A modern office or home workstation rarely functions without a desktop computer and laptop. There's often a need to quickly transfer gigabytes of photos, work documents, or even launch a game from a powerful desktop onto a laptop's mobile screen. Local area network Wi-Fi solves this problem elegantly, eliminating the hassle of running around with flash drives and slow cloud downloads.
The creation of such a connection is based on the presence of a common router, to which both devices are connected wirelessly. This allows for high-speed data exchange, limited only by your router's capabilities and range. Setup may seem complicated at first, but with the right approach, it only takes a few minutes.
In this article, we will examine all the nuances of configuring network profiles, setting up shared access, and troubleshooting typical errors that often occur in the environment. Windows 10 and 11You'll learn not only how to connect devices, but also how to do it securely, preventing unauthorized access.
Hardware and software requirements
Before you begin configuring software, you need to ensure your infrastructure is ready for local networking. A basic requirement is a working Wi-Fi router that assigns IP addresses to connected devices. Both computers must be on the same subnet, which usually happens automatically when connecting to the same access point.
The operating system on both devices must support network discovery. In the vast majority of cases, this is Windows, but the connection can also work between different OS versions if the protocols are configured correctly. It is important that both devices have up-to-date drivers installed. wireless network adapter.
⚠️ Note: If you're using a guest Wi-Fi network on your router, connections between devices may not work by default. Guest networks are often isolated from each other for security reasons.
Check the connection status on each device. The Wi-Fi icon in the Windows system tray should show an active connection without any yellow exclamation marks. If one device is connected via cable and the other via wireless, the setup procedure remains the same, as they are logically on the same local network.
Make sure your antivirus software isn't blocking local connections. Often, the built-in Windows firewall or third-party security suites can perceive connection attempts as an external attack if the network profile is set to "Public."
Setting up a network profile and discovery
The first critical step is changing your network profile. By default, Windows assigns "Public" status to a new Wi-Fi network when connecting to it, hiding your computer from other devices. To create a local network, you need to switch the profile to "Private."
Do this on both computers. Go to network settings via the Control Panel or the Settings menu in Windows 10/11. Find the properties of your active Wi-Fi connection and select the network type as "Private." This will resolve the issue. network discovery and make your PC visible to your roommate or office colleague.
After changing your profile, you need to enable discovery features. Open the Control Panel, go to Network and Sharing Center, and select Change advanced sharing settings. Here, you need to enable the following options for the current profile:
- 📡 Enable network discovery (automatic configuration of connected devices).
- 📂 Enable file and printer sharing.
- 🔒 Allow Windows to manage HomeGroup connections (if applicable).
Don't forget to save your changes by clicking the corresponding button at the bottom of the window. Without this step, the computers will be physically connected to the router but software-based connections will be ignored.
In some corporate environments or when using specific security settings, these options may be blocked by group policies. In this case, system administrator intervention or a registry edit will be required, but for home use, the default settings are sufficient.
Advanced Sharing Configuration
After enabling basic discovery, you should configure sharing settings in more detail. In the same "Advanced Sharing Settings" window, pay attention to the "All Networks" section. This section contains key settings that determine security and ease of use.
The "Password-protected sharing" option requires special attention. If you're on a trusted home network, you can disable it. This will allow you to connect to shared folders without entering the remote computer's username and password. However, if you have strangers on the network or don't trust all connected devices, it's best to leave the protection enabled.
⚠️ Warning: Disabling password protection on a public network (such as a cafe or airport) will allow anyone to access your files. Use this feature only in a completely trusted environment.
You can also configure connection encryption in this section. For modern Windows 10 and 11 systems, 128-bit encryption is recommended to prevent over-the-air packet interception. Although Wi-Fi already uses WPA2/WPA3 encryption, an additional layer of security is a good idea.
After making all changes, the system may require a restart of network services or the computer itself. Restart both devices to ensure the new firewall rules and network protocols are applied.
Expanding Shared Folders and Resources
Now that the network is configured, you need to determine what data will be accessible. You can share any folder on the drive, making it visible to another computer. To do this, right-click the folder, select "Properties," and go to the "Sharing" tab.
Click the "Advanced Settings" button and check the "Share this folder" box. You can also configure permissions here: allow read-only access or grant full access with the ability to modify and delete files. For a workgroup, it's often convenient to create a separate "Share" folder with full access rights for all users.
The table below shows the main types of access and their impact on security:
| Access type | Reading | Recording | Removal | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Read only | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ❌ No | For media files, documents |
| Change | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | For collaboration |
| Full access | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | For trusted persons only |
| Ban | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No | To exclude specific users |
Also, don't forget to check the "Security" tab in the folder's properties. Sometimes NTFS file system permissions can block access, even if everything is clear in the network settings. Make sure the "Users" group or the specific user has the appropriate permissions in the permissions list.
☑️ Checking a shared folder
To quickly access shared resources, you can use a special path. In File Explorer, enter two backslashes and the computer name or IP address in the address bar, for example: \\DESKTOP-PC or \\192.168.1.5This will open a window with all the resources available on that device.
Connecting a network printer and peripherals
One of the most useful features of a local network is the ability to share a printer. If the printer is connected to your desktop computer via USB, but you need to print from your laptop, there's no need to reconnect the cable. Simply share the printer on the network.
On the computer where the printer is physically connected, go to "Settings" -> "Devices" -> "Printers & Scanners." Select the printer, click "Manage," then "Printer Properties," and then go to the "Sharing" tab. Check the "Share this printer" box and give it a meaningful network name.
On the second computer (laptop), go to the same Add Printers section and select "The printer I want isn't listed." Select Search by name and enter the path to the network printer, for example: \\COMP-MAIN\HP_LaserJetThe system will find the device, automatically install the necessary drivers (if they are in the Windows database or on the update server), and add it as a local device.
What to do if the driver is not found?
If Windows can't automatically find the driver for your network printer, you'll need to download the driver installation package from the printer manufacturer's website to your laptop. During installation, select the "Network Printer" connection type and specify the path to the device. Sometimes you'll need to first install the driver locally on a virtual port and then change the port to a network port in the device properties.
It's worth noting that for a network printer to work, the host computer to which it is physically connected must be turned on and not in sleep mode. In the host computer's power settings, enable wake-up over the network, if supported by the motherboard and network card.
Access via HomeGroup and Drive Mapping
Older versions of Windows had a feature called "HomeGroup," which simplified file sharing. In Windows 10 (after the 2018 updates) and Windows 11, this feature was deprecated in favor of more flexible, but slightly more complex, manual configuration. However, the principle of network drive mapping remains relevant.
To avoid re-entering the folder path each time, you can map the network folder as a separate drive in "My Computer." To do this, right-click "This PC" in File Explorer and select "Map network drive." Select the drive letter (e.g., Z:) and enter the path to the folder on the remote computer.
Check "Restore at logon" to make the drive available immediately after restarting your laptop. This will turn the remote storage into a fully functional logical drive that you can work with just like a local drive: create shortcuts, index search files, and open documents directly.
⚠️ Important: When mapping a network drive, ensure that the primary computer has a static IP address or reserved addressing in the router's DHCP server. If the primary computer's IP address changes, the network drive connection will be lost.
For professional work with large amounts of data, such as video editing or database management, using a network drive is essential. This ensures consistent file paths for all applications.
Diagnosis and solution of typical problems
Despite the simplicity of setup, users often encounter problems. The most common error is "Windows cannot access \\ComputerName." This is most often due to computers being in different network profiles or the discovery service being disabled.
Check if the computers can see each other. Open the command prompt (cmd) and enter the command ping neighbor's IP addressIf responses are received, the physical connection and TCP/IP stack are working properly, and the problem should be looked for in the sharing settings or firewall.
If you can't ping, check your router settings. Make sure Wi-Fi client isolation (AP Isolation) isn't enabled. This feature is specifically designed for hotels and cafes to prevent guests from seeing each other's devices, but at home, it will interfere with normal operation.
It's also worth checking Windows services. Click Win + R, enter services.msc and find the services related to network discovery (Function Discovery Resource Publication, SSDP Discovery). They should be running and have the startup type set to Automatic.
Why is my computer not visible on the network, even though it can be pinged?
This is a classic issue with Windows profiles. If a network is marked as "Public," the system hides the PC from the list of network neighbors for security reasons, even if technically there's a connection. Change the profile to "Private" in the network settings.
It asks for a password even though I have disabled password protection?
Windows may be caching old credentials. Go to "Control Panel" -> "Credential Manager" -> "Windows Credentials." Find the address of your network computer and delete the saved login and password. The system will then prompt you for credentials again or allow you to log in without a password.
Is it possible to connect computers directly without a router?
Yes, this is called an ad-hoc network or direct connection. However, in modern versions of Windows, creating such a network is more complicated than simply connecting to a router. It's easier and more reliable to use even the cheapest Wi-Fi router as a switching point.
How to find out the IP address of a computer on a local network?
Open command prompt and enter the command ipconfigFind the "IPv4 address" line. It usually looks like 192.168.1.X or 192.168.0.X. This is the address you need to enter on the second computer to connect.