Step 7 - Workgroups and File Sharing
In order for computers to share content
over a network, they need to be part of the same workgroup. By default, Windows
7 calls this 'WORKGROUP' whereas Windows XP defaults to 'MSHOME'. When mixing
and matching a network among PCs with different operating systems, this is one
of the most common reasons you run into trouble. Joining another Workgroup
requires a restart but takes seconds - right click on 'Computer' and simply
type in the name you want to join. Each PC in your network also needs to have
its own discrete computer name. By default Windows names your PC after your
username, so if your name is 'Mike' and you own three PCs, each of which uses a
username of 'Mike', unless you changed it during setup, all three will be
called 'MIKE-PC'. You should therefore allocate your devices a descriptive name
that allows you to identify which machine is which.
Configuring file sharing and access differs
slightly depending on your operating system. If all the PCs on your network are
using the same OS, the ease of setup is greatly improved. If you have a mixture
of XP, Linux and Windows 7 boxes, on the other hand, you're in for a rougher
ride, because different protocols must be configured on each to allow universal
access. When setting up a network, you should ensure that all the PCs on your
network have a proper login and password to access the system. We know it's
convenient to have a PC leap straight into Windows after powering up,
especially if you're the sole user, but unless you're using a system that isn't
connected to a network it's going to limit your options. You cannot, for
example, use remote desktop on a PC unless it has both a username and password
configured. Windows 7 based machines also require that you know the username
and password of a PC in order to share the files on that system by default. If
you wish, you only need to enter these credentials once and the PC will
remember them the next time.
Setting up which folders to share on a
Windows-based machine is easy. You right-click on the folder, click
'Properties' and then go to the sharing section. You then choose who you want
to share the folder with, or if you want to share it with everyone, go to the
advanced sharing settings and tick the 'Share this folder' setting.
When accessing the network from another
device, the shared folder should now appear. Windows 7 makes it even easier to
share multimedia files by sharing these files using the Windows Media Player
sharing functionality.
If you only want to share multimedia files
and documents, the Windows 7 Homegroup is an easy and secure way to do this. It
allows you to automatically share pictures, music, videos and documents with
other systems on your network. It provides a password, which you then populate
across systems you want to have access, which can either be manually assigned
or auto-generated by the OS. This allows you to easily share files among your
own system, but not necessarily share the files with guests who just want
access to your wi-fi for web access.
We hope you found our home networking guide
useful. Check out our step-by-step guide to network configuration and
troubleshooting for more detailed help!
Bargain Hunter
TPLink 200Mbps Powerline Adaptors can be
snapped up for just £32.99 a pair. These devices (model number TL-PA211 Kl)
are a great buy if you need to connect a single network-connected device that
sits at the other end of your property to the router.
