Every time you connect to a new network, Windows allows you to choose its type - 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 safer due to stricter rules that do not apply when connecting to a home network that you trust.
The user himself can decide the rules for working in public and private networks. By default, Windows enables network discovery on private networks, thus allowing other computers to discover your computer. This allows you to share files, network printers, and other features. In addition, you can create a Homegroup on a private network, but this feature is slowly leaving Windows 10 due to its uselessness.
Simply put, on a private network, Windows understands that you trust the other connected devices and allow them to communicate with your computer. In public networks, this rule does not apply, since unknown devices and unknown people can be connected to such networks.
Which network to choose - public or private
If you have complete control over the network in your home or work, then you can safely choose a private or home type of network, since in this case additional benefits will be available to you. 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, however, 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 advantages of a private network and you are more concerned about security, then choose the public type of networks.
How to change a public network to a private one
Often this decision must be made the first time you connect to the network using 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 set, if not, the rules are public. It may be that you hurried to close this window or just clicked 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 on Win+ I or open Settings in any other way. Open up Network & Internet - Status... At the top, under the connection type icon, your network type will be displayed. In the screenshot, you can notice that the computer is connected to a private network via an Ethernet cable.
To check the network type through the 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 name of the network. On Windows 7, in the Control Panel, you can click on the type of network and set your home, work or public network. Home and work are private networks, with the only exception that the home group is disabled on the work network. A public network is a correspondingly public network.
To change your private network to public or vice versa, open and then tap 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.
You need an item Network profile... Here you already include either Publicly available 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 differ slightly from the one 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 layout was not entirely clear to users, Microsoft redesigned the system and made it simpler.
Alternatively, you can also reset your network settings and then select a type from the pop-up menu. Open up Options - Network & Internet - Status... Go down a little lower and click Network reset... After that, the system will remove and reinstall network adapters, and also reset the network type and offer to re-select its type. Just keep in mind that after resetting the network, you may need to reconfigure some specific parameters, like the same VPN connections. Click on Reset now... Reboot your computer.
How to change network sharing settings
As mentioned above, you can deny access to the 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 parameters for each type of network (private, guest or public, as well as 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, which are allowed to be accessed from your computer.
- Homegroup connections- either Windows will control this parameter, or user accounts will be used (it is convenient when one account is used on different computers). This option is not available for private networks.
The 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 conduct for each type of network.
Windows 10 assigns a private status to every Wi-Fi or Ethernet network. (she's home), or a public (public) network. Depending on the assigned network profile, the default settings for a specific connection (network) are changed. There are entered settings for sharing files and printers. Which determines 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 choose "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 is the difference, what is affected by the network status, and what problems can be if the network location is incorrectly set.
What is the difference between 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 - the computer will be discovered on the network by other devices and will be available to share files and printers. Of course, it is recommended that you assign this network profile to a Wi-Fi network, or an Ethernet connection, only when you trust the network itself. For example, they are connected to their home network, at work, etc. And if there is a need for the computer to participate in the local network.
- The public network, or public, is the opposite. For this profile, the default settings are set so that your computer will not participate in the local network. It will not be detected by other devices on the network and will be maximally protected. When we connect to open, unknown Wi-Fi networks, or even directly via a network cable from a provider, it is recommended to set this particular network profile.
Sharing settings can be changed separately for each profile. Or for all networks at once. This can be done in the control panel. At: Control Panel \ All Control Panel Items \ Network and Sharing Center \ Advanced Sharing Options
These settings can be useful for example when. But it is better not to change the parameters unless necessary. Especially in the section "All networks" and "Guest or public".
By the way, take a look at the screenshot above. Next to the profile that is selected for the network to which you are currently connected, there will be an inscription "current profile". These are the parameters of the network profiles. And we have an article on a slightly different topic. Now I'm going to show you how to change from a public network to a private one and vice versa in Windows 10.
Which network profile should you choose?
If you have the Internet connected via cable from your home router, you can select the "Private" profile. And if the Internet is connected directly from the ISP, then it is better to set "Public".
As for Wi-Fi networks, everything is simple here. 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 general access by selecting the "Public" profile.
Change your profile from public to private (or vice versa) in Windows 10
There are several ways in which you can change the network type. Let's start with the simplest one. This method is suitable for both Wi-Fi networks and Ethernet connections.
Open the parameters, then go to the "Network and Internet" section. On the "Status" tab, click on "Change connection properties".
And we just change the network profile to the required one.
Everything is ready.
How can I 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.
Once configured, the computer will either be available on the network or hidden.
Configuring Network Location for Ethernet Connection in Windows 10
As I wrote at the beginning of the article, for Ethernet connection (via network cable) you can also change the network location from "Public network" to "Home network". And in the reverse order.
In the same way, go to the parameters and in the "Network and Internet" section you need to open the "Ethernet" tab. Click on a connection to open its settings.
All that remains is to select the required profile.
Instead of configuring a network profile, there might be a "Make this computer discoverable" option. If you put the switch in the Off position, the computer will not be found on the network (Public Network). And if you put "On", then the "Private network" profile will be applied.
Some nuances
It is not uncommon for an incorrectly selected network profile to fail, 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, in the network where you plan to exchange files, access media content from other devices, you need to activate the "Private" profile and, if necessary, configure it additionally.
For your safety, always prevent other computers from discovering your computer on the network if you do not trust the network and cannot be sure of its security. Just activate the Public profile, or click "No" in response to the question that appears immediately when you connect to the network.
A local area network between two computers is a great way to transfer files quickly and easily. It can be used both for home use, connecting several computers in your home, and for work purposes. And despite the fact that Windows 10, like previous versions of Windows, has all the necessary tools to create and configure a local network, the very procedure for creating it is somewhat complicated for ordinary users.
Creating a local network in the Windows 10 operating system
There are two main ways you can create a local area network. This is the creation of a wireless LAN via wi-fi, or the creation of a local network using a network cable. Both methods have their pros and cons.
Creating a LAN using a cable
It is worth pointing out right away that you have a wi-fi router at home and all computers are connected to it, no additional effort is required to create a network. There is already a connection between your computers, so there is no need to connect them additionally to each other. But in most cases, the need to create a local network arises when there is no such connection. In this case, you will need to connect computers directly to each other (modern models are easily connected with a simple Internet cable). Then, the first step is to make sure that the "Workgroup" parameter is assigned the same name on each of the connected devices. To do this, you should do the following:
Next, you need to configure the network discovery settings. Enabled network discovery will allow you to interact with your computer on the local network, while disabled, it will block this opportunity. It's good to be able to toggle this setting for security reasons. This is done as follows:
This is already enough if the computers are connected with cables through a router. But if they are connected directly, a number of additional settings should be made. We do the following:
Thus, we have created and configured a local network via a network cable. Computers share each other's files and printer, which will serve our purposes.
If you still have questions about creating such a local network, you can watch this video.
Video: create a LAN between computers in Windows
How to create and configure a wireless network via Wi-Fi connection
A wireless connection is more convenient for most users, although it may be less stable than desired. To create it in Windows 10, you will have to use the command line. But to simplify the process that must be repeated every time the computer is turned on, we will immediately consider creating an executable file that will reproduce this command. To do this, create a text file and enter the following block of commands there:
netsh wlan set hostednetwork mode = allow ssid = ”network-name” key = ”password-to-connect”
netsh wlan start hostednetwork
In this case, the name of the network and the password from it must be entered without quotes.
Further, when saving the file, change the .txt format to .bat simply by changing the signature of the file format after the dot in its name. The executable file is ready. It's worth running it every time your device starts up.
After the network is started by this series of commands, another device can connect to it using the password you set for connection and the name of the network.
Configuring access to folders on the created network
Now that the local network between the two computers is installed, let's figure out how to open shared access to certain folders. Sharing can be configured either to any individual folder or to the entire disk - depending on your goals and the level of trust in the user of another computer. For this:
Now all that remains is to make the security settings. To do this, in the same place, in the folder properties, go to the appropriate tab and do the following:
Thus, access was configured for users to the specified folder. You can do this for any number of folders and users.
Adding a new device
If you have already set up a local network according to the instructions above, then adding a new device for general use will not be difficult. To do this, just open the control panel of your computer, and go to the "Hardware and Sound" section, and then select "Devices and Printers". In this folder, you will see all connected devices. We do the following:
Now that the general access to the device is open, you only need to connect it by acting through a computer in the local network. This is done like this:
Connection problems in Windows 10
If you've created and configured your local network correctly, you shouldn't have much of a problem. Just make sure that:
- You enter the security key correctly when connecting to a local network via wi-fi
- The cable is securely connected to both computers.
- You have given all the necessary access and security rights.
- All connected devices have the correct IP address if it is not set automatically.
- Network discovery of your device is enabled in the settings.
In addition, there are a number of specific problems when connecting devices.
For example, if, when trying to connect to a device, you receive a standard Windows error about the impossibility of this action, you should take the following steps:
Removing LAN in Windows 10
Despite the fact that in most cases it is enough to disable the detection of a device in the local network using the method indicated above in this article, there is no need to keep local connections on the computer that are not used.
Therefore, we will consider how to delete an already created local network that we do not need.
This can be done in Windows 10 through the registry. To call it, press Win + R and in the window that appears, enter the regedit command.
Attention, any incorrect change to the registry can harm your computer. You do these actions at your own peril and risk.
In the registry, follow this path:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows NT \ CurrentVersion \ NetworkList \ Profiles
There you will find many traces of past network connections with specific names. Just delete those subsections that point you to unnecessary network connections.
Video: remove local network in Windows 10
We've covered how to create a local area network using a network cable and using a wireless connection. Now, you can organize a connection between your devices at home or at work for comfortable and fast information transfer.
Why set up a home network? It would seem that a laptop, a computer and a couple of smartphones are working at home, they are periodically used to access the Internet. What else is needed? But remember how often you have to transfer files from one device to another? You have to copy to a USB flash drive and back or use Bluetooth.
Even if you do this no more than once a month, with a home LAN, everything will become much easier. In addition, its customization will open up a lot of new possibilities. For example, files can not be transferred, but run directly on another computer or even a TV (if it has the ability to work in a local network with Windows 10). It will be possible to run games on a grid, print documents from any computer to one printer and use many other features.
Basic concepts
A home local area network is several computers connected by one network cable for data exchange. Most apartments today have Wi-Fi routers. Thanks to them, setting up a LAN has become a simple task.
A rough diagram of a home local network with Windows 10 might look like this:
As you can see in the above figure, the Internet is fed via an Eternet wire to the router, to which a PC is connected via a patchcord (the same wire with double-sided connectors). Laptops and smartphone are connected to the router via Wi-Fi. Of course, such a connection does not create a local network by default. You need a specific setting on each of the devices. In this example, different machines and gadgets, if not configured properly, will not be able to “see” each other.
The most important term in this whole process is the so-called groups. A Windows 10 workgroup can include a maximum of 20 machines that are nodes of the same level, that is, they cannot control each other. In other words, in such a network, all computers are equal - there is no main server.
In addition, there is the concept of a homegroup, which can be formed if computers already belong to a workgroup. In a homegroup, it's easy to share photos, music, movies, and documents from other devices. Such a group, unlike a work group, has a password, but you only need to enter it once to add a new device.
Create local space step by step
Working group
First of all, make sure that all computers have the same workgroup name. It can be anything - you install it at your discretion. On Windows 10:
- Open Start and go to Utilities.
- Launch the classic Control Panel.
- Open the "System and Security" item.
- Go to the "System" section.
- On the left, select “Advanced System Settings”.
- A small window will open in which you need to select "Computer name" and click on the "Change" button.
- In the new window at the bottom there will be an item "The computer is a member of ...": select "workgroup" and write down the desired name.
This setup must be done on all computers with Windows 10 (for 7 and 8, everything is done in the same way), which will be on the home network.
Visibility of computers on the network
The fact that computers with Windows 10 or other versions of the OS are in the same group is not enough for them to begin to “see” each other. Additional configuration required. To turn on visibility, do the following steps on each of the cars:
- Open Control Panel.
- Select “Networks and Internet” and go to the Network and Sharing Center.
- Open “Change advanced settings…”.
- Turn on File and Printer Sharing and Network Discovery.
- You need to do this in all profiles, in addition to enable the item "Sharing so that network users can read and write files in shared folders."
- Place the marker next to the "Disable password protected access" item.
- Save.
Sharing folders
Windows 10 network setup ends up sharing specific folders. To do this, just open the folder properties (by right-clicking - as always), then select the Access tab and go to Advanced settings. Check the box next to "Open Sharing" and click on the "Permissions" button.
Where for full access it is enough to check the boxes opposite “Full access”, “Change”, “Read” in the “Allow” column. But you can leave some checkboxes off and thus limit the capabilities of local network users.
Next to the Access tab is Security. Here click the "Change" button, and in the new window that opens "Add". In the empty box, write the word "All", as shown in the photo:
Now the "Everyone" group has appeared in the previous window. Select it and in the “Allow” column check all the boxes for full access. Save all changes and reboot. The setup is complete.
conclusions
After the performed manipulations, your Windows 10 should see the computers of its group and access all open folders. This is how a local network setup is summarized using Microsoft operating systems. In fact, everything may look different: the article contains only general principles.
For example, without a router (with a DHCP server enabled and automatic address distribution), two computers can be connected by a patch cord. In this case, after the first stage of configuration, you will need to register the IP addresses manually. This is done in the properties of the network adapter and the properties of the Internet protocol of the 4th version. It's the same for Windows 10, 8, 7 and even XP.
IPs of the form 192.168.0. * Are registered (for each computer, the last digit is unique, except for 0 and 1. You can use, for example, 5 and 7, Subnet mask 255.255.255.0 and default gateway 192.168.0.1. 192.168 are specified as DNS servers. 0.1 and 192.168.0.0 (optional) If the router has DHCP disabled, a similar setting must be done as well.
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In Windows 7, when connecting to a network, there was a choice between a home network, an enterprise network, or a public network. The first type of network is great for those who need to be able to access other devices on that network (network discovery, shared folders, access to network devices, and so on). The second type of network narrowed the level of access - for example, you could connect to a network printer, but you no longer can connect to all shared folders. Well, with a public network, everything is clear: choosing this type is worth in public places (airports, cafes, metro, and so on) - here greater security is ensured and a minimum of data about the device goes into the local network.
In Windows 10, Microsoft simplified the scheme - the home network and the enterprise network became a private network (because even in Windows 7 the difference between them was small and it could even be leveled out), the public network became public and did not change at all. Plus, now you can easily and easily switch between both types of network for the current connection (for example, if you accidentally made a mistake and made the network public at home).
To do this, you need to click on the network icon in the taskbar and select "Network and Internet settings": 
Now, in the list on the left, you need to select Wi-Fi or Ethernet (depending on your type of connection), and then click on the name of the network:
In the window that opens, you can hide the computer or make it discoverable on the local network - that is, just change the type of network:
Changing the network type occurs instantly, without reconnecting:
