Windows 7 How to Network

Return to Home Page
Windows 7 Home Premium 32 bit | Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit 

Networking Windows has become very straightforward with the addition of a thing called Homegroup.
What Homegroup allows you to do is join a group of computers who interchange files and resources.

There exists a group password.
This password is assigned by the group administrator.
Joining the Homegroup provides access to all published resources


Steps for Networking Windows 7
Setting up Server
  • The first thing to do is set the password that group members will use. (example: groupPass357)
  • Use Control Panel > Home Group to make these changes.
  • Use Computer to publish the Data drive or the directories you wish to publish.
  • Set that Everyone in the group has access.
  • Use Control Panel > Devices and Printers to publish the attached printer.
  • Wireless router password remains unchanged and is of course set from that device itself.
    • Setting up Client
  • The first thing to do is to establish a connection to your wireless router.
  • Use Control Panel > Network and Sharing Center to make this connection.
  • Next we set the Homegroup password to match the password being used by the server.
  • Use Control Panel > Home Group to make changes to the home group password.
  • Use Computer > Map network drive to set up access to served data drive.
  • Use Devices and Printers to search for and connect to the published printer. 
    • 
At this point you are for all intents and purposes ready to begin to use your computer.
I exit from this mode by doing a Hibernate. 
This preserves whatever I am working on is for my next session on my laptop.