Windows network detection. Network access Windows XP. Enable network discovery

A local network allows you to establish a connection between several computers in the same room, establishing shared access to files. As a result of setting up a home network, users have the opportunity to work on the same document or play games together on different computers.

Local network capabilities

Setting up a Windows 10 network allows you to get a number of convenient opportunities, to be useful to users who have several computers at their disposal.

• Sharing files from different computers. Fast data transfer regardless of volume.
• Share a printer, scanner, or other network device.
• Setting up online games and entertainment.

These are the main directions, each of which contains a number of possibilities. For example, fast data transfer allows you to create backup copy important information, so that if one machine stops working properly, the information you need can still be accessed from the other computer.

To start using all these functions, you first need to properly configure the local network in Windows 10. You can connect machines with the same versions, PCs and laptops with different Windows versions– in the interval between “seven” and “ten” there are no restrictions on compatibility.

Network creation

The first step is to set the same workgroup name on all computers that you are going to connect to the network. On Windows 10 and other versions this is done the same way:

• Click Win+R to call the window " Execute».
• Enter " sysdm.cpl" to open system properties.

• The “” tab will immediately appear. Look at the name of the working group. To put the same name on other computers, click " Change" Use only Latin letters!

The setup then continues in " Network and Sharing Center", which is launched through the control panel or the connection icon in the notification area. Next you should move on to changing additional parameters.

On Windows 10 you can still get here through the “ VPN" on the " tab Network and Internet» in system parameters.

Here you need to enable network discovery with automatic tuning, file and device sharing, and allow the system to manage homegroup connections.

Attention: Enable network discovery and general access no password required for all profiles! You'll set up your home or work profile first, then your general profile and all networks.

This operation must be repeated on all computers. As a result, the participants local network should be:

• One workgroup name is assigned.
• Network discovery enabled.

If the home network into which the computers are connected is built on the basis of a single router, then the above steps are sufficient for the normal operation of the local network. If the computers are connected directly using a crossover cable or the DHCP service, which independently distributes IP addresses to machines, is disabled on the router, then additional configuration must be done.

• Open " Network Sharing Center", then go to the " Change adapter settings».

• Select network card, in which the crossover cable is installed, and open its properties.

• Check " Use the following IP" And " Use the following DNS" Fill in the lines with the values ​​shown in the screenshot.

On the second computer you need to add the following data:

On different computers The IP address will be different. If on the first machine you wrote 192.168.0.2, then the second address will be 192.168.0.3 and so on, depending on the number of network participants. The rest of the data remains unchanged.

Enable sharing

The local network has been created, but in order to use programs and files from one computer that are stored on another machine, you must also set up shared access for them. Setting up a Windows 10 network This essentially ends there. Let's create a shared folder with documents:

• Click on the folder right click, open properties.
• Go to the " Access", click on the button " Advanced setup».

• Check the box " Share" Click on the button " Permissions».

• Set permissions. If you want to be able to only open the directory from another computer and view its contents, then check the box “ Reading" in column " Allow" To provide full access, check the appropriate box. Save the configuration by clicking " OK».

Then you need to return to the folder properties and go to the “ Safety" Here you should click the button " Change».

The window “ Group Permissions" Under the field " Groups or users» click « Add».

Enter your name " All" (no quotes needed), click " OK».

Set the same permissions that you did earlier when setting up access.

After allowing sharing, it is recommended that you restart your computer to Windows 10 network setup completed correctly. The next time you turn it on, the “ Net", which will display the computers between which the connection has been established.

Inside the directory under the name of the other computer, you will find folders that are configured for sharing.

Inside the folder will be the same documents that are stored on another computer. If you have given full access to the settings, you can easily edit them from another machine.

Sharing Internet access

If a local network is built without a router, using a direct wired connection of computers, and one machine has Internet access, but the other does not, then this can be quickly corrected. The described actions are performed on the computer on which there is a connection to global network.

• Click the connection icon in the notification area. Open " Control center" and proceed to change adapter settings.

• In the list of available connections, find the WAN connection. Open its properties, right-click.

• On the " Access» Allow other members of your home network to use this Internet connection.

Now from one computer the Internet will be distributed to other participants in the network. This will affect the speed, but when accessed from different devices Through the router, the speed is also divided proportionally to the load, so this is common practice collaboration in the Internet.

Some new aspects of network access in Windows XP.

Before the release of the operating room Windows systems XP there were practically no problems with providing shared access to shared computer resources. However, as a rule, such access was and is often provided uncontrolled - access to all resources is granted, including system drives, for any category of users and without restrictions on authority. This practice often leads to undesirable results.

With the increasing role of group policies, they began to have a significant impact on network security, and users who are not well versed in their device began to experience certain difficulties.

It would seem that the folder has been shared, but there is no access. Why? We will try to figure this out. Please remember that everything described below applies to the Professional edition operating system Windows XP and networks without an Active Directory domain. The article is intended for novice users.

Setting up access.

First of all, you need to configure the system so that access to the computer from the network becomes possible. Typically, advice boils down to the following: turn off the firewall, turn off simple sharing, turn on the guest and allow him access. It is not right. Such a policy will indeed allow the use of shared access to resources, but it does not in any way protect the owner from malicious actions of clients. Under such circumstances, it is possible that any user could delete data on your hard drive.

So, how to do it right. Go to the firewall properties using the corresponding item in the “Control Panel” and check the “File and Printer Sharing” checkbox as shown in Fig. 1.

With this we allow access to TCP ports 139 and 445, as well as UDP 137-138. In general, when network access to shared resources is opened, the firewall is configured automatically. We carried out this operation in order to know with absolute certainty that possible problems are not associated with firewall policies.

By default, Windows searches the network for shared folders and printers. You can have different attitudes to this feature, but if you need to use it, then it is better to use the “Peer-to-Peer Network” component, which is enabled through “Add or Remove Programs” - “ Windows components" - "Network Services"(Fig.2). The firewall will be configured automatically.

In addition, you need to make sure that File and Printer Sharing is enabled. You can check this in properties network connection(Fig.3). By default, this service is enabled if you are not using a modem connection.

(Figure 3)

Now you need to decide on the method of accessing the computer from the network. Windows XP provides two access models: "Guest" and "Regular".

Guest access simplifies the management of shared resources, but significantly limits capabilities such as remote administration, auditing and resource sharing between users based on access rights, etc.

When choosing this model, all users who try to connect to the computer from the network are automatically recognized as guests of the operating system. If none of the above functions are used, then you can limit yourself to guest access.

Guest access model.

To take advantage of this access model, and it is activated in Windows by default, you just need to enable the “Guest” account in the Computer Management snap-in, or through the Control Panel and allow it access from the network in the security policy.

The “Guest” account is enabled as follows: right-click on the “My Computer” system icon, which, depending on the selected OS interface, “classic” or Windows XP, is located either on the “desktop” or in the “Start” menu .

In the menu that appears, select “Management”. In the snap-in that opens, go to the “Local Users and Groups” category, then select “Users”, double-click on the “Guest” account and uncheck the “Disable account” checkbox.

Then click "Apply" and "OK". The red cross for the “Guest” should disappear (Fig. 4). You can also access the “Computer Management” snap-in through the “Control Panel” by selecting the “Administration” item in it.

Go to the Group Policy Editor snap-in - click "Start", select "Run", enter GPEDIT.MSC and click "OK".

In the snap-in that opens, find the branch “Assigning user rights” (Fig. 5), then select the item “Deny access to a computer over the network”, double-click on it, highlight “Guest”, click “Delete”, “Apply”, “OK” ".

In principle, that's all, guest access is enabled, but there are some subtleties.

1. Changes in the security policy are applied after one and a half hours (90 minutes) by default. You can force settings to be applied in two ways: by rebooting the OS, or by using a forced Group Policy update. You can do this as follows: “Start”, “Run”, enter “gpupdate /force” (without quotes) and click “OK”.

(Fig.6)

2.If you changed the access model earlier, then change it back to the guest model, as shown in Fig. 6 or Fig. 7.

Regular access model.

Now let’s consider a more correct option from my point of view with the “Regular” access model, which is also called “Classic”

First we need to disable simple sharing. This can be done in two ways. The first and simplest is shown on the left. You can open the “Folder Options” dialog by expanding any folder, at least “My Computer”, and select “Folder Options” from the “Tools” menu.

Just uncheck the box, as shown in Fig. 6, and simple sharing will be disabled. The second method is more complicated, through security policies. As mentioned above, by entering the GPEDIT.MSC command in the “Run” window of the “Start” menu, we get to the Group Policy Editor snap-in window.

Next, following the console tree, we find the item “Network access: shared access and security model...”, as shown in Fig. 7. But pay attention to what this item is called. "Network access: sharing model...". This little checkbox on the left completely changes the access model

So, the network access model is selected “Normal”. This means that all users trying to access the computer from the network are automatically no longer guests.

At the same time, Windows will begin checking their credentials to see if they match those stored on local computer accounts, as well as checking the access permissions granted to these users.

In this case, it is possible to create local users and assign them access rights to folders and subfolders. This is useful when you need to allow access to a certain folder to one user, but close it to another.

With simple shared access, this is impossible to do, since all clients use one account - “Guest”.

There is a clause in security policies that regulates the use of empty passwords. By default, empty passwords are only allowed for console login.

If any user other than the “Guest” should log into the system with an empty password, then the value of this item must be set to “Disabled”. This allows accounts that have a blank password to access the computer over the network.

But keep in mind that this opens up access with empty passwords to so-called “administrative” shared resources, which is not at all secure.

There is a drawback in the “Normal” network access model, but this drawback is more likely in the minds of users who leave the administrator password blank or set it to “12345” or qwerty.

If an empty “Administrator” password is important, then you need to either rename it or disable it (don’t be afraid, in safe mode“Administrator” is always enabled), or deny it access over the network by adding it to those that have such a ban, as in Fig. 5. Specific actions depend on your needs.

Authorization with the selected “Normal” network access model occurs as follows. First, Windows checks the login-password combination (credentials) to see if it matches local accounts.

If the credentials match and the account has the appropriate rights, then access is allowed. If only the login matches, then access is denied and error 5 is displayed.

If such credentials are not in the local database, then the user is considered a “Guest” and further actions are performed depending on the status of this account (enabled or disabled) and access rights, incl. and network access.

In this case, if the “Guest” is disabled or denied access over the network, as well as if an attempt is made to log in with an empty password, but such actions are prohibited by the security policy, then Windows will send an “ident” request and the user will see a window asking to enter correct username and password.

Some tips. If you do not want to lose your data, then follow the simplest security rules, just as you follow the rules of personal hygiene.

Take care of the administrator account, do not work under it. Create another one for yourself, and either disable the “Administrator” or rename it. Do not give Administrator accounts a blank password. Use complex passwords.

If you are too lazy to enter it every time, then use the utility called CONTROL USERPASSWORDS2 from the command line or from the “Start” - “Run” menu to set auto-login. Never give full access over the network, maximum to "Edit". Never share disks, use folders for this.

(Figure 8)

Now all that remains is to create a shared resource - a shared folder. The folder can be created anywhere, but it is better to do it in the root directory of the drive, since some directories have preset permissions. So, let's create a folder and give it a name. Then right-click this folder and select "Properties".

Go to the "Access" tab. Switch the radio button to the “Share this folder” position. There is a small nuance. If you put a dollar sign - $ at the end of the name of the shared resource, then the folder will not be visible from the network, it is a so-called hidden shared resource and you can access it only by specifying the full path, for example: “Start”, “Run”, \\mycomp\ sharing$, “OK”.

You can add a note. If there are a lot of shared folders, this may be useful. The name of the shared resource does not have to be the same as the name of the shared folder; it can be set arbitrarily.

Now click the “Permissions” button and get into the window shown in Fig. 9

(Figure 9)

Here you set permissions for network access to the folder. If you have file system FAT32, then permissions can only be set here using the "Add" and "Delete" buttons. For those who use NTFS, there is no particular point in adding someone.

You just need to determine the access level. For example, add the right to change. If you add a user or group of users, do not get confused, because you will also have to set the rights on the “Security” tab (Fig. 10).

(Figure 10)

By going to the Security tab, you can add users and grant them access rights. Please note that by default, permissions are already delegated to certain categories of users.

Including the "Users" group, which includes the ones you created Accounts. This means that such users already have some rights. If you are creating a folder that not all users need access to, then this situation is not acceptable. There are two ways to solve this problem.

The first option is to delete the group and add specific users (first of all, yourself and for full access). Windows won't let you uninstall? That's right, go to "Advanced", uncheck "Inherit", click "Apply", in the window that appears, click "Copy", then "OK" and return to Fig. 10. But now you can delete and add here.

The second option will be useful if you need to deny access to a shared resource only for some members of the Users group, while allowing access to others.

The solution to this problem is to add the required users to the list of accounts and block them from “Full Access”. Now, even though they are part of a group that is allowed some access option, they will not get it, because in Windows, denials take precedence over permissions, which it will tell you about.

Using these simple techniques, you can build a hierarchy of folders, with different access rights, the entrance to which will be the only folder visible on the network.

The advantage of this approach is that by moving the radio button in Fig. 8 to the opposite position, you can immediately cut off all users who have connected to your PC. And it’s also easy to provide access again when you need it again.

(Figure 11)

For users who have chosen the “Guest” model for network access, it is much easier to share a folder.

You need to create a folder and give it a name. Then right-click on the folder icon, select “Properties” and go to the “Access” tab, Fig. 11.

Here, at the bottom of the window, you need to check the “Share this folder” checkbox and, possibly, the “Allow editing files over the network” checkbox if there is a need for remote users to be able to add and delete files in this folder.

It is also possible to change the name of the resource; under this name the folder will be visible on the network.

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Group political - Config.comp. - Windows Config - Security Settings - Local Policy - User Permission Assignment

Group political - Config.comp. - Config.Windows - Security Settings - Local Policy - Security Settings

After making changes to group policy, execute: gpupdate /force

I'll add one more thing - Setting up sharing between Windows 7 and Windows XP

If there are computers with WinXP and Win7 in the network, the ball is open on XP and computers with XP on XP can see each other without any problems and log in.
But they can’t log in from Win7 to XP, so we do the following, as shown in the pictures below:

1) open network environment
(if at the top there is a line about “network discovery” we answer positively
2) Open " Network and Sharing Center"

3) Click " Change Extra options public access"

Turn on:
+ network discovery
+ file and printer sharing
+ sharing read and write in shared folders
+ disable password protected sharing

4) again goes to the network resource where we need it
5) a window will appear asking for a login password
6) simply enter “guest” and enter!

Network discovery allows Windows 10 to find other computers and devices on the network. This feature is automatically enabled when you are connected to private networks, such as those in your home or workplace. Network discovery is disabled when you're connected to public networks that you shouldn't trust, and you don't allow your PC to be discoverable on those networks.

Enable network discovery

If your computer or Windows device 10 cannot view other computers on the network, there are two possible errors: you either assigned the wrong network profile (public or private), or network discovery was disabled for some reason.

Here's how to enable network discovery in Windows 10 for an active network profile:

When you are connected to public networks, you never want to turn on network discovery. So, if you are connected to a public network, such as in airports and cafes, be sure to set the profile to Public.

Allow file and printer sharing

When you're connected to private networks, Windows 10 automatically turns on the File and Printer Sharing option. This way you can easily share folders, files and printers with other computers and devices on your network. However, if your network administrator configures this setting, you may need to manually enable or disable it manually, depending on your needs.

Here's how to enable the File and Printer Sharing option in Windows 10 for an active network connection:

If you are connected to a public network, such as in airports and cafes, be sure to specify Public as the profile for that connection. Also, do not turn on File and Printer Sharing when connecting to public networks.

Enable public folder sharing

The public folder is located on your hard drive in C:UsersPublic. All user accounts registered in Windows have access to it. That's why it's called Public. Any file and folder found in C:UsersPublic is fully accessible to all users on the computer. Depending on your network access settings, this folder and its contents can also be accessed by all other computers and devices on the same network.

To enable public folder sharing, follow these steps:

Enable password protected sharing

When password-protected access is enabled, only users who have a user account and password on your computer or network domain (in the case of business networks) can access shared files and printers attached to your Windows 10 computer or device, as well as your shared folders. We recommend that you avoid disabling password-protected access, but you may need to do so in some situations, such as when you want to give other people access.

To enable password protection, follow these steps:

Readers have contacted me several times asking me to help solve the problem with displaying computers in a network environment on the latest Windows builds 10. Indeed, in the latest releases of Windows 10, your computer may no longer see neighboring computers in the local network workgroup, or it may disappear from the network environment. Let's look at how to fix this.

Windows 10 computers are not displayed in a workgroup network environment

Users began to encounter problems displaying neighboring computers on a workgroup local network starting with Windows 10 1703 (Creators Update). After installing this W10 build, when viewing devices in a networked environment, the computer stops seeing neighboring computers.

The list of computers in the network environment can be viewed in Explorer or with the command:

If the list is empty (the command returned There are no elements in the list), please check the following settings first.

Check if your file and folder access service is enabled. Go to section Control Panel -> Network and Sharing Center -> More sharing options.

Make sure that in your current network profile section Private (current profile) options included:

• Enable network discovery
• Enable access to files and printers
• Allow Windows to manage homegroup connections

Then to profiles All networks activate options:

• Enable sharing so network users can read and write files in shared folders
• Disable password protection (if you trust all devices on your network)

Then open the item Windows Settings -> Network and Internet -> Ethernet(if you are connected to the local network via wireless connection, select Wi-Fi). Click on the network icon and check that the option is enabled Make this computer discoverable.

In some cases, to enable detection you need to command line With administrator rights, run the command:

netsh advfirewall firewall set rule group="Network Discovery" new enable=Yes

In some cases, your Windows computer may not appear in Network Neighborhood due to incorrect settings working group. Try adding this computer to the workgroup again by rewriting the settings ( Control Panel -> System -> Advanced System Settings -> Computer name-> button Identification).

In the Join a Domain or Workgroup Wizard that opens, select: The computer is part of corporate network-> My organization uses a network without domains -> your workgroup name. After this you need to restart your computer.

If after rebooting the computer appears in the network environment, but you cannot log into it, check the computer’s network type. Most likely your local network was recognized as Public. You need to change the network type to Private. To do this, open Options -> Network and Internet -> State -> Home group -> Changing your network location.

Click on the link Change network location, then in the sidebar with the request “Do you want to allow other computers and devices on this network to discover your PC? We recommend doing this on your home or work network rather than on a public network." Select Yes.

Open Network Neighborhood and check if computers appear.

If the above tips did not help and the computers in the workgroup are still not visible, try resetting your network settings (Settings -> Network and Internet -> Status -> Reset network).

Reset network settings and firewall rules can be done using the commands:

netsh int ip reset reset.txt
netsh winsock reset
netsh advfirewall reset

After which you need to restart your computer.

Also check if the following services are running (to display the network environment correctly, they must be in the automatic startup state):

• Function Discovery Provider Host
• Function Discovery Resource Publication (see below)
• DNS Client
• SSDP Discovery
• UPnP Device Host

SMB 1.0 and problems with Master Browser in Windows 10

It happens that problems with displaying computers in a network environment are associated with the Network Browser service. This service is responsible for building and maintaining a list of active computers on the network (). There can be only one active computer on the local network with the role of master browser.

In Windows 10 1703 service Network Browser it works incorrectly. It is recommended to completely disable this service on Windows 10 and use a Windows 7 computer as the main network browser (via the registry).

In addition, in Windows 10 1709 and higher by default, the Computer Browser service is also disabled, which, as we said, is responsible for compiling a list of computers on the network and displaying them. If you only have computers with Win 10 1709 and higher on your network (see table), to solve the problem you will have to enable the SMB v1.0 protocol on at least one computer (unsafe!), which will be your main network browser (Master Browser). Installing SMB 1.0 is done by adding 3 components in Control Panel.

The computer is not visible on the network after updating to Windows 10 1803

In Windows 10 1803 (Spring Creators Update) developers, in addition, computers with Windows 10 no longer appear in Network Neighborhood Explorer when viewing network devices.

The point is that from the point of view Microsoft workers groups are outdated functionality for organizing a local network for access to shared resources and printers. Instead of using a workgroup, Microsoft suggests using your own cloud services(OneDrive, access via Microsoft Accounts). In my opinion, this is unjustified.

However, in fact, in 1803, in order to access the resources of another computer on the local network, you need to know its name (\\pcname1) or IP address (in the format \\192.168.1.100), but neighboring computers are not displayed in the network environment. However, this can be fixed.

The fact is that a separate service is responsible for detecting computers on the network in Windows 10 Function Discovery Resource Publication, which after installing 1803 does not start by default (the startup type has been changed from Automatic to Disabled). If this service is stopped, the computer is not discoverable by other computers on the network. Here's how to enable the Autodiscover service in Windows 10 1803.

After rebooting, I will be able to detect other computers on the local network this computer and its resources (printers and shared folders).

The topic of this article is: “How to enable network discovery in Windows 7.” First, let's talk about what this service is and why it is needed. The purpose of this subsystem is to ensure the visibility of the computer on the local domain network. If you stop this service, the PC with the “seven” will not be visible to the machines around it.

When the service is turned on, they are easily detected by neighbors. This is where the name of the service comes from. By default, this service is disabled. To launch it, you need to manually perform some manipulations, which we will discuss below.

As soon as the user learns that his computer is hidden from the network environment, he takes various unnecessary actions: Tries to restart the network adapter, reboots the system, tries to disable the firewall, and so on. All these “experiments” do not lead to the expected result.

All that remains is to bite your elbows or look for information on the problem in reference documentation or the Internet. And here one trouble awaits us. The method for enabling network discovery described in the documentation does not always work. Here's the method:

• It is suggested to go to the control panel.
• Select the “Network and Sharing Center” section.
• Then click on the “Change advanced sharing settings” link.
• In the profile window, check the appropriate box. Something like this:

As stated in the documentation, everything should work as it should. However, this often does not happen.

Immediately after clicking the “Ok” button, all settings are reset to their original state, and the user falls into a stupor. Repeated attempts to revive the service lead nowhere.

What to do in this case?

What if nothing works out?

Let's not forget that all these windows, checkboxes and buttons are just the outer shell of the system, necessary for greater convenience. Under the hood of the system, shared libraries (dlls), com objects and services are constantly working. All this can be accessed by bypassing the Windows window interface. Since in our case we are talking about services, we need direct access to services. It's easy to get:

• Let's go back to the control panel.
• Select the “Administration” subsection.
• Click on the “Services” applet and get a complete list Windows services in the form of a list.
• By double-clicking on any line in the list, we open the service management window.
• This window contains a Start button.
• There is one last action left. You need to find in the list and start the following services:

If the detection works, congratulations! Now you know what to do if network discovery does not turn on in Windows 7.