Set up a wireless network in Windows Vista

There’s nothing more effective than the topic of networking to make people’s eyes glaze over at a cocktail party and have them mentally pacing the number of steps between you and the door.

Thankfully Windows Vista can free you from the complex, mundane tasks that make you feel like you’re working as an unpaid system administrator for your household. It will let you get on with actually enjoying the benefits of setting up a home network – like listening to the music stored on your PC upstairs while you’re relaxing in the lounge on your laptop.

The slick new Network and Sharing Center makes it easy to see at a glance how your computer is connected to others, and makes it simple to highlight any problems that are stopping the data getting through.

Great leap forward

Wireless networking is quite possibly one of the best technological advances ever made, meaning you can stay connected on a laptop no matter where you are in the house – the kitchen, the living room or even the toilet, should you so wish.

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Provided your kit isn’t more than a couple of years old, then getting set up is remarkably simple. If your laptop has an Intel Centrino badge on it, then you’ve got everything that you need already built into the computer. Other laptops also have built-in wireless connectors – the easiest way to check is open the Network and Sharing Center and then click Manage network connections from the list on the left-hand side. If you see an entry for a Wireless Network Connection, then you’re ready to go.

Finally you’ll need a wireless router, which not only enables your computers to connect to one another, but can also help them to share a broadband connection. Once your router is up and running Windows Vista will spring into action.

1. Getting Started

To enable media sharing on your PC, you first need to fire up the Network and Sharing Center. Locate Media sharing at the bottom of the Sharing and Discovery section, click the down arrow on the far right and then Change.

2. Turn It On

Your home network should be set to private by default, meaning it’s safe to turn on Media Sharing without worrying about unknown network users judging your musical tastes. Tick the box next to Share my media and then hit OK.

3. Pick Users

You can be choosy about who you share your musical delights with – browse through the available computers, pick which you want to permit access to, then click Allow. If you later want to remove access, just choose Deny instead.

4. Decide Settings

By default you’ll be sharing all music, video and picture files that are unrated, and those you’ve given a rating of more than two stars. For more control, click the Customize button and fine tune the settings.

5. Switch Over

Now move over to the other computer you want to listen to music from. Open up Windows Explorer and click on Network. Look for the icon with a musical note and film frame next to the machine name and double-click it.

6. Play Away

In Media Player you’ll now see the other computer listed in the lefthand pane, below your Library. Click on it, and you can navigate through the media files as if they were stored on your own PC.

Will has been writing about technology for a number of years both in print and online. His web site can be found at www.willswideweb.com.

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