First you will need to have Dial-Up Networking (DUN) installed. If you are using an ISP (Internet Service Provider) for your Internet connection, then you probably have DUN installed. If not, go to Start/Settings/Control Panel/Add-Remove Programs/Windows Setup Tab. Highlight "Communications" and click the [Details] button. Check the box for Dial-Up Networking and hit [OK], then hit [OK] again. You might be prompted for your Windows 95 CD or diskettes. Restart Windows and now you should see an icon in Windows Explorer for DUN. I also recommend that you download and install the ISDN Accelerator Pack which updates DUN even if you aren't using ISDN. You can get this update at the Windows 95 Update Center.

Next you will need to make sure that you have the Dial-Up Server option in DUN. You can check this by going to DUN in Windows Explorer and selecting the "Connections" menu and see if you have "Dial-Up Server" option. If you Don't have server option you will need to run Plus setup which is located in-
C:\Program Files\PLUS!\Setup\setup.exe and select the Dial-Up Server option.
You might be prompted for your Plus CD or diskettes. Now we are ready to configure Network Properties.

Let's start by going to Start/Settings/Control Panel/Network Icon. The four Network components needed are "Dial-Up adapter", "Client for Microsoft Networks", "IPX/SPX-compatible Protocol", and "File and printer sharing for Microsoft Networks". If any components are missing lets install them now and configure the properties for each one.

1) Dial-Up adapter: We already made sure that the Dial-Up adapter was installed above, now highlight the Dial-Up adapter and hit [Properties] button, then bindings tab, make sure that IPX/SPX-compatible Protocol is checked and hit [OK].

2) Client for Microsoft Networks: Click on the [Add] button, then highlight client, then hit [Add] button again, now highlight Microsoft, then highlight Client for Microsoft Networks and hit [OK]. Now highlight Client for Microsoft Networks and hit [Properties] button, then chose Logon and restore network connections and hit [OK]. (Don't worry about Windows NT Domain if you are using two Windows 95 computers.)

3) IPX/SPX-compatible Protocol: Click on the [Add] button, then highlight Protocol, then hit [Add] button again, now highlight Microsoft, then highlight IPX/SPX-compatible Protocol and hit [OK]. Now highlight IPX/SPX-compatible Protocol and hit [Properties] button, then bindings tab, make sure that Client for Microsoft Networks and File and printer sharing for Microsoft Networks are both checked and hit [OK].

4) File and printer sharing for Microsoft Networks: Click on the [Add] button, then highlight Service, then hit [Add] button again, now highlight Microsoft, then highlight File and printer sharing for Microsoft Networks and hit [OK]. Now highlight File and printer sharing for Microsoft Networks and hit [Properties] button, then highlight Browse Master and hit the [down arrow] and change Value to Enabled and hit [OK].

5) Primary Network Logon: Change to Client for Microsoft Networks.

6) Hit [File and Print Sharing] button, then check the appropriate boxes to enable file and/or printer sharing and hit [OK].

7) Click on the "Identification" tab and fill in a name, workgroup, and description for your computer. Name & description can be whatever you want but be sure to have the same workgroup on the computers that will be dialing in to your server.

8) Click on the "Access Control" tab and choose the type of access control you want to assign to your shared resources. (shared level access is best for DUN server)

9) Finally, hit [OK] button, you might be prompted for your Windows 95 CD or diskettes, restart Windows when prompted. When Windows restarts you will get a logon window that you can enter user name and password for your network. If you Don't want to enter a password every time you restart Windows, then enter user name and leave the password box blank and hit [OK], then hit [OK] again when asked to confirm new password.

Now let's setup your server settings. Go to Windows Explorer/Dial-Up Networking/Connections/Dial-Up Server. Click on the [Server Type] button, select "PPP: Windows95, NT3.5, Internet" for type of server. Check "enable software compression" and un-check "require encrypted password" and hit [OK]. Next, check "allow caller access" and hit [change password] button. If this is your first time configuring your server the "old password" will be blank, enter "new password" and re-enter in "confirm new password" hit [OK] or [apply]. Now your computer will answer all incoming calls until you go back into "Dial-Up Server" and check "No Caller Access" and hit [OK] or [Apply].

Now to configure the client which is the computer that will dial into your server. First you will need to make sure that DUN is installed (see above). Next configure your Network Properities as we did with the server (see above), you can skip items #4 and #6 as they only apply to the server. Now go to Windows Explorer/Dial-Up Networking and double-click the "Make New Connection" icon. Type a name for your connection and hit [next], type the phone number to your server and hit [next], then hit [Finish]. Now you will have a new connection with whatever name you gave it listed in DUN. Right-click on this new connection and select properties. If you have already configured your modem, you shouldn't need to make any changes under the "General" tab . Select the "Server Type" tab select "PPP: Windows95, NT3.5, Internet" for type of server. Check the option for "Log on to network" and "enable software compression". Check the option for IPX/SPX-compatible. Un-check the remaining options and hit [OK]. Now double-click the new connection icon to dial into your server.

Now you are ready to share files, folders, drives, and printers on your server with your friends. You can also access your server from a remote location such as work or wherever. I recommend you check out these pages on sharing written by Yimmy.

Sharing Files

Sharing Printers