User's Manual

Chapter 3: Network Activities 21
If you want your e-mail messages to remain available to all users of your network
at any time, you should not download the messages to one computer. (However,
you should delete old messages from your e-mail account on a regular basis, so
that you don’t exceed the storage space given to you by your e-mail provider.)
Playing Games on Your Network and on the Internet
Many of the most popular games now have multiplayer capability, allowing two or
more players to compete by using a local network. With network-enabled games,
you can use your networked computers to play games with friends and family
members.
Most games come with documentation that explains all you need to know to
congure your network for multiplayer gaming. However, the following steps might
help you prepare for playing games over the network:
O
If you have purchased a multiplayer game, be sure to install it on each
computer on the network that will be used for playing games.
O
Make sure that the network protocols necessary to run the games that you
want are installed on each computer on your network. For more information,
see the documentation that came with your games.
O
If you are playing an Internet-based game, you might also be required to pay
user fees or download game les to your computer. Be sure to follow the
directions provided on the game’s Web site.
O
If you have problems connecting to an Internet-based game, you might need
to congure your base station to work with your game. If you have a Microsoft
base station, see Help in the Base Station Management Tool.
For information about playing games on the Internet, and for other game-related
information, visit: www.microsoft.com/broadbandnetworking.
Creating a Computer-to-Computer (Ad Hoc) Network
If you do not want to use a base station, you can set up a computer-to-computer
(ad hoc) network to share les between computers that have wireless adapters.
After you create an ad hoc network by using the following procedure, other computers
can join this network by using the steps in the following section, “Joining an Available
Wireless Network.”
To set up an ad hoc network in the Windows XP operating system
1. Start the Broadband Network Utility.
2. On the Tools menu, click Adapter Settings.
3. In the Wireless Adapter drop-down list, make sure that a Microsoft wireless
adapter is selected.
4. Click Congure.
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