CHAPTER 11
Work on a Network
Access Files Across a Homegroup
INTRODUCTION TO NETWORKS
If you have more than one computer at home or at a small office, you can set up a network so the computers can exchange information as well as share a printer and an Internet connection.
WIRED NETWORKS
A wired network uses wires, or cables, to send information between computers.
Advantages of Wired Networks
Fast, reliable transfer of data between computers on the network.
Secure. To connect to a wired network, a computer must physically connect to the network using a cable.
Ideal when computers on a network are close to each other.
EQUIPMENT NEEDED
Ethernet Port
Each computer on the network requires an Ethernet port. An Ethernet port allows each computer to connect to the network so the computers can communicate. Most computers come with an Ethernet port.
Router
A router is a device that provides a central location where all the cables on the network meet. A router also allows the computers on the network to share one Internet connection.
Internet Connection Device
An Internet connection device, such as a cable modem or Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) modem, allows you to connect to the Internet. The Internet connection device connects to the router using a cable.
Cables
Ethernet cables physically connect each computer to the network.
A wireless network uses radio signals instead of cables to send information between computers.
Advantages of Wireless Networks
No cables to connect.
Useful when computers are located where cables are not practical or economical.
Ideal for allowing laptop computers to access a network from many locations in a home or office.
Note: Some devices can interfere with a wireless network, such as a cordless phone, a microwave oven, or another wireless device.
EQUIPMENT NEEDED
Wi-Fi Networking Hardware
Each computer on a wireless network requires Wi-Fi capability. This allows each computer on the wireless network to communicate. Most laptop computers come with built-in Wi-Fi capability. You can add Wi-Fi capability to a computer by plugging a small Wi-Fi adapter into a computer’s USB port.
Wireless Router
A wireless router is a device that provides a central location where all the cables on the network meet and transmits and receives data between computers on a network using radio signals. A wireless router also allows all the computers on a network to share one Internet connection.
Internet Connection Device
An Internet connection device, such as a cable modem or DSL modem, allows you to connect to the Internet. The Internet connection device connects to the wireless router using a cable.
CREATE A HOMEGROUP
You can create a homegroup so the computers on your home network can share files and printers.
When you install Windows, you will be able to create a homegroup if one does not already exist on your home network.
CREATE A HOMEGROUP
When I connect my computer to a network, why does Windows ask me to select a location?
The first time you connect a computer to a network, a window appears, asking you to select a location for the network. Windows allows you to set up to three types of networks: Home, Work, and Public. You can create a homegroup only if your network is set up as a Home network.
Can I later change the types of files I selected to share?
Yes. After you create a homegroup, you can change the types of files you selected to share on your computer. To do so, press 
+ C and click Settings from the Charm bar. Then click Change PC settings.
From the PC settings screen, click HomeGroup and then click 
or 
beside the library you want to change permissions for.
When creating a homegroup, Windows generates a password that you will use to add other computers on your network to the homegroup.
A homegroup password prevents unauthorized people from accessing your homegroup.
When I connect to a network, Windows asks me what type of location I am connecting to. Which one should I choose?
Home network—Choose Home network when connecting to a network set up in your home or when you know and trust the people on your network.
Work network—Choose Work network when connecting to small office or other workplace networks.
Public network—Choose Public network when connecting to networks in public places, such as coffee shops and airports, or if your computer connects directly to the Internet without using a router.
Can I create a homegroup on a work or public network?
No. Computers connected to a Work network or Public network cannot belong to a homegroup. You can only belong to a homegroup if your computer’s network location is set to Home network.
JOIN A HOMEGROUP
After you create a homegroup, you can add other computers on your home network to it. Computers that belong to the same homegroup can share files and printers.
You need to perform the following steps on each computer that you want to join to your homegroup.
JOIN A HOMEGROUP
What if I don’t know the homegroup password?
If you don’t know the password, from a computer that belongs to the homegroup, perform steps 1 to 3 of this section, click the HomeGroup category, and scroll down to the Membership section where you will see the homegroup password.
Do all the computers in my home-group need to have Windows 8?
Not necessarily. Computers on your home network must be running either Windows 7 or Windows 8 to belong to a homegroup. Computers running an operating system earlier than Windows 7 cannot connect to homegroups.
ACCESS FILES ACROSS A HOMEGROUP
You can share your pictures, music, videos, documents, and printers with other people in your homegroup.
You can only access the files shared on other computers in your homegroup. To add a computer to your home-group, see “Join a Homegroup” earlier in this chapter.
ACCESS FILES ACROSS A HOMEGROUP
Why can’t I see the other user’s documents?
If the other user did not choose to share the Documents library, a Documents library doesn’t appear in the homegroup.
To see the Documents library, the other user, from his computer, must set the option to share the Documents library.
How do I access a printer on my network?
If another person has shared a printer on your network, you can use the printer to print files as if the printer was directly connected to your computer. Before you can use another person’s printer, make sure his computer and printer are turned on.
CHANGE HOW FILES ARE SHARED
After you create or join a homegroup, you can change how files on your computer are shared with other people in your homegroup.
By default, other people in your homegroup cannot make changes to files you have shared on your computer.
You can change what other people in your homegroup can do with your shared files as well as block people from accessing certain files that you want to keep private.
CHANGE HOW FILES ARE SHARED
What sharing options are available?
Stop sharing—Click this button to stop sharing the selected file or folder. Only you have access to the file.
Specific—Share the file with specific people you choose in your network or your homegroup.
Homegroup (view)—Share the file with your entire homegroup. Homegroup members can open but not edit or delete the file.
Homegroup (view and edit)—Share the file with your entire homegroup. Homegroup members can open, edit, and delete the file.
How can I share a file that is not in a library?
When you create or join a homegroup, you select the libraries you want to share with other people in your home-group, such as the Documents, Music, Pictures, and Videos libraries. If you want to share a file that is not in a library, such as a file on your desktop, you can right-click the file and then click Share with on the menu that appears. Then click the sharing option you want.
STOP SHARING A FILE
CONNECT TO A WIRELESS NETWORK
You can easily connect to a wireless network at home or at the office to access the information and printers available on the network.
If a wireless network is connected to the Internet, connecting to the network also allows you to access the Internet.
CONNECT TO A WIRELESS NETWORK
Can I connect to a wireless network when I am away from home or the office?
Many public places, such as coffee shops, hotels, and airports, allow you to connect to the Internet through wireless networks set up on their premises. These locations are called Wi-Fi hotspots, or wireless hotspots, and provide a convenient way of accessing the Internet while you are away from home or the office.
Should I only connect to secure wireless networks?
Whenever possible, you should only connect to secure wireless networks. If you connect to a wireless network that is not secure, information sent over the network is visible to other people, including the websites you visit, the files you work with, and the passwords you enter.