Creating network discovery profiles
Network discovery is the method a computer running Windows 8 uses to locate available networks and devices connected to those networks.
Note
SECURITY ALERT BE AWARE OF POTENTIAL SECURITY RISKS WITH NETWORK DISCOVERY
The technology used to allow network discovery has the potential for
misuse and should be carefully considered before the technology is used.
When network discovery is turned on, which it is by default if the
Express Settings option was chosen during initial configuration, your
computer can connect to other devices, and other devices can connect to
your computer. Because networks can have very different characteristics
and usages, Windows offers two profiles for network types regarding network discovery. These profiles are found in the Network and Sharing Center. At the desktop, open the Settings charm, and then tap or click Control
Panel. Tap or click Network And Sharing Center, and then tap or click
Change Advanced Sharing Settings. The available network profiles are:
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Private Settings in this profile are applied when connected to a secured network. Options available for this profile include:
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Turn On Network Discovery Selecting this option allows the local
computer to see networked computers and devices and be seen by other
computers or devices on the network.
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Turn On Automatic Setup Of Network Connected Devices Selecting this
option queries networked devices to configure them automatically on the
computer.
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Turn Off Network Discovery Selecting this option prevents the computer from seeing or being seen by other computers or devices on the network.
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Turn On File And Printer Sharing Selecting this option enables the ability to share files and printers or other devices.
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Turn Off File And Printer Sharing Selecting this option disables the ability to share files and printers or other devices.
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Allow Windows To Manage HomeGroup Connections (Recommended)
Selecting this option automates the configuration of homegroups on
private non-domain networks.
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Use User Accounts And Passwords To Connect To Other Computers
Selecting this option requires user names and passwords to be provided
when connecting to shared resources on other computers.
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Guest or Public
Settings in this profile are applied when connected to an open network. The options available for this profile include the following from the preceding list:
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Turn On Network Discovery
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Turn Off Network Discovery
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Turn On File And Printer Sharing
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Turn Off File And Printer Sharing
The third option contained in network profiles
is for all networks. Settings configured here are used regardless of
public or private network type. Settings available include:
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Public Folder Sharing When this setting is enabled, other computers can access files and folders in the public profile folders of the computer.
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Media Streaming
When this setting is enabled, other people or computers on the network
can access photos, music, and video on the local computer. Tap or click
Choose Media Streaming Options. The Media Streaming Options dialog box,
as shown in Figure 1, enables you to configure additional settings for sharing your media on the network. These options include:
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Show Devices On Select whether media devices should be visible on the local network or on all networks.
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Allow All Select this option to configure settings so that all computers and devices on this network can access streaming media.
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Block All Select this option to disable access to shared media by any devices or computers.
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Customize Select the Customize link to allow media to be streamed
based on ratings. You can also indicate whether unrated content should
be included.
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File Sharing Connections
These settings determine the encryption level used for sharing files. By default, 128-bit encryption is used; however, some devices require different encryption levels. Options include:
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Password Protected Sharing
This setting requires incoming connections to have a user name and
password on the local computer to access files. Password-protected
sharing can be managed by using the following options:
To configure a computer to allow only content rated four stars or
higher and to exclude unrated content, complete the following steps:
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Open the Network and Sharing Center by searching for Network Sharing
on the Start screen and tapping or clicking Network And Sharing Center
in the results pane.
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Select Change Advanced Sharing Settings in the navigation pane.
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Expand the All Networks section on the Profiles page.
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Select the Choose Media Streaming Options link.
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Select Choose Default Settings on the Default Media Streaming Settings page, shown in Figure 2.
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For Star Ratings, make sure that Only is selected, and then select Rated 4 Stars Or Higher in the drop-down box.
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Clear the Include Unrated Files check box.
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Tap or click OK.
In addition to sharing based on content ratings, permissions can be
assigned to content types within a homegroup. After modifying the
default sharing settings, complete the following steps:
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On the Media Streaming Options page (Figure 1), tap or click Choose Homegroup And Sharing Options.
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On the HomeGroup page, tap or click Choose What You Want To Share, And View The Homegroup Password.
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Select either Shared or Not Shared, as shown in Figure 3, for the following media types and devices:
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Pictures
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Videos
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Music
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Documents
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Printers and Devices
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After these permissions have been configured, tap or click Next to continue.
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On the next page, write down or print the homegroup password so that other computers can join your homegroup and access your shared resources.
Note
SECURITY ALERT HOMEGROUP PASSWORDS
Keep homegroup passwords as secure as any other password.
Even though homegroups are password protected and only devices and
computers with that information can join them, information is still
shared across multiple computers and has the potential to be shared
outside the homegroup, especially when documents and other files are
involved.
When network
discovery settings are used or allowed, Windows makes changes to the
firewall rules to ensure that the selected services operate as needed.
If the settings are disabled, Windows will close the ports in the
firewall by disabling rules to allow these items to be used. Working
with these features can increase the security risk on a given computer
because connections to other networks, computers, or devices are
allowed. Before enabling any settings involving sharing, carefully
consider security and how the computer might be used.
