Add a device or computer to a network

If you have a wireless network, you must first run the Set Up a Wireless Router or Access Point wizard on at least one computer on your network before following these steps. If you haven't done this, see Setting up a home network.

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To add a wireless computer running Windows Vista or Windows XP by using a USB flash drive

If you have your settings saved to a USB flash drive, you can use the flash drive to add computers to your network.

Log on to the computer.
Plug the USB flash drive into a USB port on the computer.
For a computer running Windows Vista, in the AutoPlay dialog box, click Wireless Network Setup Wizard.
– or –
For a computer running Windows XP, in the USB flash drive dialog box, click Wireless Network Setup Wizard.

You might be prompted to restart the computer.

Note

To save your settings to a USB flash drive, do this:

Open Network by clicking the Start button , and then clicking Network.
Click Add a wireless device, and then follow the steps in the wizard.

To manually add a wireless computer running Windows Vista

Log on to the computer.
Click the Start button ‌, and then click Connect To.
Choose the wireless network from the list that appears, and then click Connect.
Type the network security key or passphrase if you are asked to do so, and then click OK.

You will see a confirmation message when you are connected to the network.

To confirm that you added the computer, do the following:

Open Network by clicking the Start button , and then clicking Network.

You should see icons for the computer you added and for the other computers and devices that are part of the network.

To manually add a wireless computer running Windows XP

Log on to the computer as an administrator.
Click Start, right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.
Click the Computer Name tab, and then click Change.
If the workgroup name is not WORKGROUP, change the name to WORKGROUP, and then click OK. Otherwise, click Cancel to close the Computer Name Changes dialog box.

Note

If you have to change the workgroup name, you will be prompted to restart your computer. Restart the computer, and then continue with the steps below.
Click Start, click Control Panel, click Network and Internet Connections, and then click Network Connections.
Click the wireless network connection icon, and then, under Network Tasks, click View available wireless networks.
Choose the wireless network from the list that appears, and then click Connect.

To add a wired (Ethernet) computer running Windows Vista

Plug the computer into a hub, switch, or router and then turn it on. (If your home has Ethernet wiring and you have a jack in the room where the computer is, you can plug the computer into the Ethernet jack instead.)

To confirm that you added the computer, do the following:

Open Network by clicking the Start button , and then clicking Network.

You should see icons for the computer you added and for the other computers and devices that are part of the network.

To add a wired (Ethernet) computer running Windows XP

Plug the computer into a hub, switch, or router and then turn it on. (If your home has Ethernet wiring and you have a jack in the room where the computer is, you can plug the computer into the Ethernet jack instead.)
Log on to the computer as an administrator.
Click Start, right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.
Click the Computer Name tab, and then click Change.
If the workgroup name is not WORKGROUP, change the name to WORKGROUP, and then click OK.

Note

If you had to change the workgroup name, you will be prompted to restart your computer. After you restart, click Start, and then click My Network Places. In the left pane, under Network Tasks, click View workgroup computers. You should see icons for the other computers that are currently part of your network.

To add a Windows Connect Now-compatible wireless device

The "Certified for Window Vista" and "Works with Window Vista" logos indicate that a device is compatible with Microsoft Windows Connect Now (WCN), a technology that simplifies configuration of network devices. For more information about WCN, see What is Windows Connect Now?

Turn on the device.
Click the Start button ,
In Control Panel, click Control Panel Home, and then click Network and Internet.
Under Network and Sharing Center, click Add a device to the network.
Follow the instructions on your screen. When you are finished adding the device, log on to a network computer.
To confirm that you added the device, do the following:

Open Network by clicking the Start button , and then clicking Network.

You should see an icon for the device. If the device is a printer, you might need to enable printer sharing so that other computers on the network can use it. (Printer sharing is not included in Windows Vista Starter.)

To add a wireless device that is not Windows Connect Now-compatible

Turn on the device.
Follow the instructions in the information that came with the device.

When you are finished adding the device, log on to a network computer.

To confirm that you added the device, do the following:

Open Network by clicking the Start button , and then clicking Network.

You should see an icon for the device. If the device is a printer, you might need to enable printer sharing so that other computers on the network can use it. (Printer sharing is not included in Windows Vista Starter.)

To add a wired device

Turn on the device and plug it into a hub, switch, or router or into a computer that is plugged into a hub, switch, or router. The device should now be connected to the network.

To confirm that you added the device, do the following:

Open Network by clicking the Start button , and then clicking Network.

You should see an icon for the device. If the device is a printer, you might need to enable printer sharing so that other computers on the network can use it. (Printer sharing is not included in Windows Vista Starter.)

To add a printer

You can add a printer connected directly to your computer (called a local printer), add a printer to the network, or connect to a shared printer. For more information, see Add or remove a printer.

To add a Bluetooth enabled device

To add a Bluetooth enabled device to your network, you need a Bluetooth network adapter. For more information about Bluetooth, search for "Bluetooth" in Help and Support.

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Applies to all editions of Windows Vista.

See also

Add a device or computer to a network

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