: System Properties Window

3. Click Network and Sharing Center

Figure 7.5: System Properties Window

4. Click on Change advanced sharing settings

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Figure 7.6: Network and Sharing Center

5. Turn on network discovery and file and printing sharing option

Figure 7.7: Advanced sharing setting window

Share Folder

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To share files on a local network using the advanced sharing settings, use these steps:

1. Open File Explorer.

2. Navigate to the folder you want to share.
3. Right-click the item, and select the Properties option.

Figure 7.8: Selecting folder properties

4. Click on the Sharing tab.

5. Click the Advanced Sharing button.

Figure 7.9: MyShareFiles Properties Window

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6. Check the Share this folder option.

7. Windows 10, by default, allows other users read-only access to the content you’re
sharing, which means that they can only view files, but they cannot do anything else. If
you want users to be able to edit the files, delete, and create new documents in the
location, you’ll need to click the Permissions button.

Figure 7.10: Advance Sharing Window

8. On the Permissions window, you’ll notice the Everyone group is the default option
highlighted. In the section below, you can customize the permissions for a specific user
or group. If you want users to be able to open, edit, delete, and create files, then make
sure to check the Read and Change permissions under Allow.
9. Click the Apply button.
10. Click the OK button.

Figure 7.11: Permission for MyShareFiles Window

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11. Click the OK button again.

Share a printer

1. To share the printer on the Windows 7 machine, go into Devices and Printers from the
Start menu and double click on the printer icon.

Figure 7.12: Internet Protocol Version 4(TCP/IP) Properties Window

2. Next double click on “Customize your printer”.

Figure 7.13: Printer option window

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3. In the Properties screen click on the Sharing Tab and check the box to share the printer and type in
its share name.

Figure 7.14: Printer option window

Share a folder

1. Create a shared folder. Navigate to the Folder and Open the Properties.

Figure 7.15: Folder context menu

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2. Open the file explorer and go under the Desktop section. Left-click then right-click on the
folder. The left-click highlights the folder, and the right-click opens a menu of options.
Once the menu of options pops up click on the properties. When you open the properties,
window go to the sharing section.

Figure 7.16: Folder context menu

3. Continue into the Users folder and Public to see the shared folders, here I also created a
folder called XPShare just to keep everything in central location.

Figure 7.17: Folder context menu

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Over on your XP machine open up My Network Places to find the Windows 7 (mysticgeek-pc) shared
folder.

Figure 7.18: Folder context menu

Double click on the Share folder to find a list of shared folders in the Public folder on Windows
7. If you have password protection enabled you will need to type in the username and password
of the user account on the Windows 7 machine first.

7.3 Lab Tasks

Q1. Write down the steps to share printer to a LAN

Q2. Write down the steps to connect a share printer on the LAN

Q3. Write steps to share a folder on LAN

Q4. Write steps to access and open a shared folder on LAN

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