How to change local network settings. Proper connection of computers via local network
The principle of creating a local network in any version of Windows (XP, 7, 8, 10) is practically nothing is not different. Exceptions are complex multi-level corporate networks, where several subnets, proxy servers and VPNs are used.
But in this article we will look at how to create home network without resorting to purchasing expensive equipment, but using a regular switch or router with Wi-Fi support.
What is needed to create a network
First of all, to create a local network of a certain number of computers, we need equipment:
note: if a direct connection is used (i.e. we insert a twisted pair cable into both devices without using a router), then you will need not a standard cable, but cross— over, except when modern network cards with MDI-X support are installed. In this case, you can use the standard crimping method.
How to create a local network
Now let's proceed directly to creation. First we need to prepare:
- Install all equipment in its place - computers, routers, etc.
- We crimp cable, if necessary.
- Let's do wiring, i.e. we extend the twisted pair to the equipment.
- Connecting twisted pair equipment.
Costs note, that when the connection is made and all devices are started, the connection connectors on the computers should shine. The same applies to routers with routers, only their light bulbs are located on front panel. If any light is off, it means the connection has been made. wrong.
When the connection is made, you need to configure the network in the operating system.
To start checking working group, for which we go to properties " My computer" You don’t have to open the properties, but use the combination Win+
R and enter in the window sysdm.
cpl.
On all devices working group must be is the same, otherwise the computers will not see each other.
To change the group, just click on the button change and enter the group name. Name must be entered Latin alphabet, and match on all devices. 
Then we look network icon in the notification area and with its help we get to Network and Sharing Center.
Here we are interested in the link change additional parameters, it's third from the left and will allow you to edit sharing settings. In each profile we select: Enable network discovery, auto-tuning And general access to files and printers. 
Scrolling page and below turn off shared access with password protection. All other settings can be left. Click Save changes and exit.
This completes the setup. The network should work, but only if your router distributes dynamic addresses.
If you used a router, or the devices were connected directly with a cable, then you need to make a few more settings.
Network settings
When direct connection or using a router, we need change IP addresses of computers. For this necessary:
We will not describe what each setting is responsible for, because... This is quite a large topic. It is enough to enter the addresses described above on all computers.
After making all the settings described above, the network should work. However, do not forget that a firewall or antivirus software can completely block the network. Therefore, if nothing works, check their settings or temporarily disable them altogether.
Local network via WiFi router
Setting up a network through a router is absolutely nothing is not different from what we described above.
If the device is configured to distribute dynamic addresses, then there is no need to change the addresses. Well, what if IP users static, then you will have to use the previous section.
Also, there will be no difference between whether the device is connected by cable or via Wi-Fi; in most routers, the settings for distributing addresses are configured simultaneously and wireless and on wired connection.
How to make shared folders
After everything is configured, you need to create shared folders for information exchange.
If you have several personal computers, or a computer and a laptop, and you want each of them to be connected to the Internet, then you will need to organize a local network through which all devices will have access to the global network.
Local network for exit and global web
To connect to a local network, it is absolutely not necessary to use a desktop computer. It is also possible to connect a laptop to it. The steps described below are designed for Windows XP, but the same can be done for any other system.
To create a home network, you first need special equipment, and in particular, a switch and network cables. Below you can see a photo of the necessary equipment. 
Also, all devices need to have network cards built into the board. She is also shown in the photo below. 
And of course, not a single local network can do without the modem itself. It is demonstrated below. 
Please note that the network card must be installed in a computer that has direct access to the global network. This computer will subsequently serve as a server. The system independently detects new equipment - a network card and installs the necessary drivers.
After this, we connect a modem to the installed network card and configure Internet access.
We connect one end of the network cable to the second network card of the server, and connect the other to the switch. Next, we connect the network cables to the network cards of desktop computers or laptops. The picture below shows how it should look. 
Now we connect the free ends of the network cables to the switch and connect them to the electricity network. You may notice that signals appear on all connected screens indicating that the cables are ready to be connected. The photo shows an example of messages. 
Let's start setting up the network itself. First of all, we set up the server. Go to Start, select Settings, then Control Panel, then Network Connections.. Rename the old network card to avoid confusion in the future. Next, you can see the icon of the renamed network card to which the network cable is connected. We look at the network settings. To do this, click on the map icon and select the “properties” menu item. Below you can see what it looks like. 
After this, a new window will open on the screen. The name of the window is “LAN – properties”, since for the example we called our network card LAN. The photo below shows what this window looks like. 
We look for the “General” tab and click “Internet Protocol”. Or you can simply select this line and click “Properties”. You will see a window called “Properties: Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)”, it is shown in the photo below. 
We make the entry “Use the following IP address:” active and assign an IP address to the server using a modem. It is better to write the following numbers: 192.168.0.1. Save all changes made by clicking OK. Check that everything is the same as in the picture below. 
After that, check the last two items. This will allow you to immediately detect the wire coming off for various reasons. Save everything again by clicking OK. The server setup is now complete. Let's start setting up the rest of the local home network equipment.
To do this, first select the “LAN” icon, as shown below. 
After that, click the next house icon, which is shown below. 
A setup wizard will open on your screen. He will help you quickly and correctly set up. Click “Next”. Below you see an example of a wizard. 
Then a new window will appear, where you also need to click “Next”. 
In the window that appears, check the box next to “Other” and click “Next” again. 
Check the box next to “This PC is part of a network that does not have access to the Internet” and click “Next”. A new half-empty window will appear, as in the image below. 
Write the name in capital or small English letters and click “Next”. In the new window, specify the working group, as shown below, and click “Next” again. 
We do not change anything on the newly appeared page, we leave it unchanged. 
But here you will need to enter all the data that you previously used to configure the local network. If you think that you made a mistake on one of the points, you can always go back and eliminate the errors. If you think that everything is in order, go “Next”. 
Place a dot next to the “Finish the wizard” item. 
In the new window, click “Finish” and restart the computer. 
Similarly, we configure the network cards of the remaining computers on your local network that are not servers. The only difference you will encounter during operation is the name of each equipment. The names of the network cards must be different from each other. 
As the figure below demonstrates, we have different data installed on the new equipment. We write everything in the same way as shown below. 
After that, fill out the “Internet Protocol” for the following equipment. We also fill it out in accordance with the illustration below. 
As you can see, the data entered is the same. After this, our local network is configured. We configure a network card that connects directly to the modem.
Sometimes there is a need to quickly transfer a large amount of data from one computer to another, and then the question arises of setting up a local network under Windows 7. After all, it is not possible to use flash drives or other storage media for this task.
However, the process of setting up a local network under Windows 7 is very simple. And having done it once, in the future you will be able to do it very quickly and without problems.
First, let's look at the process of connecting two computers. To do this, you need a crimped network cable. In this article we will not consider the manufacturing process of such a cable. This is a topic for a separate article. Therefore, we will assume that you have such a cable or you bought it together with connectors already crimped.
Connect the cable to both computers into the network card connector and make sure that the light indicator next to both network connectors lights up. This means that the network cable is working and you can continue setting up the local network.
Once both computers are connected using a network cable, you can begin setting up the network connection.
- First, open the “Network Connections” window. For Windows 7, the path to this window looks like this: Start - Control Panel - Network and Internet - Network and Sharing Center - Change adapter settings.
- In the Network Connections window, you will be able to see an icon for your connection. If you have one network card, there should be only one connection icon in this window. Right-click on it and select “Properties”.
- In the next window you can see a list of components. Here you need to select the “Internet Protocol TCP\IP” item and click on the “Properties” button.
- After this, the properties window for the selected component should open. Here you need to check the “Use the following IP address” option and enter the required IP addresses (not to be confused with).
- For the first computer:
- “IP address” – 192.168.1.1
- For a second computer:
- “IP address” – 192.168.1.2
- “Subnet mask” – 255.255.255.0
- We leave the remaining fields empty.
- After this, you need to close all open windows by clicking on the “OK” button.
After this, setting up a local network under Windows 7 is complete and the network will be up and running within a few seconds. To check if the connection is working, you can run the ping command. To do this, on one of the computers, press the Win-R key combination and enter the “cmd” command. Then in the black window enter the ping command and the IP address of the other computer. The result of the command should be like in the picture.
This means that everything is working correctly and now you know how to set up a local network under Windows 7.
This article will help you quickly answer your questions. You can also study the entire material to get a complete understanding of network setup in Windows 7.
Introduction.
Purchasing an operating system Windows 7, the user must be prepared for the fact that sooner or later he will be faced with the task of setting up a network in the operating system. For some, this task is not difficult at all. Typically, installing and configuring a network in Windows 7 is the next step immediately after installing Windows 7 ( If you have not yet installed Windows 7 and are not entirely sure of the necessary steps, then you should read this section: Installing Windows 7).
The network setup phase is required for the following steps after installation:
- downloading current antivirus software distributions from the Internet;
- downloading the latest versions of video player, web browser;
- if necessary, downloading drivers from the network for some devices on your computer (if they were not downloaded and installed automatically, or if installation disks are missing);
- use of an XBOX console;
- exchange of documents and quick access to shared resources of several computers or laptops. In this case, to use the Internet, you need to set up a wired or wireless network. As a rule, one computer or laptop serves as a kind of Internet distributor for all other pieces of computer equipment.
The same is true with MAC addresses and subnet masks. All these settings remain the same, they have long been familiar to users. Some changes only affected the interface of the Control Panel and its items through which network parameters are accessed. Everything else is without significant changes. This is another undoubted advantage of Windows 7. Users who previously used Windows XP will be able to understand the new operating system quite easily. As a rule, setting up a local network in such popular operating systems as Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows Server 2008/2008 R2 begins with a component for configuring network properties such as “”.
This properties configuration tool allows the user to select a network location, set up printer and file sharing, and view a network map. You can also monitor the status of all your network connections. It is very convenient and practical.
How and where to open the Network and Sharing Center component.
Before you can use the full functionality to create network parameters, you need to find and open it. One of the following actions of your choice will help you open the active window correctly " Network and Sharing Center»:
As you can see, if you are careful and read everything, then you should not have any problems finding the “Network and Sharing Center” component. It should be noted that to expand the ranges of used IP addresses in Windows 7, in addition to the previously existing IPv4 protocol, a new one was added - IPv6. True, providers have not yet activated it, and when this will happen is currently unknown. Most likely, the creators of Windows 7 were ahead of the curve. 
Figure 1. The illustration shows the Network and Sharing Center window.
What does the network location of a computer mean?
Understand what " Network location", you need before you start working with this important component. For all computers, this setting is set automatically the first time they connect to the selected network. This also applies to the firewall and security settings of the network selected for connection. All of them are also configured automatically when you first connect your computer or laptop to the network.
The Windows 7 operating system supports several active profiles at the same time. This allows you to use multiple network adapters that can be connected to different networks with the greatest security.
By the way, Windows Vista uses the strictest firewall profile for all network connections. This may be why Vista is not as popular as Windows 7.
There are four main types of network locations:
| The first type is a home network. From the name itself it is clear that this network location is intended for a computer used at home. It is also used in networks in which all users know each other well. Such computers can not only create, but also join home groups. Typically, for the convenience of users when using home networks, network discovery is automatically enabled. Home networks provide all computers with high-quality network access. | |
| The second type is a network of an enterprise or organization. This type of network location also allows you to find the network automatically. The difference from a home network is that in an enterprise network it is not possible to join or create a computer to a home group. The network is intended exclusively for professional activities in an enterprise, organization or office. This type is called for short (SOHO), that is, it is used in a small office network. | |
| The third type is a public network. Cafes, airports, train stations and other public places - this is where computers use the third type of network location. By default, the ability to join home groups is disabled in this location. Network discovery is also disabled. Without exaggeration, we can say that this is the most strict arrangement. | |
| The fourth type is a domain network. The domain type of network location is almost no different from the work network. Except that in the domain type, the configuration of Network Discovery and Windows Firewall is determined by Group Policy. This also applies to the network card. In order for an existing network to automatically receive the “Domain” network location type, the computer just needs to be joined to an Active Directory domain. Only in this case can the network become a domain network. |
Figure 2. Selecting the network location of the computer.Network map.
In order to see the location of all devices included in a specific local network, a network map is used. This is a graphical representation of the devices included in the network and the diagram by which they are connected to each other.
The network map can be seen in the same “Network and Sharing Center” window. True, only the local part of the network card is displayed here. Its layout directly depends on the available network connections. In the upper left corner you can see a display of the computer on which the map is being created. On the left you can see a display of the remaining computers included in the subnet.
Figure 3. Example of a network map.
You can view the network map at any time. True, only for locations such as “Home Network” and “Enterprise Network”. If the user gets curious to view the maps for the Domain Network or Public Network locations, he will see a message that the network message is disabled by default by the administrator. A network administrator can enable mapping using Group Policy.
In Windows 7, not one, but two components are responsible for the operation of the network map. This Link Layer(Link Layer Topology Discover Mapper – LLTD Mapper). It is this important component that requests devices on the network to be included in the map.
Network connections.
In the window " Network connections"You can see the entire set of data that the user needs to connect the computer to the Internet, local network or any other computer from the home network.
This data is available for viewing only after installing all the necessary drivers for each network adapter on Windows 7 and after automatically configuring all network connections on a specific local computer or laptop.
There are several simple and accessible ways to easily and quickly open the “ Network connections»:
- Open the window " Network and Sharing Center" and follow the link " Change adapter settings"(see Figure 4);
Network and Sharing Center"." href="/upload/nastroika-windows-7/windows-7-nastroika-seti-img-7.png">
Figure 4. Open the window “ Network connections" through " Network and Sharing Center».
- Click the “Start” button and when the menu opens, enter “View network connections” in the search field. In the results found, select the “View network connections” application ( very convenient way);
- You can also use the classic keyboard shortcut Win+R. As a result, the “Run” dialog will open. In the "Open" field, which is located in the "Run" dialog box, you must enter the following command: ncpa.cpl or control network connection. Having done this, you need to click the “OK” button.
Figure 5. Network Connections windowWindow " Network and Sharing Center» similar to the Windows XP window. All detailed information about the network connection can be obtained by selecting the “Properties” option for a specific network adapter (see Figure 6). In Windows 7, to set up a network connection in the Properties window, you need to select Internet Protocol Version 4. In the same window, you can also make the necessary settings for gateways, subnet masks, DNS servers, IP addresses, etc. All this information can be obtained from the provider that provides Internet access services.
Figure 6: Network connection details.
Rename the network adapter.
The developers of Windows 7 made sure that by default the operating system itself assigns all network connections the names “Local Area Connection” or another option - “Wireless Network Connection”. If the user has more than one network connection on the computer, the system also assigns a number to the connection. There are three ways to rename the name of any of the connections you create.
- First way. Select the network connection and click on the “Rename connection” button located on the toolbar. After entering a new name, press the key Enter;
- Second way. Using the key F2: press, enter a new name and save using the same key Enter;
- Third way. To rename a network connection selected from the list, right-click on it, select the “Rename” command from the context menu that appears, rename and save the changes using the familiar key Enter;
Network status.
In addition to the ability to rename the connection, in this window you can also find out about the network status. Using this window, which is called “Network Status,” at any time you can not only view any data about the connection network, but also find out details such as MAC address, IP address and much other useful and interesting information.
There are providers that allow users to access the Internet using the MAC address of the network card. If for some reason the network card is changed or the entire computer is replaced, the MAC address will also change and Internet access will cease. For a new connection to the Internet, you must set the required physical address (MAC address).
How to see the MAC address of a network card in Windows 7?
To view the current MAC address, as well as complete information about the connection, you need to right-click on the local network connection, and then select “Status” in the context menu that opens (see Figure 7).
Figure 8. How to change the MAC address of a network card (network adapter).Network diagnostics.
If a situation arises where unexpected errors or failures occur in your network connection, you can eliminate them using connection diagnostics. The diagnostic tool can be found in the Network Connections window.
Select the window " Troubleshooting", which, analyzing the connection status, offers a choice of possible faults and troubleshooting methods. To start diagnostics, you need to right-click on the network connection and select the “Diagnostics” command in the context menu.
Figure 9. Opening the Local Area Connection Troubleshooting Wizard.
The second way to start checking your network connection parameters is to select the desired network and click on the “Connection Diagnostics” button. The button can be seen on the toolbar.
In the dialog box that opens, to diagnose the connection, just follow the steps of the wizard to troubleshoot errors and problems. Nothing complicated.
Disabling a network device (network adapter).
Sometimes situations arise when network connection problems are resolved not with the help of an error resolution wizard, but by simply disconnecting the network adapter from the computer. This can be easily done by doing one of the following:
- Select a network connection and click on the “Disable network device” button located on the toolbar;
- Right-click on the network connection and select “Disconnect” in the context menu that appears;
Conclusion.
The article details how to configure, connect and diagnose network connections.
If you have any doubts about your own network setup and connection capabilities, it is better to seek help from specialists, or carefully read the article again.
