Joining an Existing Network

If you're adding a new computer to an existing network, most of the difficult configuration decisions have already been made, so your task is greatly simplified.

The first step, of course, is to install your network adapter as discussed earlier in this tutorial.

Then, you must be sure that your computer has the necessary drivers to support the file sharing protocol used on the network. TCP/IP is installed by default. If the computers on your existing network use IPX/SPX as the primary protocol for file sharing, you'll need to install IPX/SPX by following these steps:

1. View the Network Connections window, right-click the Local Area Connection icon, and select Properties.
2. Click Install, select Protocol, and click Add.
3. Highlight NWLink IPX/SPX/NetBIOS Compatible Transport Protocol and click OK.

If your network has old computers that require the use of the NetBEUI protocol for file sharing, you can install NetBEUI on Windows XP. You may wish to consider installing TCP/IP or IPX/SPX on the other computers, instead, as Microsoft may entirely withdraw support for NetBEUI in the future. As it is, you have to jump these hoops to install NetBEUI support on Windows XP:

1. Insert your Windows XP installation CD-ROM.
2. Open Windows Explorer, browse the CD-ROM, and locate the folder \VALUEADD\MSFT\NET\NETBEUI.
3. Copy file nbf.sys to the folder \windows\system32\drivers on the drive on which Windows is installed. (If you've installed Windows in a different folder, locate system32\drivers under that folder.)
4. On the Windows Explorer menu, click Tools, Folder Options, View and be sure that Show Hidden Files and Folders is selected.
5. Copy file netnbf.inf to the hidden folder \windows\inf on the drive on which Windows is installed.
6. View the Network Connections window, right-click the Local Area Connection icon, and select Properties.
7. Click Install, select Protocol, and click Add.
8. Highlight "NetBEUI Protocol" and click OK.

Once you are sure that the necessary protocols are installed, you can join your computer to the existing network. The steps you'll need to take differ depending on whether you are joining a workgroup or domain-type network. We'll cover the workgroup case first.