Change network settings from public to home. What is the difference between public and private networks

Many people who are just starting to master the computer are not familiar with the concept of “network type”. When they connect to any point on the internet, they don't know whether to choose public or private. What are the characteristics of these network types? Which one should I stop at? Are there any other types? How to change the type if necessary if you have Windows 10?

Network type: what is it?

In various versions of the Windows OS, in particular, starting with Vista, users have the right to select a so-called network profile. This is the type of network. Its third name is “network location” - the official term used by Microsoft.

Network profile is a special set of settings for two standard Windows services: “Local Security Policy” and “Firewall”. After enabling a particular profile, these services themselves are reconfigured to ensure the level of security that corresponds to the newly activated network type.

Thus, determining the type of network is necessary to ensure the security of the computer in certain conditions of Internet use. The network location is selected depending on the location where the device is located (home, cafe, work, etc.).

What types of networks exist

Windows users can choose from the following network types:

1. "Private Network" This type had a different name before the release of Windows 8 - “Home Network”. OS clients use it mainly at home, where users and devices trust each other. In this regard, the “OS” sets a low level of security: it activates the detection of devices that are located at a short distance from each other (that is, they see each other), and allows access to shared network documents and printers. The computer rarely reminds its users that caution must be taken to keep the computer safe. In this profile, it is possible to create your own “Home Group” - a union of several devices under the control of an administrator, who can deny some users access to certain shared resources, and, on the contrary, allow others. In the "Private Network" devices see each other and can exchange data
2. "Work network" or "Enterprise network". This profile is very similar to the “Home Network”, since here the level of trust is just as high: users can freely print text and other files to the printer, as well as open shared documents. This network has a system administrator who monitors security. The only difference is that in the “Work Network” you cannot create a “Home Group”, therefore, if the latter is not necessary, it does not matter which one you choose - home or work.
3. "Public Network", "Public Network" or "Shared Network". By the name, you can determine the places where this type is used: airports, libraries, cafes, cinemas, etc. This profile protects the computer as much as possible: it becomes invisible to other devices that are nearby, which means it is extremely difficult to access it. The system is also effectively configured to repel virus attacks and unauthorized intrusion into PC memory. Obviously, you cannot create a “HomeGroup” in this type, since it completely excludes the sharing of common data and devices (for example, printers), as well as file transfer. "Public Network" must also be installed if you are using a mobile connection.
   The “Public Network” profile is used in crowded places: cafes, restaurants, airports, libraries, etc.
4. Domain network. It is installed at workplaces in various organizations. This network location allows for centralized control and management of computers in a large enterprise. There is always a master PC here - the “Domain Controller”, which determines which files a particular slave computer will have access to. In this type of network, the host PC also decides which sites users can visit and which they cannot.
   In the “Domain” network, computers are subordinate to the main device - the “Domain Controller”

Since the “Public Network” has the highest level of security, when creating a new network on a PC (connecting to it for the first time), the system by default wants to assign it the public type. A panel appears on the left side of the PC screen where the system asks the user whether he wants other devices to see his PC.

If you click on the “Yes” button, the system will enable the “Private Network” profile. When you click on the “No” button, the computer will operate in the maximum security level mode, that is, in the “Public Network”.

In Windows 10, "Work Network" and "Home Network" were combined into one - the "Private" profile.

How to change network type on Windows 10

Even in the “seven”, users had the opportunity, if necessary, to change the network profile directly in the “Network Center” window, which was launched through the “Control Panel”. In the “ten” it is necessary to use other methods for this purpose.

Through Windows settings

For beginners, the best way to change is in the Windows settings themselves, in particular in the Settings window. How can I launch it on the screen and in which sections can I open it? Let's look at it in detail in the instructions:

1. Click on the “Start” button, which is located in the bottom left corner to launch the system menu of the same name. In it, click on the gear icon located above the button to turn off the PC.
   Click on the gear in the Start menu to open the Windows Settings window
2. As a result, a large Windows Settings window will appear on the screen. It can be called up with a special key combination: Win + I. Among all the tiles, select “Network and Internet”, which is located in the first row of the fourth.
   Click on the Network and Internet tile
3. Switch to the Ethernet block and click on the network to which you are connected.
   Click on the current network in the Ethernet tab
4. On the page that opens, choose between “Public” and “Private” depending on what level of security you need to surf the Internet. There is no need to restart the device after making changes: they take effect immediately.
   Select one of two options: “Public” or “Private”

Through the "Local Security Policy" window

Changing the network type is also possible in the window in which various security policies are available. Let's look at the procedure step by step:

1. To launch the window we need, hold down two keys: Win and R. In the universal window for launching standard Windows panels, write the code secpol.msc. After this, click on OK or Enter on the keyboard.
   Paste secpol.msc into the "Open" field
2. If the first launch method does not work, use the second. Call the “Control Panel” and find the “Administration” object in the list. If the display mode is “Small icons”, the section will be the first in the last column.
   Find the “Administration” item in the list
3. In Windows Explorer, find Local Security Policy and double-click it.
   Double-click the Local Security Policy window
4. In the window, go to the fourth block called “Network List Manager Policies”. On the short list, the last item would be your network. We click on it once with the right mouse button to open a menu with options, in which we select the “Properties” item.
   Select the first item "Properties" in the context menu
5. Here we switch directly to the last block “Network location”. If you want to set a private network profile, for the first parameter, select the second value “Personal”: put a round mark to the left of it. For the “User Permissions” item, a third value is required.
   In the “Network Location” tab, select “Personal” and “User cannot exclude location”
6. Click on “Apply” and then on OK so that all changes made are saved immediately.
7. If, on the contrary, you want to make the network public, check the circle next to “Public”. In the second, put a value with the ability to change the location.

Using Registry Editor

This method is suitable for more advanced PC users, since it involves working in the important Windows service “Registry Editor”, on the coordinated operation of which the functioning of the device itself depends. You must edit entries here as carefully as possible, strictly following the instructions:

1. Again, open the familiar “Run” window using the Win and R key combination. This time we type a simpler code to launch the “Registry Editor”: regedit. Now press Enter or OK.
   Type the command regedit in the Run window
2. We allow the editor to make changes on the device by clicking on the “Yes” button.
   Click on the "Yes" button to allow Registry Editor to make changes to your device
3. In the left narrow panel of the window, double-click on the third branch of HKLM.
   Open the HKLM branch in an editor window
4. Now you need to carefully open the following blocks in strict sequence: SOFTWARE - Microsoft - Windows NT - CurrentVersion - NetworkList - Profiles.
   In the Profiles section there will be one or more folders corresponding to the networks your PC connected to
5. The last opened partition must have at least one folder. As a rule, there are much more of them on the list. Each of them corresponds to one or another network to which the device was previously connected. The system gives them names in the form (95476…..E08).
6. The user's current network usually comes first. To verify this, pay attention to the “Value” of the last parameter in this folder called ProfileName. It must match your network name.
   Select the desired folder from the available ones using the ProfileName entry
7. When you have found the desired folder in the Profiles block, open it and look for the Category registry entry. She will be at the top of the list. Click on it with the right mouse button or double-click with the left one. In the first case, in the small gray context menu, click on “Change”.
   Select the "Edit" option from the context menu
8. A window will open on top of the editor. In the “Value” line, write one of the following numbers depending on what type of network you want to install:
   • 0 - “Public network”;
   • 1 - “Private network”;
   • 2 - “Domain network”.
9. Click OK, close the window and restart the device.
   Enter the required number in the “Value” line

Via PowerShell

The standard Windows PowerShell utility is an alternative to Command Prompt that allows users to perform a wide variety of actions on their PC, from launching applications to changing system settings. PowerShell allows you to install another network profile using certain codes:

1. Launch the panel called “Windows Search” through the magnifying glass icon located to the right of the “Start” button. We print the PowerShell query in the line. The system will immediately display the desired service in the search results. Write a PowerShell query in the search bar
2. We right-click on it and in the gray menu click on the first option “Run as administrator”. From the gray menu, select the "Run as administrator" option
3. We allow the editor to make changes on the computer: click on “Yes”.
4. First, we need to know the index of your current network for which you want to change the type. To do this, you need to insert the short command get-NetConnectionProfile.
   In the PowerShell window, paste the command get-NetConnectionProfile
5. The system will display the required data. We remember the number of the InterfaceIndex parameter.
   Remember the number in the InterfaceIndex parameter
6. Now it's time to change the network profile. If you want to set "Public Network", copy and paste the following longer code: Set-NetConnectionProfile -InterfaceIndex "Interface Number" -NetworkCategory Public. Instead of a number, you need to write the number that you remembered in the previous step of these instructions.
   Enter the command Set-NetConnectionProfile -InterfaceIndex "Interface Number" -NetworkCategory Public and insert the number corresponding to the InterfaceIndex parameter
7. If, on the contrary, you want to make the network private, instead of Public at the end of the code, type Private. We also insert the individual interface number.
   Replace Public with Private to enable "Private Network"
8. For the code to execute, you just need to press Enter on your keyboard. All changes will take effect immediately.

Video: how to install a different network profile in Windows 10 using different methods

How to set the network type for Wi-Fi

You can also set up a different type of network connection to a Wi-Fi point in the Windows Settings window. However, here you need to use another section corresponding to wireless networks. The procedure is simple and does not take much time:

What type of network to install depends on the location you are currently in. The “public network” is the most secure, since in public places there is the greatest chance of being subject to virus attacks and hacking. The “Private” profile can be selected if you are at home or at work. You can change the type at any time in several ways. The easiest and most convenient way is through the Windows Settings window.

Every time you connect to a new network, Windows allows you to choose whether it is private or public. The system asks if you want to make your computer accessible to other devices on this network. This option allows Windows to understand the type of network connected and select the appropriate settings for it. When working with public networks, the system will be slightly more secure due to stricter rules that do not apply when connecting to a home network that you trust.

The user can decide the rules for working in public and private networks. By default, Windows enables network discovery on private networks, thereby allowing other computers to discover your computer. Due to this, you can exchange files, network printers and use other features. In addition, you can create a Home Group on a private network, but this feature is slowly disappearing from Windows 10 due to its uselessness.

Simply put, in a private network, Windows understands that you trust other connected devices and allow them to communicate with your computer. This rule does not apply on public networks, since unknown devices and unknown people may be connected to such networks.

Which network to choose - public or private

If you have complete control over the network in your home or business, then you can safely choose a private or home network type, since in this case you will have additional benefits. For example, sharing files, creating a DLNA server, or using shared network printers. In this case, the system, roughly speaking, will be “less secure” than when using public networks. It should be understood that an Ethernet connection at home may still fall under the “public” category, since other people (neighbors, for example) may be connected to the provider’s network equipment. If you do not need the benefits of a private network and security is a more pressing issue for you, then choose a public type of network.

How to change a public network to a private one

Often this decision must be made the first time you connect to the network via an Ethernet cable or Wi-Fi connection. Windows will ask you if you want to make this computer discoverable. If you agree, the rules of the private network are established; if not, the rules are set for the public network. It may be that you were in a hurry to close this window or simply clicked in the wrong place. In this case, you can manually change the network type or reset its settings.

You can see your network type in Windows 10 Settings or Control Panel. Click Win+I or open Settings in any other way. Open Network and Internet - Status. At the top, under the connection type icon, your network type will be displayed. In the screenshot you can see that the computer is connected to a private network via an Ethernet cable.

To check your network type through Control Panel, click Win+ R and enter Control. In the Control Panel window that opens, go to the section Network and Internet – Network and Sharing Center. Again, the network type will be displayed at the top of the window under the network name. On Windows 7, in the Control Panel, you can click on the network type and set it to home, work or public network. Home and work are private networks, except that the home group is disabled on the work network. A public network is a network that is publicly accessible.

To change a private network to a public network or vice versa, open and then click Change connection properties. Alternatively, you can go to Network and Internet - Ethernet/Wi-Fi(depending on the type of Internet connection), click on the active connection and then change the network type.

Do you need an item Network profile. Here you already include either Public, or Private, depending on which profile you need to install.

note: The instructions above are relevant for devices running Windows 10 Fall Creators Update 1709. If your computer has not yet been updated to this version of Windows or higher, then changing the network type may be slightly different from what is described above. In the properties of the current connection you will need to find the parameter Make this computer discoverable. Enabling it makes the current connection private, and shutdown publicly available. Since this arrangement was not entirely clear to users, Microsoft redesigned this system and made it simpler.

Alternatively, you can also reset the network settings and then select the type from the pop-up menu. Open Settings – Network and Internet – Status. Go down a little and click Network reset. After this, the system will remove and reinstall the network adapters, and also reset the network type and offer to re-select its type. Just keep in mind that after a network reset, you may need to reconfigure some specific settings, such as VPN connections. Click Reset now. Restart your computer.

How to change network sharing settings

As mentioned above, you can deny access to your computer on home networks or change other standard rules for network types. To do this, click Win+ R and enter Control. In Control Panel, go to Network and Internet – Network and Sharing Center – Change advanced sharing settings.

On this screen, you can set the following options for each type of network (private, guest or public, and offline):

• Network discovery– other computers can see your device.
• File and Printer Sharing– other computers have access to shared files and folders, as well as printers, access to which is allowed from your computer.
• Homegroup connections– this parameter will be managed either by Windows or user accounts will be used (convenient when the same account is used on different computers). This option is not available for private networks.

Windows Firewall also uses different settings for private and public networks. They are located in Control Panel – System and Security – Defender Firewall Windows. There you can set individual rules of behavior for each type of network.

Below we will describe two ways to change the network type in Windows 8. Changing the network to private in Windows 8 has become more difficult than it was in Windows 7.

In Windows, starting with Vista, the network profiles mechanism is used to group network settings.

In Windows 8, these profiles are called " Private network" And " Public network".Profile" Public network" imposes restrictions on data transfer over the network and the operation of network programs. Profile " Private network" has fewer such restrictions and allows the use of file and printer sharing, as well as network programs.

By default, when you connect to a new network, Windows assigns it a profile " Public network". When connecting to a new network, Windows 8 issues the following request:

If you click the "Yes" button, the network will be assigned the type " Private". But if you click "No" or ignore this prompt, then Windows 8 will assign this network type " Public".

If only the Internet is distributed through the network, then the type of network is not important. However, when using shared resources on a local network, the type of network profile already matters. It may be necessary to change the network type (profile) from “Public” to “Private” to reduce restrictions on this network. For example, to create a homegroup, the network type must be set to profile " Private network".

In Windows 7, you could change the network profile directly in the Network Center, but in Windows 8 this feature was hidden quite deeply. And now, how to make a network private under Windows 8 is no longer at all obvious.

Change the network to private through Windows 8 settings

On Windows 8, you can change the network type through the settings, but this is now (unlike Windows 7) very difficult. If you don’t know where this setting is hidden, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to find it. The chain of actions is long.

First you need to open the Windows 8 sidebar (for example, with the keys Win+I) and there click on “Change computer settings”:

Then click on " Net":

Then click on “Connections”, and then, in the right panel, click on the icon with the name of the desired network:

The next screen will have text and a network type switch:

Position " Off"changes the network type to " Public". Position " On"changes the network type to " Private":

This is how they dug deep into changing the network type in Windows 8.

Change network type through local policies

Open local security policies. This can be done slowly via the GUI or quickly via direct launch:

• Or through the Control Panel - Administration.
• Or Windows + R on your keyboard, then secpol.msc and Enter.

There you need to open the "Network Manager Policies" policy key and in this key open the policy that has the same name as the network you need (in the first screenshot of this article):

Then, in the properties of this policy, open the “Network Location” tab and specify the location type and user permission there:

Note! If the user's permission is not set exactly like this - "User cannot change the location" - the setting will not work.

How to make a network private in Windows 8 through the registry

It may be easier and faster to change the network type through the Windows 8 registry. But this is not safe.

You need to find the key in the registry HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\NetworkList\Profiles.

This key must contain at least one key with the name of the view (84464.....E00). Each such key corresponds to one network, which is displayed in the Network Control Center. You can find out which key is associated with the desired network using the parameter " ProfileName". This parameter contains the name of the network that is displayed in the "Network Sharing Center". That is, if in the "Network Sharing Center" your network is called "Network 2" then you need to look for the key that contains the parameter " ProfileName"equal to value" Network 2".

If you have several networks in the Network and Control Center, then according to the parameter ProfileName"you can find the desired key and in this key, you need to change the value of the parameter" Category". This setting defines the network settings profile that will be used for the network.

Windows 10 assigns private status to each Wi-Fi or Ethernet network (she's homemade), or public (public) network. Depending on the assigned network profile, the default settings for a specific connection (network) change. There are settings for sharing files and printers. Which determine whether other devices will see your computer on the local network.

When we first connect to a Wi-Fi network, or connect to the Internet via a network cable, Windows 10 asks us: “Do you want to allow other computers and devices on this network to detect your PC?”

If you select "Yes", the system will assign this network the status of home. And if you select "No" (or choose nothing)– then the network profile “Public” will be assigned.

You can view the current network status in the Network and Sharing Center.

In the settings, you can always change the public network to your home network, and vice versa. But let's first find out what the difference is, what the network status affects, and what problems can arise if you set the network location incorrectly.

What is the difference between a home and public network?

As I wrote above, the difference is in the sharing settings that are applied to the network by default after assigning a network profile to it. It's simple:

• Private network, or home network - the computer will be discovered by other devices on the network and files and printers will be shared. Of course, it is recommended to assign this network profile to a Wi-Fi network or Ethernet connection only when you trust the network itself. For example, connected to their home network, at work, etc. And if there is a need for the computer to participate in the local network.
• A public network, or a public one, is the other way around. The default settings for this profile are such that your computer will not participate in the local network. It will not be detected by other devices on the network and will be as secure as possible. When we connect to open, unknown Wi-Fi networks, or even directly via a network cable from the provider, it is recommended to install this particular network profile.

Sharing settings can be changed separately for each profile. Or for all networks at once. You can do this in the control panel. At: Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Network and Sharing Center\Advanced sharing settings

These settings may be useful for example when . But it is better not to change the parameters unless necessary. Especially in the "All Networks" and "Guest or Public" sections.

By the way, pay attention to the screenshot above. Near the profile that is selected for the network to which you are currently connected, there will be an inscription “current profile”. These are already network profile parameters. And we have an article on a slightly different topic. Now I will show you how to change a public network to a private one and vice versa in Windows 10.

Which network profile should I choose?

If you have Internet connected via cable from your home router, you can select the “Private” profile. And if the Internet is connected directly from the provider, then it is better to set it to “Public”.

As for Wi-Fi networks, everything is simple. If you trust the network (at home, at work, with friends) then you can select "Private". And if the network is somewhere in a cafe, hotel, store, etc., then of course we prohibit public access by selecting the “Public” profile.

Changing a profile from public to private (or vice versa) in Windows 10

There are several ways you can change your network type. First, let's look at the simplest one. This method is suitable for both Wi-Fi networks and Ethernet connections.

Open the settings, then go to the "Network and Internet" section. On the "Status" tab, click on "Change connection properties".

And simply change the network profile to the required one.

All is ready.

How to change the network profile of a Wi-Fi network?

You can get to the settings faster. Click on the connection icon and select "Network and Internet settings".

Change your network location.

After setup, the computer will either be available on the network or hidden.

Setting up a network location for an Ethernet connection in Windows 10

As I wrote at the beginning of the article, for an Ethernet connection (via network cable) You can also change the network location from “Public Network” to “Home Network”. And in reverse order.

In the same way, go to the settings and in the “Network and Internet” section you need to open the “Ethernet” tab. Click on the connection to open its settings.

All that remains is to select the required profile.

Instead of setting up a network profile, there may be an option to “Make this computer discoverable.” If you set the switch to the "Off" position, the computer will not be detected on the network (Public Network). And if you set it to "On", the "Private Network" profile will be applied.

Some nuances

Often, due to an incorrectly selected network profile, it is not possible, for example, to configure . Since the TV simply does not see the computer on the network due to the “Public” profile installed. Or you can’t set up file and printer sharing. Therefore, on the network where you plan to exchange files and access media content from other devices, you need to activate the “Private” profile and, if necessary, configure it further.

To ensure your security, always prevent other computers from discovering your computer on a network unless you trust the network and can be sure that it is secure. Simply activate the "Public" profile, or click "No" in response to the question that appears immediately when connecting to the network.

When you first set up and connect to a network, Windows stores this information as a network profile and gives it a generic name, such as Network, Network 1. You may see this name when you click the network icon on the taskbar or when you open Network and Sharing Center in Control Panel. Although the default network name is not a big problem and does not affect anything, if you have several network profiles it can be useful in order not to get confused, and it looks decent. If you are a Windows Home user you will not have a local security policy, see how to change the network name below using the registry.

Changing the Network Profile Name Local Security Policy Method

The easiest way to change the network profile name in Windows is to change the local security policy settings. Local Security Policy is included in the Group Policy Editor. Unlike Group Policy Editor, where you can configure settings for all computers and users in your domain, Local Security Policy is used to set and change settings for your specific local computer.

• Click Win+R and enter secpol.msc.

• 1. Go to " Security Settings" > "Network List Manager Policy".
• 2. Click on the right twice on " Net".
• 3. Set any name for your network.

Note: Do not use special characters in the name.

That's all. This is an instant change and you will see the new name when you click the network icon on the taskbar.

The new network profile name is also reflected in Network and Sharing Center. If you don't see any changes, reboot your system.

Changing the network profile name using the registry method

As a subset of the Group Policy Editor, you won't have access to Local Security Policy if you're using the Windows Home edition. Therefore, we will use the Registry Editor to change the network name in Windows.

• Click the buttons Win+R and enter regedit.

• In Registry Editor, navigate to the following location:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\NetworkList\Profiles

• Expand the section Profiles and you will see a key of the form (38034ABF.... If you have several such keys there, then look for which DWORD parameter with the name is located ProfileName. Double-click this option and change the "Value" field to the network profile name that best suits your needs.

Restart your computer and enjoy your changed network name.