This guide provides a brief description on Windows Networking - FAQ
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What is Computer Networking?
A computer network is a group of computer systems and other computing hardware devices that are linked together through communication channels
A computer network allows a computer to access the internet
Allows a computer to access other computers or devices like printers and TV’s
Allows sharing of files, data and other types of information between a computer and another device
> The World Wide Web is the biggest and best-known computer network.
Computer Networking
Do not disable the network adapter your computer is currently using to access the internet.
Microsoft makes networking simple by creating step by step guides to help connect to the internet or connect to a local area network (LAN)
Windows has improved over the years by creating a Network and Sharing Center, first introduced in Windows Vista, to make it easy for computers to connect and network
Shows all of the devices, wired and wirelessly, that are currently enabled on the computer
Enable or disable network connections like the Ethernet and wireless adapters
View status information of all active connections like the speed of the connection, how long the connection has been established without interruption, and adapter activity
Open network connections on your computer by:
Windows key + R (Open run) type in ncpa.cpl
Right-click your connection in the bottom right of your PC select network and sharing center, then select Change adapter options
1. Enable/Disable an adapter.
2. View the status of an adapter.
3. View Adapter properties.
Network and Sharing Center
As we all know windows changes from generation to generation and operating system to operating system
Things look different features change but one thing that has stayed the same for the most part is the Network and sharing center
If you have windows 10, you can open the Network and Sharing Center by pressing start and typing in the Networking and Sharing Center
If you have an older version of windows you can open the Network and sharing center by clicking the network icon in your system than and clicking Open Network and Sharing Center
> Let's look at some of the things network and sharing center does:
Displays how your pc is connected to a network and internet
Shows details about the network connection
Access network sharing options
Shows the network your PC is connected to
> Other things you may see on the left-hand side of the Network and Sharing Center contains the following shortcuts:
Managing wireless networks
Change adapter settings
Change advanced sharing settings
Home Group
Internet Options
Windows Firewall
The lower panel of the Network and Sharing Center shows information about the current network including:
Set up a new connection or network
Connect to a network
Choose HomeGroup and sharing options
Network troubleshooting
Notification & Action Center
The Notifications and Action Center in Windows 10 lists all the notifications from different apps, and even the system
To access it, just click on the small icon that resembles a chat icon, found to the right of the system tray
At the bottom, you can see the available shortcuts. Most of these are shortcuts to frequently used settings
By choosing any of them, you open the associated settings section
Clicking on the Wi-Fi Shortcut will enable or disable the Wi-Fi connection
Was introduced with Windows 10
Notification appears at the top
Shortcuts to common settings at the bottom
Network Connections
We have now looked at the network map so now let's look at how we connect
There are multiple ways to connect your computer to a network based on the computer’s hardware
You can connect using an Ethernet cable (wired) and wirelessly
Both have their pro’s and con’s Let’s take a look at the advantages and disadvantages of both types of connections
> For Wired connections
> Advantages
Stable connection
Faster connectionLess vulnerable to intrusions
> Disadvantages
No mobility
Cabling can be messy
> For Wired Connections
> Advantages
Mobile
No cables
Access peripherals from anywhere in the home
> Disadvantages
Dropped connections
Potentially slower transfer rates
Subject to interference from other devices
Connecting to a Wireless Network
Windows makes it easy to connect to a wireless network by displaying all available networks that are currently broadcasting their network names
Although there are many ways to connect a Windows system to a wireless network including:
Network and Sharing center
Network Connections Control Panel
Network icon in the System Tray
Type ncpa.cpl in the Run command dialog box
The easiest way to view available wireless networks is to click on the network icon in the system tray
If a customer has ever forgotten their network key which would be their Wi-Fi password you can look at a few different places.
1. Check the router or gateway for a sticker with default network information
2. Access the router’s GUI and look for the wireless key on the device
You can also obtain the wireless key from the computer if it has previously connected to the network.
File and Printer Sharing
The part of Microsoft networking that enables you to share files and local printers (printers physically connected to a computer) with others on a network
File and Print sharing can be enabled or disabled to ensure overall system security
File and printer sharing is the part of Microsoft networking that enables you to share files and local printers with other users on small networks
Microsoft Windows operating systems, from Windows ‘95 to the newest release, contain built in support for File and Printer Sharing
This networking feature is particularly useful on home networks but can be a security concern on public networks
When file and print sharing is enabled these folders are automatically shared:
–Windows XP – Shared Documents folder
–Windows Vista, 7, 8 and 10 – c:\Users\Public
>> Sharing is organized into three types of networks that a computer can be apart of:
1. Domain – A local sub-network of computers, usually more than 15 computers, that share resources and can be controlled from a central location
2. Workgroup – A collection of computers on a local area network that share common resources but are not controlled from a central location
3. HomeGroup – Used mostly for home networks
The main difference among these is how the computers and other resources on the networks are managed
These groups do come with some "rules"
Computers running Windows on a network must be part of a workgroup or a domain
Computers running Windows on home networks can also be part of a homegroup, but it's not required
Computers on home networks are usually part of a workgroup and possibly a homegroup
Computers on workplace networks are usually part of a domain
Home Computers should be in the same Workgroup to share resources
> You can view your computers workgroup inside of system found through the control panel.
1. Press start, type System
2. Go to control panel, select system
Enabling File & Printer Sharing
Enabling file and printer sharing is a simple process, but since we do support all versions of windows starting at XP with the best effort the process may change.
Windows XP
To enable File and Print sharing on windows XP you must first ensure the service is enabled in the network adapter
We’ll have to navigate to the Network Connections Control Panel and right-click on the desired Local Area or Wireless Network Connection and select properties
> Enabling File & Print Sharing (Vista and beyond)
Access sharing options from the Network and Sharing Center in Windows Vista, 7 and 8 by clicking Choose homegroup and sharing options
Move the radio button to Turn on file and printer sharing
Click Save changes
Permissions and File Sharing Tips
Users will have to manually share any files or folders that are not currently in the Public folders
Once sharing is enabled for the file or folder the person will be able to see that file or folder as long as they have permission to access a particular location
Without proper permissions for the Parent directory, the person will not be able to access the file or folder inside
By default Windows will share information that is placed in public folders
Public folders require little interaction from the user to be shared
Files and folders in other locations are not automatically shared and require the computer user to share those files and folders
> User Account Passwords & File Sharing
Computer users are encouraged to use passwords to access their computers
Password protecting a computer makes it easier to access files from other computers
Computers that are not password protected will only allow you to access what you have publicly shared and anything that has been shared to the group “Everyoneâ€
Signing in from another network location, using a password, allows the user to view all files and folders that belong to that specific user
System files and folders are not accessible over a network
Password protecting a computer makes it easier to access files from other computers
Non-password protected computers will only share public folders and anything that has been shared to the group “Everyoneâ€
Using a password to sign in from another network location allows the user to view all files and folders that belong to that specific user
System files and folders are not accessible over a network
We enable file and print sharing but never share individual folders or files
Files in the Public folder require little interaction by the user to share with others(Be sure the customer understands this)
Homegroup
It is important to note that as of Windows 10 version 1803, the Homegroup feature has been removed.
A homegroup is a group of PCs on a home network that can share files and printers
A homegroup makes it easier to share files and printers on a home network
You can share pictures, music, videos, documents, and printers with other people in your homegroup
Other people can't change the files that you share unless you give them permission to do so
When you set up a computer with this version of Windows, a homegroup is created automatically if one doesn't already exist on your home network
If a homegroup already exists, you can join it
After you create or join a homegroup, you can select the libraries that you want to share
You can prevent specific files or folders from being shared, and you can share additional libraries later
You can help protect your homegroup with a password, which you can change at any time
Using a homegroup is one of the easiest ways to share files and printers on a home network, but there are other ways to do this
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