how to set up network

[sparkies2306]

Guys dont no if anyone can help on here buy i eill ask anyway

have a small office up in the garage all done of well with data trunking, office has 2 desktop computers at present there is only 1 online as the internet is in the house and has only 1 cat 5 going to garage which does that computer
in the house everybody seems to have laptops which is where main bt connection is and on bt broadband laptops connect wirelesly


i would like a simple solution to connect all computers and network printers one printer is networkable whilst the other connects by usb i do think there is a connecter to change from usb to cat5 end all cables in office wired back to patch panel
the other prob is some computers are running vista anoter xp and 2 have win7 i would like to see if it is all possible without having to purchasse a server or a very expensive one
hopefully you understand what im trying to do

sparkies

 

[topquark]

Depends where you want the printers set up.

If you want them in the garage with the other two computers just buy a cheap switch to attach the other computers and printers. Just buy say a 5 port switch, plug in the lead from the house into the switch. Then buy some cheap patch leads to connect the two computers and printers to the switch (or if usb plug into one of the computers).

One of these from here would do the job: Cheap 2 - 8 Port Switches from Netgear & Intellinet by Price

If you want to locate the printers elsewhere, then just buy another switch for that location and run an ethernet connection to the switch.

 

[sparkies2306]

hi topquark yes would be leaving the printers in the office along with the 2 desktop comp but i also want to be able to print from the laptop to these printers if possible 1 of the printers has a wireless connection but keep gettin probs with that as when all shuts down or power failure when we start back up the ip address changes so have to go around all to find it

 

[topquark]

Just assign them all static IP address in the router based on their MAC address. You can usually do that through the configuration panel in the router.