2. Enabling and Disabling Sharing
When you connect to a new network for the
first time, Windows 8 automatically disables file and printer sharing
through the connection, to protect you from hackers. You can then
manually enable or disable sharing on the network. The choice you make
determines the Windows Firewall settings that are applied and the
networking features that will be available.
Two choices are available:
• When you connect to a private network, you can choose to enable sharing. A private network is one where you trust the other computers on the network. That is, you trust the people
using the other computers. File and printer sharing is enabled, as is
Network Discovery, which makes your computer visible to other users and
makes their computers visible to you. It’s also possible to join a
homegroup, which we discuss shortly.
• When you connect to a public network, you must disable
sharing. A public network is one where you don’t trust the other users
or computers, for example, on any direct connection to a cable or DSL
modem, on networks and Internet connections in hotels, Internet cafes,
airports, clients’ offices, dorms, and anywhere else where you don’t
want random people poking into your computer. File and printer sharing
and Network Discovery are disabled on this network connection.
Here’s a good rule of thumb: If you don’t need to use file sharing and printer sharing in a given location, disable sharing on the connection.
Caution
Any connection that leads directly to the Internet without your own firewall or router in between must
have sharing turned off and be designated a public network, to protect
your computer from the hackers and bad software “out there.” This holds
no matter how you make the connection: plug-in Ethernet, wireless,
dial-up, or a direct connection to a cable or DSL modem.
Microsoft changed the way this setting is
made going from Windows 7 to Windows 8. In Windows 7, you were prompted
to select the network’s location: Public, Home, or Work. In Windows 8,
you enable or disable sharing.
By default, sharing is disabled when you
first connect to a new network. That is, when you move your computer
from one network to another, Windows will detect the change and turn
off sharing. To change the sharing setting, follow these steps:
1. Move the pointer to
the bottom-right corner of the screen and click the Settings
(gear-shaped) charm. When the Settings panel slides into view, click
the network icon.
3. Setting Your Computer Identification
After you’ve configured your network, the
next step is to make sure that each of the computers on your network is
a member of the same domain or workgroup.
If you are part of a
Windows domain-type network, your system administrator will give you
the information you need to set your computer identification.
If you are setting up your own network
without Windows Server, right-click the very bottom-left corner of the
screen and select System on each of the computers on your network. Does
each have a different full computer name, and the same workgroup name?
If so, you’re all set.
If not, click Change Settings, click the
Network ID button, and prepare to answer the wizard’s questions. Click
Next on the wizard’s first screen. You are asked to select the option
that best describes your computer:
• This Computer Is Part of a Business Network; I Use It to Connect to Other Computers at Work.
• This Computer Is a Home Computer; It’s Not Part of a Business Network.
Which one you choose makes a significant
difference. If you choose the “Home Computer” option, the wizard sets
up your computer for peer-to-peer networking with the workgroup name
WORKGROUP and then finishes.
Caution
You must be sure that every computer on your
network uses the same workgroup name if you want them to be able to
easily share files and printers.
2. Right-click the name of your network connection and select Turn Sharing On or Off.
3. If you are
on a network that you trust, select Yes, Turn On Sharing and Connect to
Devices. Otherwise, on a public network, select No.
