Hello, I have a new Winxp home laptop. I have a desktop win
xp home at my business. when i take the laptop to work, i want to
be able to use the LT to open  files that are on my desktop
(which has all my business/work files)
  whether or not  the 2 pc's are only 10 inches apart, 20
feet, or even 15 miles apart-At work, i use
DSL.
What do I enable on the
LT & desktop pc's to make this happen?
Also, do i need to use a special program??anything free out there?
Also, what is the maximum distance that i can go between the
2 pc's?
For exam, can i accomplish the same thing if I am at
home with my LT (15 miles away from the desktop)?
Sorry there are alot of questions. But, it has happened that
I have been home & needed a clients file that is at my work,
& i have to wait til I get there to open in from the
desktop. How conveninet it would be to be @ home, and get
files from work. Thank you

Show quote Hide quote If your desktop is already on the company network, the simple solution is
just to plug the laptop into a spare network node at work.
If not, then you will have to wireless-enable the desktop machine. Most
Desktop machines are NOT wireless-enabled by default. Once you have done
that, then you have to make sure that your laptop can network to the
desktop.
Secondly, the limit to a wireless access point is usually several yards
only, and nothing like miles at all. You will need to access your company
network by other means from home. Ask your IT dept........

Hi Gordon,
My work is actually my small fam business, (in which only me & my husband
are a part of this) So there is no personnell there except novice me.
We own the Laptop, the desktop @ home, & the desktop from work.
1= At work, we have Qwest DSL- my laptop connects easily and wirelessly
2= At home, I use dial up. For the most part, this pc @ home is just a pc
that is used randomly (ever since I got my new Laptop)-
3= ALL 3 computers have XP home sp2. the desktops, as you suspected, dont
have wireless installed that I know of.
I perhaps need to learn termminology. Dont know what you meant by
"If your desktop is already on the company network, the simple solution is
I dont know if I have anything enabled to be a network. I would like to
learn how to use my LT to get info off my work pc;wherever my laptop and me
might be. If you cagive me more info, i'd apprediate it. Or if you dont have
time, can you send me links where I can learn and read more about what I am
trying to acomplish? remember my vocabulary on tech terms is limited. thank
you


Show quoteHide quote

Show quote Hide quote OK so just to confirm what I think, you have ONE desktop machine at work,
one laptop that roams about the place, and one desktop at home. You  want to
be able to work on files on the laptop whether you are at work or home.
The first thing to do is to set up a network between the desktop and the
laptop at work.
This gets a little bit complicated as there are quite a few variables here.
How do you connect to QWest DSL? Do you have a USB modem, or a router that
connects directly to the Network card on the desktop at work?
If you connect via a USB modem, then the simple answer is to replace it with
a wireless ADSL Modem/Router. That will allow you to both connect a cable to
the Network card in the desktop, and to use the laptop over wireless. That
will give you the facility to share files between the two machines.
If you already have an ADSL modem/router then you have two options. If the
router has two RJ45 ports (like a telephone connector only bigger) then just
get another patch cable (like the one the desktop connects with) and when
you take the laptop to the office, plug it in. (Assuming the laptop has a
network card - most do these days). If the router only has one port, then
the simple answer is to buy a switch with three or more ports, and plug the
router, laptop and desktop into a port each.
Then what you need to do is when you have set up the network, you need to
point the "My Documents" on the laptop at the "My Documents" on the desktop
(or wherever you store your files) and then set up Offline Files. (Look in
Help and Support for "Offline Files" and also have a look here:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/mobility/learnmore/offlinefiles.mspx)

What Offline files allows you to do, is to work on files on the laptop at
home, without being physically connected to the desktop, and save them in
the normal manner. When you next go to work and connect to the network,
(whether by wireless or cable), then those files that have changed on the
laptop will automatically be synchronised with the desktop, and any files
you then work on on the desktop will likewise be synchronised to the laptop.

I apologise for the essay, but it's quite on involved solution, and needs
two parts to it - the network to share files at work, and the setting up of
Offline files on the laptop.

HTH

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