How Do You Have Your Network Setup?

We're going to have to redo our network this weekend because the printers dont seem to be sharing properly across all the computers and laptops we have in our existing setup so i was wondering, how do you folks have your existing network setup when it comes to the machines and periperals you have on it?

Right now we have 3 printers, only 2 of them will be connected to the network though, 3 laptops (one of which is only used as a temporary machine) and 2 desktops that are always connected. We also have a central external drive that we want to use to upload/download files to from any of the machines, which currently isnt recognized for some reason by all machines except the 'spare' laptop.

Two of the laptops are on wifi permanently and the 3rd is on wifi when it is in use.

One desktop is permanently hard wired in to the cable connection and the other has a wifi connection presently.

How would you folks handle this type of setup if you were using it yourself,, is there an easy method to get all of these machines, printers, etc setup ont he network that isnt going to cause chaos for the weekend while we try to sort out the issues we have with printer / external HD drive sharing?

Regards,

Lee

Oh i forgot..

We also have another external HD that we use for media files in the TV room, would be nice if we could network that up so that any machine can add/view files that are on it also.

Regards,

Lee

I would like to suggest a very valuable software program. It works beautifully, it does all of the setting up for you. It's cheap, and if something ever goes wrong with your network, you just reinstall the CD. We set up our network this way. In one room there are 6 computers. We used this program for everything from printers to website files to videos, you name it, it's on the network.

The software program is called Network Magic.
Here is a link of where it was purchased from: http://www.officedepot.com/catalog/t...=network+magic

I totally suggest this program for anyone who doesn't have the time to fool around with it, someone who doesn't have the money or doesn't want someone coming into their office.

The only program with the program is that everything has to be hardwired into your modem or internet gateway ports.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by derekt

The only program with the program is that everything has to be hardwired into your modem or internet gateway ports.

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Unfortunately that wont work for our layout, we have multiple rooms with machines in which is why some of them use wireless connections.

Regards,

Lee

You can use this program for that. It does say you can.
We just didn't have time to sit and figure it out when we were setting up the network because we were in the transition of moving and a lot was going on that day. So we said the hell with it and just hardwired everything. But yes, you can.

i have a wireless-n router that has 4 ports which are used for our printer and shared terra-disk. All else is running wireless.