2. Choosing Your Network Location
When you connect to a new network for the first
time, Windows 7 will prompt you to choose a network location. The type
of location you select determines the Windows Firewall settings that are
applied and the networking features that will be available. As an
example, a higher level of security is required when you connect to the
Internet in an airport lobby, as opposed to the network in your home.
Windows remembers the location setting for each different network to
which you connect, so you can be sure that the appropriate level of
security is always applied.
The following three network location choices are available:
Home—
A Home network is one where you trust the other computers on the
network. (That is, you trust the people using the other computers.) File
and printer sharing is enabled, as is Network Discovery, which makes
your computer visible to other users and makes their computers visible
to you. It’s possible to join a homegroup, which we’ll discuss shortly.
Work—
A Work network is like a Home network. Other computers are trusted.
File and printer sharing and Network Discovery are enabled. It’s not
possible to create a homegroup; so, if you are setting up a small office
network and want to use the HomeGroup system, feel free to set your
computer’s location to Home.
Public—
A Public network is one where you don’t trust the other users or
computers on the network. File and printer sharing and Network Discovery
are disabled on this network connection.
Any connection that leads directly to the Internet without a firewall or router in between must
be designated a Public network to protect your computer from the
hackers and bad software “out there.” This goes for dial-up Internet as
well as Ethernet connections that plug into a cable or DSL modem.
You
should also select Public when you are connecting to any wired or
wireless network or Internet service in a hotel, Internet café, airport,
dorm, school, and so on, and even an office network belonging to a
client, customer, or anyone else whom you don’t want poking into your
computer.
Here’s
a good rule of thumb: If you don’t need to use file sharing and printer
sharing in a given location, select the Public location.
Caution
If you connect to a
wireless or wired network that you’ve never used before and Windows
doesn’t quickly prompt you to select the network location type, change
the location manually, using the following procedure. |
When you move your computer from one network to
another, Windows will usually detect the change and prompt you to select
a new network location.
To change your network location manually
1. | Click Start, Network and Internet, View Network Status and Tasks.
|
2. | Locate
the icon for the active network connection and click the Home Network,
Work Network, or Public Network label next to the icon.
|
3. | Select the correct network location.
|
3. Setting Your Computer Identification
After you’ve configured your network, the next
step is to make sure that each of the computers on your network is a
member of the same domain or workgroup.
Note
Your domain administrator
must know about your new computer and create a computer account for it
before you try to add your computer to the domain.
|
If you are part of a Windows domain-type
network, your system administrator will give you the information you
need to set your computer identification.
If you are setting up your own network of
Windows computers without Windows Server, click Start, right-click
Computer, and select Properties. Look at the “Computer Name, Domain, and
Workgroup settings” section on each of the computers on your network.
Do they each have a different full computer name and the same workgroup
name? If so, you’re all set.
If not, click Change Settings, click the Network
ID button, and prepare to answer the wizard’s questions. Click Next on
the wizard’s first screen. You are asked to select the option that best
describes your computer:
Note
If you use the Home
Computer option, be sure that all your computers are set up the same
way, with the workgroup name WORKGROUP. Otherwise, you’ll have trouble
working with the other computers on your network. |
Which one you choose makes a significant
difference. If you choose the “Home Computer” option, the wizard sets up
your computer for peer-to-peer networking with the workgroup name
WORKGROUP and finishes.
If
you choose the “Business Network” option, Windows configures your
computer for a higher standard of security than it will for home use.
The wizard next asks you to choose from one of the following responses:
If you are joining an existing domain network
managed by Windows Server, check With a Domain (but you should consult
with your network manager first).
Caution
You must be sure that
every computer on your network uses the same workgroup name if you want
them to be able to easily share files and printers. |
Otherwise, if you are building your own network , select Without a Domain and click Next.
The last question asks for a name for the network workgroup. Leave the default setting WORKGROUP in place.
Click Next and then click Finish to complete the
setup. You need to let Windows restart your computer if you changed any
of the settings or names.
4. Configuring Windows Firewall
It is a good idea to check that Windows Firewall
is set up correctly; otherwise, you could end up exposed to Internet
hacking, or you could find that your network is so locked down that you
can’t use file and printer sharing.
If your Windows 7 computer is connected to a
domain network, your network manager can and should configure your
computer so that it uses a correctly configured firewall “profile” when
you are connected to the corporate network. You won’t be able to change
these settings. You network manager will also probably configure another
“default” profile to protect you when you are disconnected from the
corporate network, such as when you are traveling or using your computer
at home.
In this section, I assume that you are managing
your own computer and that your network is not protected by a
professionally installed firewall. Home and small office users should go
through this quick checklist of steps to confirm that your network will
function safely:
1. | Log on using a Computer Administrator account. Click Start, Control Panel, System and Security, Windows Firewall.
|
2. | Click
Turn Windows Firewall On or Off. In both the Home or Work (Private) and
Public sections, be sure that Turn On Windows Firewall is selected, and
that Notify Me When Windows Firewall Blocks a New Program is checked.
In general, Block All Incoming Connections doesn’t need to be
checked. You can check it in the Public profile section to get the
strongest security, but you might not be able to use some Internet
services like FTP (file transfer), telephone, or voice or video chat.
|
These are the default settings, but it’s best to check them to be sure.
