1. Some Networking Buzzwords
Networking has its own
set of buzzwords.
Resource: Items you use on the network, including a folder, shared media, a printer, or other device.
Shared resource: A resource accessible to other users within a network. A shared folder is often referred to as a share or network share.
Local computer: The computer at which you're currently sitting.
Local resource:
A folder, printer, or other useful thing on the local computer or
directly connected to the local computer by a cable. For example, if
there's a printer connected to your computer by a cable, it's a local
resource (or more specifically, a local printer).
Remote computer: Any computer in the network other than the one at which you're currently sitting.
Remote resource:
A folder, printer, or other useful thing on some computer other than
the local computer. For example, a printer connected to someone else's
computer on the network is a remote resource (or more specifically, a remote printer).
Figure 1 shows an example of how the terms local and remote are always used in reference to the computer at which you're currently sitting.
2. Methods for Sharing in Windows 7
Windows 7 includes three
methods for sharing resources, each of which has its own advantages. The
following sections explain these different methods.
2.1. Homegroups
Homegroups are a new
feature in Windows 7 designed to simplify resource sharing and access
for home networks. The first Windows 7 computer added to a network
creates the homegroup, and then other Windows 7 computers on that same
network can join the homegroup. Once your computer is part of the
homegroup, you have access to the resources shared by the other
computers in the homegroup.
When you use a homegroup
for sharing, you specify which folders you want to share. You can share
those folders with either read or read/write permissions with the rest
of the homegroup. You can also set permissions on a per-user basis to
allow one person to access a folder or file but not others.
Only Windows 7
computers can participate in a homegroup. A computer running any edition
of Windows 7 can join a homegroup, but computers running Windows 7 Home
Basic and Windows 7 Starter can only join a homegroup, not create one.
NOTE
Computers in a homegroup do not have to belong to the same workgroup.
2.2. Workgroup
Although homegroups are a great
new way to share resources in a network, only the Windows 7 computers
on the network can participate. Computers running other versions of
Windows cannot participate in the homegroup. In these situations, you
can use workgroups to share resources on the network.
A Windows PC, regardless of
the version of Windows it is running, must be a member of either a
workgroup or a domain (covered in the next section). A workgroup isn't a
boundary that controls security. Rather, workgroups provide a means for
organizing and discovering resources on the network.
The default workgroup
name in Windows is, not surprisingly, Workgroup. Computers that share
the same workgroup name and which reside on the same network segment
appear grouped together when you browse the network. Figure 2 shows a workgroup.
To access shared resources
in a workgroup, you must have an account on the computer that is
sharing the resource. Assuming a small home network of three computers
and the desire to access resources on each one, this means you either
need to have your own account on each computer or you create a common
account on each computer that everyone uses for sharing resources.
2.3. Domain
In a domain environment, one or
more domain controllers running Windows Server host all user accounts in
a centralized directory called Active Directory (AD). Typically, rather
than belong to a workgroup, your computer would be joined to the
domain. When you log on, you log on with a domain account (stored in AD)
rather than a local account (stored on your local computer).
In a domain, AD
handles authentication services. So, if you share a folder on your
computer, you can specify which other domain users or groups can access
that shared resources, and what permissions they have in it. The
advantage of this type of resource sharing is that every user needs only
a single user account in AD, and that account can be used to access
resources anywhere on the network.
2.4. How to choose?
If you are setting up a home
network and all of your computers are running Windows 7, a homegroup
probably makes the most sense. If your home network includes Windows
Vista or Windows XP computers, using a common workgroup to share
resources is a good option. Or, you can use a hybrid model where your
Windows 7 computers share their resources through a homegroup and other
computers use the workgroup.
In a business network,
the number of computers generally dictates whether you choose a
workgroup or a domain model for sharing. You can set up a Windows
workstation as a file server, create an account for each person on the
network on that computer, and use it to share resources. Whether you
choose that route or use a domain and Windows Server for sharing really
depends on how you will be using the network. In most cases, when you
get about 5–10 computers, a domain and server make the most sense.
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Windows client computers
running Windows Vista and earlier are limited to a maximum of 10
concurrent connections, making them useful for centralized sharing in
small networks but not in larger ones. Windows 7 supports up to 20
concurrent connections.
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NOTE
Using
a domain for sharing implies that you have one or more centralized file
and print servers on the network, so sharing from your client computer
is unlikely (although possible).
