Basic Networking Help!

I have 2 offices in a office building where the whole office uses a T1
line. I previously had a wireless home network where I shared folders
on 2 laptops. When I brought the laptops into the office and connected
them each to the T1 line, everyone in the building was able to access
my files.

How do I go about using a T1 line for both PCs but only sharing folders
between those 2 PCs only. I have a wireless access point but not
exactly sure how to set it up securely for what I want to do

Any help is greatly appreciated...

Assuming that you have no control over the IP addresses assigned by the
building network:

1. Your best alternative would be to install a NAT router and run a
separate ethernet cable between your offices. This would create a separate
network for your laptops, allow them to access the Internet and eachother,
but block connections from the rest of the building.

2. If #1 is not realistic, your easiest wireless alternative is to enable
the firewall on your wired ethernet adapters, and create an ad hoc wireless
network on the wireless adapters.

3. Probably a better wireless idea would be to connect a wireless router to
one of the T1 lines and connect the laptops in wireless infrastructure mode.
Possibly what you describe as an access point is actually a router. All
routers provide for WEP, WPA, or WPA2 security, but how you configure this
is product specific.

Doug Sherman
MCSE, MCSA, MCP+I, MVP

"Joe" <jchristopher@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:1136330030.327121.105950@o13g2000cwo.googlegr oups.com...
> I have 2 offices in a office building where the whole office uses a T1
> line. I previously had a wireless home network where I shared folders
> on 2 laptops. When I brought the laptops into the office and connected
> them each to the T1 line, everyone in the building was able to access
> my files.
>
> How do I go about using a T1 line for both PCs but only sharing folders
> between those 2 PCs only. I have a wireless access point but not
> exactly sure how to set it up securely for what I want to do
>
> Any help is greatly appreciated...
>

Doug,

Thanks for the response. It is a wireless router like you mentioned.
If I plug a ethernet cable into each laptop and then connect to the
secured wireless network as you mentioned, should that do the trick?

Yes, you could do it that way. But, you want to disable file and printer
sharing on the wired connections and/or enable the firewall to block access
from the rest of the building. Also, do this: Right click on My Network
Places and select Properties. Click Advanced - Advanced Settings. If it's
not there already, move the connection for the wireless adapter to the top
of the binding order on both laptops.

Doug Sherman
MCSE, MCSA, MCP+I, MVP

"Joe" <jchristopher@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:1136341816.332123.243750@o13g2000cwo.googlegr oups.com...
> Doug,
>
> Thanks for the response. It is a wireless router like you mentioned.
> If I plug a ethernet cable into each laptop and then connect to the
> secured wireless network as you mentioned, should that do the trick?
>

How do I disable the filing sharing on the wired connections? I would
enable the firewall in the router setup also?

Go to Control Panel - Network Connections. Right click on the Local Area
connection for the wired adapter and select Properties - uncheck the box for
File and Printer Sharing. Note - when you configure the router, you will
have to turn off DHCP because it will give the wrong settings for Internet
access- how you do this is product specific.

It would be easier and require less configuration if you simply connected
the router's WAN/Internet port to the building LAN. You would then connect
by cable or wireless only to the router and the router's default setup would
be more likely to serve most of your needs. I doubt that you would notice
any performance difference on the Internet provided you have good signal
strength.

Doug Sherman
MCSE, MCSA, MCP+I, MVP

"Joe" <jchristopher@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:1136375451.809114.171260@z14g2000cwz.googlegr oups.com...
> How do I disable the filing sharing on the wired connections? I would
> enable the firewall in the router setup also?
>