Some of my simplest Multi User QuickBooks installations use Windows 7 Home Networking with great success.

My three step process starts with a default Windows 7 Home Networking setup and several new Windows 7 Home Premium or Pro computers with Microsoft Security Essentials or other Internet security software installed. I use the Windows 7 Home Networking wizard to create the primary Windows 7 Home Networking computer. Then, I attach each subsequent computer to the primary computer with a gigabit network switch and by configuring Windows 7 Home Networking using the wizard and Windows 7 Home Networking password.

Once I have several Windows 7 Home Networking computers setup and working with each other and printing to a network printer, I begin my second step. I install a default multi user QuickBooks setup on the primary Windows 7 Home Networking computer, paying close attention to the firewall questions that open up appropriate ports for QuickBooks to function correctly. I use the “I’ll be using QuickBooks on this computer, AND I’ll be storing our company file here so it can be shared over our network” option to install QuickBooks. I open QuickBooks to register, create users and host the company files. Then I copy or add a new company file to the default shared company files folder. I also take note of the QuickBooks default shared company files folder and name of the primary computer.

Finally, I install QuickBooks 2012 on each networked computer and map the shared company files folder using the name of the primary computer. If any computer has difficulty opening a shared company file, I use Intuit’s QuickBooks Connection Diagnostic Tool to locate and repair any network issues. I log on to QuickBooks and test several simultaneous users on different computers.

Intuit provides the QuickBooks Connection Diagnostic Tool at http://support.quickbooks.intuit.com/support/networking/nettool.aspx

The QuickBooks Install Center at http://support.quickbooks.intuit.com/support/InstallCenter/default.aspx can answer additional questions you might have about your Multi User QuickBooks installation.