Question : step by step instructions on how to setup a Windows 2000/NT 4 home network(with 3 PCs running 98/98SE, 1 running a version of NT)

Can someone give me step by step instructions how how to setup a home network that will be running a version of NT for my "file/Apps server" (a computer that I am building from the ground up, and will have NT compliant hardware), and will also have 3 computers that will be running either Win98 or Win98 SE? What about wiring(It will be 10BaseT, CAT 5 cabling)?

Answer : step by step instructions on how to setup a Windows 2000/NT 4 home network(with 3 PCs running 98/98SE, 1 running a version of NT)

To do this you'll need a network card for each of the systems and a hub. If you don't alreay have the networking gear, you might consider getting one of the "local lan" packages that includes several ethernet cards and hub bundled together, its a bit cheaper than the individual components. Whether you make it a 10Mbps or 100Mbps network is up to you. If you get 10/100 PCI cards for everything and a 100Mbps hub, you'll have a 100Mbps network.

Do be careful in picking the hub if you use 100Mbps cards. Some hubs can't do split speeds. They can run at 100Mbps if everthing connected is 100Mbps , but if you connect one 10Mbps system the whole hub drops to 10Mbs. "Split-speed" hubs, while a bit more expensive are better in that they can have both 10Mbps & 100Mbps connections at the same time. This charcteristic may or not matter to you, but I thought you out to know about it.

Install the cards in each of the systems, using the OEM driver disk if needed. When you set up networking you can just use Netbui if the network is isolated and won't ever be connecting to the Internet. Pick a Workgroup name or use the default "WORKGROUP" and give each computer a name.

Otherwise you want to select TCP/IP and let Netbui run over that. You'll still need the workgroup and computer name set, but you'll also need to give each system an IP address and set the netmask. I'd recommend using IP's from one of the reserved IP ranges, like so:

192.168.1.1  NT box
192.168.1.2  Win95/98 #1
192.168.1.3  Win95/98 #2
192.168.1.4  Win95/98 #3

The netmask for all of them will be 255.255.255.0.

On the windows boxes select "Client for Microsoft Networks" as the "Primary logon" and you are pretty much set.

From your question it sounds like you don't yet have the NT system up. Life will be a bit simpler if you have the network hardware in place when you install. NT will detect the card and an active ethernet as it's installing.