Creating local data storage accessible to all devices in the home is a fundamental task for comfortable work with digital content. In today's environment, where wired connections are giving way to wireless technologies, the issue of organizing shared access is becoming especially pressing for laptop and tablet owners. Local area network Allows you to transfer files at high speed without using external drives or cloud services that depend on your internet connection speed.
operating system Windows 10 has built-in tools for implementing this feature, but hidden security settings sometimes make initial configuration difficult. Users often encounter situations where computers "don't see" each other despite successfully connecting to the same router. In this article, we'll cover a detailed procedure to help avoid common mistakes and set up stable data exchange.
To get started, you won't need to install any additional software, as all the necessary components are already integrated into the system. The main thing is to correctly identify the network profile type and activate the appropriate services. The key point is that all devices must be on the same subnet, which is automatically done when connecting to a single Wi-Fi router without using guest networks.
Preparing the network infrastructure and verifying the profile
The first step before setting up file access is to verify your network connection type. By default, the operating system assigns new connections to the "Public Network" profile, which strictly limits your device's visibility to other connection participants for security reasons. You need to change this status to "Private Network" to enable discovery.
Open the Start menu and go to Settings by selecting the gear icon. Then follow the path Network and Internet → StatusIn the center of the window, you'll see the properties of your current connection. If it says "Public," click on it and switch the radio button to "Private." This removes basic firewall restrictions for local traffic.
It's also worth making sure that network discovery is enabled on all computers that will be sharing files. Without this setting, even with the correct profile, devices will remain invisible to each other in File Explorer. Checking these settings only takes a couple of minutes, but will save you hours of troubleshooting down the road.
⚠️ Warning: If you are connected to Wi-Fi in a public place (cafe, airport), do not change your profile to "Private" under any circumstances, as this will make your data vulnerable to external attacks.
Setting up sharing options in Control Panel
After changing the network profile, you need to activate specific services responsible for resource sharing. These settings are located in the classic control panel, which is saved in Windows 10 to ensure backward compatibility. Ignoring this step is the most common reason why a folder won't open on other devices.
Press the key combination Win + R, enter the command control and press Enter. In the window that opens, select "Large icons" view and find "Network and Sharing Center." In the left menu, click "Change advanced sharing settings."
Here you'll see a list of profiles. Make sure you're in the "Private (Current Profile)" section. For proper functionality, you must enable the following options:
- 📡 Turn on network discovery - allows your computer to see other devices and be visible.
- 📂 Turn on file and printer sharing — allows access to shared resources.
- 🔐 Enable sharing to allow network users to read and write files in shared folders.
At the bottom of the window ("All Networks"), we recommend enabling the "Turn off password-protected sharing" option if you're on a trusted home network. This will save you from having to enter your username and password every time you access files. If security is your top priority, leave it enabled, but ensure that the user accounts on all PCs match.
☑️ Check network settings
Creating and sharing a directory
Now that the network environment is prepared, you can begin creating a resource that will be accessible to other users. You can select any existing folder or create a new one specifically for data sharing. It is recommended to create such directories at the root of the drive or in a separate partition to simplify navigation and permissions management.
Create a folder, for example, named "Shared_Files," then right-click it and select "Properties." Go to the "Sharing" tab and click "Advanced." Check the box next to "Share this folder."
Next, you need to configure user permissions. Click the "Permissions" button and ensure "Everyone" (or a specific user) is listed in the group list. Select the group and select the desired permissions in the "Allow" column:
- 📖 Full access - allows you to read, modify, and delete files.
- 📝 Edit - Allows editing and creating new files.
- 👁️ Reading - only viewing and copying files without the right to change them.
Don't forget to also go to the "Security" tab in the folder properties. Here, you should also add the "Everyone" group and grant it the appropriate permissions. It often happens that the access settings allow login, but the security settings (NTFS) block reading, causing the "Access Denied" error.
Mounting a network folder as a local drive
For easy, ongoing use, the created folder can be mounted as a separate drive in "My Computer." This eliminates the need to search for the device in the network environment and manually enter the path each time. The system will treat the remote resource as part of the local file system.
Open "This PC," go to the "Computer" tab in the top menu, and select "Map network drive." In the window that opens, select an available drive letter (e.g., Z:). In the "Folder" field, enter the network path in the format \\Computer_Name\Folder_Name or \\IP address\Folder_Name.
If you are using an IP address, you can find it on the host computer by entering the command at the command prompt ipconfigRemember the IPv4 address; you'll need it to connect. You can also click the "Browse" button to find the computer and folder in the list of available network resources.
| Parameter | Description | Example of meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Drive letter | Any free letter from A to Z | Z: |
| Path to resource | Network address in UNC format | \\192.168.1.5\Movies |
| Restore | Automatic connection upon login | The checkbox is checked |
| Use other data | Login as a different user | As needed |
After clicking "Finish," the system will attempt to establish a connection. If all settings are correct, a new drive will appear in File Explorer, allowing direct access to files on the remote computer. Copy speed will be limited only by your Wi-Fi bandwidth.
What to do if the connection drops?
A common cause of disconnections is the Wi-Fi adapter's power-saving mode. Go to Device Manager, find your wireless adapter, open its properties, go to the "Power Management" tab, and uncheck "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power."
Solving visibility and access issues
Even if you follow all the instructions, situations may arise where computers cannot see each other or access is blocked. This is most often due to Windows services or firewall settings. Detection Service must be launched and operate in automatic mode.
Click Win + R, enter services.msc and find the following services in the list:
- Detection functionality
- Publishing discovery resources
- Discovery Service Provider Host
Set the startup type for each of them to "Automatic" and click "Start" if they are stopped. Without these components, the network discovery protocol will not function correctly, and computers will remain isolated.
⚠️ Note: Third-party antivirus programs (Kaspersky, ESET, Avast) may have their own built-in firewall that blocks the local network regardless of Windows settings. Temporarily disable network protection in your antivirus to check.
Also, check that SMB 1.0 support is enabled if you're trying to connect to older NAS drives or Windows XP/7 computers. In Windows 10, this protocol is disabled by default for security reasons. You can enable it via Control Panel → Programs and Features → Turn Windows features on or off.
Optimizing Wi-Fi data transfer speed
A wireless network always affects file transfer speeds. If you're working with large video files or databases, the default settings may not be effective enough. It's important to understand that actual Wi-Fi speeds are approximately 50-60% of the theoretical speed stated by the router manufacturer.
For maximum performance, make sure both computers are connected within range. 5 GHzIf your router supports dual-band mode, the 2.4 GHz frequency is heavily congested with signals from neighboring networks and household appliances, causing packet loss and reduced throughput.
Furthermore, the location of the devices plays a critical role. The closer the computers are to the router and the fewer walls between them, the more stable the connection. Use the utility ping To check the channel stability: in the command line, enter ping 192.168.1.1 -t (substituting the IP of your router) and look at the response time and the absence of losses.
Is it possible to access the folder from a phone?
Yes, this is possible. On Android, use a file manager with SMB support (such as CX File Explorer or Solid Explorer), and on iOS, go to the Files app → Browse → Three dots → Connect to server. Enter your computer's IP address and account information.
Why does access disappear after reboot?
This may be due to dynamic IP address changes (DHCP). To avoid this, configure a static IP address for the server computer in the router settings or in the Windows network adapter properties.
How do I hide a folder from others while still allowing access to my favorites?
Don't disable password protection. Create a specific Windows user with a password on the server computer. When connecting from other devices, enter the login and password of this specific user, not the administrator's.