The Basic Concepts

of Network Sharing
 Objectives:
In this lesson you will learn several
networking concepts: the workgroup,
the computer name, the IP address, the
network location and the HomeGroup.
Our objective is for you to understand
what these concepts are and what their
role in network sharing is.
 What is a Workgroup?

• The workgroup is a collection of

computers that are part of the same
network. All the computers are peers
and do not have control over another
computer. The workgroup facilitates the
detection of the computers that are part
of it and the sharing of resources like
folders or printers.
Workgroups are not protected by the use of a
password and they can be created only for computers
that are part of the same local network. They are
designed for small networks like those found in your
home or small businesses. According to Microsoft,
there should not be more than 20 computers in the
same workgroup, so that the management of the
network doesn’t get too complicated.
The workgroup can be joined by computers with
diverse operating systems. You don’t have to have the
same operating system or the same version in order to
use this feature.
 How to Learn Whether Your PC is
Part of a Workgroup
By default, all Windows computers are part of a
workgroup named WORKGROUP. Therefore, when
setting up your network, you should not need to
configure this setting.
However, you can double check that your Windows PC
or device is part of a workgroup by going to “Control
Panel > System and Security > System”. There you
will find a section named “Computer name, domain,
and workgroup settings”.
Look for the entry named “Workgroup”.
 What is the Computer Name?

Every operating system asks you to give a computer

name when you install it on a PC or device. Windows
is no exception to this rule. That’s because this name
is important to identify the computer when it is part of
a network.
Your computer’s name can be learned by going to
“Control Panel > System and Security > System”.
There you will find a section named “Computer
name, domain, and workgroup settings”. Look for the
entry named “Computer name”.
• In order to successfully join a workgroup
and use all the available network sharing
features, your computer must have a
unique computer name. This name should
have a maximum of 15 characters and
should not include spaces or special
characters like : \ * , . ” or @.
 What is the IP Address?
When you connect to a network, you will always receive an IP
address. IP address means “Internet Protocol” address and it is a
numerical label for your computer. This concept is similar to the
computer name in the sense that it is used to identify your PC or
device on the network and provide a unique address where other
computers or devices can find it.
• IP addresses are binary numbers but they are displayed in
human-readable notations, such as 192.168.0.2. In a home
network, the IP addresses are automatically given to every device
or PC by the router, when the network connection is established.
There are several ways to learn the IP address of your
computer. The simplest way that works in all versions of
Windows is to open the “Command Prompt”. Open a Run
window by pressing “WIN + R” on your keyboard, type “cmd”
and press “Enter”.
Then, type the “ipconfig” command and press Enter. A list is
displayed with all your network adapters and their properties.
For each network adapter, there is a field named IPv4
Address, displaying its IP address.
Keep Reading…
While browsing the network, you can find computers by using
both their IP address and their computer name. For example,
you can open the “Run” window in Windows by pressing “WIN
+ R” on your keyboard. Then, type \\ followed by the name of
a computer in your network or its IP address.

After pressing “Enter”, you will see the same thing: that
computer’s shared folders and devices.
What is the Network Location?

A network profile or network location is a

collection of network and sharing settings that
are applied to your active network connection.
Each time you connect to a new network in
Windows 7, you are asked to select a location
for it. The available choices are home, work
and public.
Depending on the location you assign, features
such as file and printer sharing, network
discovery, and others might be turned on or off.
When creating your own home network, you
should always choose “Home network”.
In Windows 8.x, you have only two profiles:
private and public. When connecting to a new
network, you are asked to decide whether you
want to find PCs, devices, and content on your
network.
If you are connecting to your home network or a network you
trust, select “Yes” and the private network profile is activated
for that connection.
Network locations are very useful on
laptops and tablets. If you travel a lot, you
will connect to a lot of different networks.
With one simple setting, Windows will
automatically adjust the location assigned
to each network connection and all the
relevant network sharing settings.
How to Learn the Active Network
Location

If you would like to learn what location is

assigned to your active network connection,
open the “Control Panel”, and go to “Network
and Internet > Network and Sharing Center”.
In the middle of the window, there is a section
named “View your active networks” where you
will see the name of the network and the
location assigned to it.

Remember, in Windows 8.x you will see only one of

two values for the network location (“private network”
or “public network”) while in Windows 7, you will see
only one of three values (“home network”, “work
network” or “public network”).
What is the HomeGroup?

The Homegroup is a networking

feature introduced in Windows 7
and continued in Windows 8.x.
A Homegroup’s purpose is to easily facilitate
the sharing of files and printers with other
people on a home network. This feature
doesn’t work on public or business networks
because it is designed specifically for home
users. This means that you can create or
join a Homegroup only if the profile for your
active network connection is set as “home”
in Windows 7 or “private” in Windows 8.x.
• In order for a computer to join a Homegroup, it
must first be a member of the same “workgroup”
as the other computers in the Homegroup. The
Homegroup is protected with a password but
you need to type it only when first joining it.
• As you will see, setting up sharing with the
Homegroup is much faster than traditional
network sharing in Windows Vista or Windows
XP.
 How to Learn Whether Your
Computer is Part of a Homegroup

If you would like to learn whether your PC or

device is part of a Homegroup, open the
“Control Panel” and go to “Network and
Internet > Network and Sharing Center”.

In the middle of the window, there is a section

named “View your active networks”.
 There you will find a line named HomeGroup. If it
says “Joined” near it, then your computer is part of
a Homegroup.

If it says anything else, than your computer

is not part of the Homegroup.
END OF LESSON 1