Just 5 years ago, organizing a local connection between several computers meant purchasing special equipment (switches or hubs), which had to be configured and prepared for the successful functioning of the network. Today, when almost every apartment has a router, or router, with the help of which wired or wireless communication is organized between a number of systems, the need to buy third-party equipment has disappeared by itself, since if you set up communication between computers, it becomes possible to organize file exchange, including with using a local connection.

Why is a local network needed at all? In such a network it is possible share movies, music, pictures, play 3D games with live opponents. All these features together make up an excellent tool for organizing and setting up a connection, and the very possibility of playing with real people in multiplayer immediately reduces all the time and moral costs of customizing the connection, as well as the dissatisfaction from the appearance of possible pop-up pitfalls during setup, to nothing.

In this material I will tell you how to generate and tune a wired/wireless connection between several nodes on a local network, and what is needed for this.

A prerequisite for organizing a local connection in Windows 10 via a router is already. This article does not cover setting up the router, since we have already described the setup process in a separate article (link above). We will assume that your router is working properly and stably, and there are no problems (such as periodic loss of connection or communication interruption). Also, using the instructions provided, you can organize a wired connection bypassing Wi-Fi.

Setting up a local network connection - detailed instructions

The first thing we need to do is join all the computers on the network to one workgroup. To see which workgroup your selected PC belongs to, right-click on the “Start” button and select “System” in the pop-up menu.

In the system properties form that opens, click the “Change settings” button in the section where the name of the computer and the domain to which this node belongs is indicated. The “Computer name” tab opens, where, among other information, there is information about the workgroup.

As you can see, my PC belongs to the “WORKGROUP” group. An alternative way to get to the same form is to use the “Win ​​+ R” key sequence and enter the command sysdm.cpl. As a result, you will also be taken to the same form.

What if the workgroup names are different on different computers, and you need to change the group on one or more of the selected machines? On the same form, click the “Change” button and in the new form that opens, enter the group name we need.

When entering the name of a working group, do not use the Cyrillic alphabet; use only Latin characters.

Here we check the option “View task and network status” in the “Internet and network connection” category.

In the form that opens, open the “Change additional sharing settings” subsection.

Enable the OS to manage workgroup connections, printer and file sharing, automatic configuration, and PC discovery on the network.

Select the “All network connections” section and there check the “Disable password protected sharing” option. After that, save all changes by clicking on the save button.

Do the same operations on all systems that you want to connect to the local network, after which we can move on.

How to set up access to file objects and directories on a PC

To organize general access to a folder on the network, you need to right-click on the corresponding directory and select “Properties”, then click on the “Access” tab and then “Advanced settings”.

To open general type access to the directory, check the box to open access to the general type directory and click the “Permissions” button. Here, select those users for whom you want to provide access, and indicate what kind of access you want to give. The most preferable option is “Read Only”, since if you open access to other users for changes, in the near future you may be missing several dozen files in your directory.

Now go to the “Security” tab in the directory properties and for the “Everyone” user set access only to read the contents of the directory and to run files in the specified folder, so that you can watch movies on any computer with a local connection, without first copying them to your PC . To change permissions, click the "Edit" button for the corresponding user.

Now, if you did everything correctly, the folders you shared will be visible on other computers connected to a single local network.

This way, you can freely use shared resources stored on other PCs, thereby saving valuable disk space without duplicating the same files on multiple nodes. Using a local connection is incredibly convenient, and I hope you will also appreciate all the advantages and benefits of this approach to storing and using data.

A local network allows you to establish a connection between several computers in the same room, establishing shared access to files. As a result of setting up a home network, users have the opportunity to work on the same document or play games together on different computers.

Local network capabilities

Setting up a Windows 10 network allows you to get a number of convenient features that will be useful for users who have several computers at their disposal.

• Sharing files from different computers. Fast data transfer regardless of volume.
• Share a printer, scanner, or other network device.
• Setting up online games and entertainment.

These are the main directions, each of which contains a number of possibilities. For example, fast data transfer allows you to back up important information so that if one machine stops working properly, the information you need can still be accessed from another computer.

To start using all these functions, you first need to properly configure the local network in Windows 10. You can connect machines that have the same versions installed, a PC and a laptop with different versions of Windows - between “seven” and “ten” there are no compatibility restrictions.

Network creation

The first step is to set the same workgroup name on all computers that you are going to connect to the network. On Windows 10 and other versions this is done the same way:

• Click Win+R to call the window " Execute».
• Enter " sysdm.cpl" to open system properties.

• The “” tab will immediately appear. Look at the name of the working group. To put the same name on other computers, click " Change" Use only Latin letters!

The setup then continues in " Network and Sharing Center", which is launched through the control panel or the connection icon in the notification area. Next you should move on to changing additional parameters.

On Windows 10 you can still get here through the “ VPN" on the " tab Network and Internet» in system parameters.

Here you need to enable network discovery with automatic configuration, file and device sharing, and allow the system to manage homegroup connections.

Attention: Enable network discovery and passwordless sharing is required for all profiles! You'll set up your home or work profile first, then your general profile and all networks.

This operation must be repeated on all computers. As a result, local network participants should have:

• One workgroup name is assigned.
• Network discovery enabled.

If the home network into which the computers are connected is built on the basis of one router, then the above steps are sufficient for the normal operation of the local network. If the computers are connected directly using a crossover cable or the DHCP service, which independently distributes IP addresses to machines, is disabled on the router, then additional configuration must be done.

• Open " Network Sharing Center", then go to the " Change adapter settings».

• Select the network card in which the crossover cable is installed and open its properties.

• Check " Use the following IP" And " Use the following DNS" Fill in the lines with the values ​​shown in the screenshot.

On the second computer you need to add the following data:

The IP address will be different on different computers. If on the first machine you wrote 192.168.0.2, then the second address will be 192.168.0.3 and so on, depending on the number of network participants. The rest of the data remains unchanged.

Enable sharing

The local network has been created, but in order to use programs and files from one computer that are stored on another machine, you must also set up shared access for them. Setting up a Windows 10 network This essentially ends there. Let's create a shared folder with documents:

• Right-click on the folder and open properties.
• Go to the " Access", click on the button " Advanced setup».

• Check the box " Share" Click on the button " Permissions».

• Set permissions. If you want to be able to only open the directory from another computer and view its contents, then check the box “ Reading" in column " Allow" To provide full access, check the appropriate box. Save the configuration by clicking " OK».

Then you need to return to the folder properties and go to the “ Safety" Here you should click the button " Change».

The window “ Group Permissions" Under the field " Groups or users» click « Add».

Enter your name " All" (no quotes needed), click " OK».

Set the same permissions that you did earlier when setting up access.

After allowing sharing, it is recommended that you restart your computer to Windows 10 network setup completed correctly. The next time you turn it on, the “ Net", which will display the computers between which the connection has been established.

Inside the directory under the name of the other computer, you will find folders that are configured for sharing.

Inside the folder will be the same documents that are stored on another computer. If you have given full access to the settings, you can easily edit them from another machine.

Sharing Internet access

If a local network is built without a router, using a direct wired connection of computers, and one machine has Internet access, but the other does not, then this can be quickly corrected. The described actions are performed on the computer that has a connection to the global network.

• Click the connection icon in the notification area. Open " Control center" and proceed to change adapter settings.

• In the list of available connections, find the WAN connection. Open its properties, right-click.

• On the " Access» Allow other members of your home network to use this Internet connection.

Now from one computer the Internet will be distributed to other participants in the network. This will affect the speed, but when accessed from different devices through the router, the speed is also divided in proportion to the load, so this is a common practice for sharing the Internet.

With the release of the first versions of the Windows 10 operating system, many users encountered the problem that it was impossible to establish a stable connection between computers. This happened due to the fact that the drivers for the network cards were not fully optimized. The release of updates eliminated this problem. Also on this OS the user interface has been redesigned, and some configurations have changed their location. In principle, setting up a local network in Windows 10 is not much different, but there are still a number of pitfalls that it is advisable to know about. If you want to buy the latest version of the windows system, then follow the link buy windows 10 Kyiv.

How to create a local network on Windows 10?

You can set up a LAN between PCs in several ways:

• via a router;
• create a direct connection between computers.

The most technically correct and convenient solution is to create a LAN via a WiFi router. Usually, by default, the router has a DHCP server enabled, which assigns network addresses to devices, so to connect you just need to connect the cable to the computer and router and wait for the parameters to be automatically determined. Or find a WiFi point in the list and connect via radio channel.

Creating a Windows 10 local network over a wired connection is done through a series of simple sequential steps to configure the network card, connection and firewall.

Presetting parameters

Before creating a network connection, make sure that the resources being combined on the LAN are part of the same workgroup, that network discovery is allowed on all networks, and that the firewall properties allow access to connect to shared resources. Now all the steps are in order:

1. Open the properties window by right-clicking on “My Computer”. The second method is more convenient. Press the key combination “Win ​​(Microsoft logo key) + R” and enter the command “sysdm.cpl”.
2. In the window that opens, on the “Computer name” tab there will be the name of the workgroup, and change it if necessary. Under no circumstances should you use the Cyrillic alphabet in your name.
3. The PC will be included in the workgroup after a reboot.
4. Next, go to the “Network and Sharing Center” through the “Control Panel” or right-click on the connection icon in the “Taskbar” (bottom right of the screen).
5. Windows works with multiple profiles, such as Home or Public, so the following step must be performed for each of them or for all of them together. Click the "Advanced sharing options" button and enable network discovery, file and printer sharing, and allow the system to automatically manage HomeGroup. You should also disable password access.

These preparatory steps allow you to understand how to create a local network on Windows 10, and are required to be performed on each machine. There is no need to separately configure the firewall; all actions automatically make changes to its policies. Another point that you should definitely pay attention to is that all computers have the same time and date. Without this, it will be impossible to configure the LAN.

Setting the computer's IP address

When creating a wired connection without using a router, we will set static addresses for each computer. The procedure is as follows:

• The “Network and Sharing Center” opens.
• Select the “Advanced adapter settings” item.
• The properties window for the required adapter is displayed.
• Select “Internet Protocol Version 4” and click the “Properties” button.
• Manually install IP addresses from the range allocated for use on the LAN. Information about these ranges can be found on the Internet.
• DNS and gateway can be left in automatic mode.

The IP for each computer must be unique, but belong to the same subnet, i.e. Only the last digits should differ. After applying these settings, the connection should be up and you can begin setting up shared resources.

Setting up sharing

To “share” a folder, its properties are called up. The “Access” tab allows you to manage user rights. In order for the folder to be visible locally, click “Advanced settings” and then “Share this folder”. The “Permissions” button becomes active, which we click to manage security policies. A new window will allow you to select either one specific user or give permission to absolutely everyone. It depends on what tasks are set for public access.

This is where all the steps on how to set up a local network on Windows 10 end. Similarly, you can give permissions to access a printer or scanner. All shared resources can be found by opening Explorer or any other file manager in the network section. When you connect for the first time, a search for devices and allowed resources will occur, which may take some time. For convenience, you can connect a shared folder as a disk by assigning it a specific letter.

Update! Since the home group was removed in Windows 10 starting with version 1803, this article is no longer relevant. I have prepared new instructions for setting up a local network and managing shared folders and files in Windows 10:.

In a previous article, I wrote about setting up a local network on Windows 7. But, since the number of Windows 10 users is growing every day, I decided to prepare instructions for setting up a local network in Windows 10. Using these instructions, you can combine everything into a home local network computers that you have connected to the same Wi-Fi router. I will show the example of setting up a network between a computer on Windows 10 and Windows 7. But, computers on Windows 8, or several computers on Windows 10 can also participate in this network. The instructions are universal, and if you have several regular desktop computers and laptops connected to the same router, you can easily combine them into a local network. And at the same time, it doesn’t matter at all what version of Windows they run on (except Windows XP).

After creating a local network, you will be able to:

• Share files between computers on your home network.
• Share the printer. For example: you connected a printer to one computer on the local network, and you can print documents from other computers.
• Play games over a local network.

And all this can be done by air. If your computers and laptops are connected to the router via a Wi-Fi network. This is how it works for you. You can connect some computers via cable, and laptops, for example, via Wi-Fi. Everything will work.

I have set up a local network between two computers (desktop PC and laptop). One works on Windows 10, and the second on Windows 7. I set it up through a home group. I think this is the most correct and safe way. You can also configure it by disabling password-protected sharing, as I did in the instructions for.

How does the local network work through setup using a home group? A very important point, since the settings there are a little confusing, the main thing is to understand how everything works, and it will be easier to configure. This means we create a home group on one of the computers and receive a password (I created on Windows 7, it doesn't matter). And all other computers that we want to connect to the network, we simply join the home group using the received password. That's all. It is precisely this scheme that we will now consider in more detail.

I made a small diagram for clarity (you may have more or fewer computers, and a printer does not need to be connected):

Before proceeding with the setup, you must check time and date. Check that the time and date on all computers that will participate in the network are the same.

Creating a homegroup in Windows 7

If, for example, all your computers are on Windows 10, then we create a home group on one of the computers with “ten”, everything is exactly the same there. Or in Windows 8, for example.

Click on the Internet connection icon in the notification panel. Then, select .

There will be our connection to the router (via cable or Wi-Fi). It is important that it has the Home Network status. If you have a Public Network like me in the screenshot, then click on this link and select home network.

Close the window for selecting network location. Now, our connection has the status "Home Network". Go to section Home group.

Click on the button Create a home group.

Select the checkboxes for the required items that will be shared (shared folders) and click Further.

Write down or take a photo of the password you receive. Using this password, we will connect other computers to our network.

At this point, the creation of a home group is completed. If you go back to Network and Sharing Center - Home group, then you can remember your password, change it, leave the group, change sharing settings, etc.

That's it, the group has been created. We have the password. Now we connect the necessary computers on our network to the homegroup.

Setting up a local network in Windows 10: connecting to a homegroup

Let's move on to another computer. Now I will show, using the example of a computer with Windows 10, how to connect to a home group to create a home local network. Using this scheme, you can connect not only computers with Windows 10 installed, but also Windows 7 and Windows 8.

Already according to the standard scheme, right-click on the Internet icon and select Network and Sharing Center. Let's go to Home group.

If you have a message "HomeGroup is not available because you are not connected to your home network.", then click on , and click on the button Yes.

We wait a little and see a message that we can join the home group. Click on the button Will join.

You will be prompted for a password. We indicate the password that we received when creating a homegroup on another computer. Click Ok.

A message appears that you have joined the homegroup. Click Ready.

If you open the Network and Sharing Center - Home Group, you can set up sharing, leave the group, view the password, etc.

That's it, the local network between computers is already working. Open Explorer (This Computer), go to the network tab on the left, and see the computers on the local network. We can open them and view the folders that are shared. A computer with Windows 10 can easily see a computer with Windows 7 installed on the network.

In the same way, a computer running Windows 7 sees and logs into a computer running Windows 10. In this way, you can connect other computers. One condition is that they are connected to your router.

What to do next? How to use the local network?

It all depends on the purpose for which you connected computers into one network.

• If you want to play online, then everything should already work. Sometimes antivirus programs block such connections. Therefore, if problems arise when the computers do not see each other, then just try it for a while disable antivirus.
• To share files, you can use shared folders. Just copy the files, for example, to the "My Images" folder (assuming we shared this folder during setup), and they will be accessible from all computers on the network. If you want to share your folder on your local drive, then follow. See after the heading "Setting up sharing of files and folders."
• I will prepare a separate article on setting up shared access to the printer.

These are the tips. I hope you found the article useful.

Just fifteen years ago, there was only one computer in the family and the question of creating a home local network simply did not arise. Nowadays a PC, a couple of laptops, tablets, and smartphones can easily coexist in one apartment. Routers have become available and cost no more than a carton of cigarettes. Sooner or later the question arises: how to combine all this machinery into one network? After all, you want to share a printer, a disk drive and play online games. On Windows 10, setting up such a grid is not that difficult.

How to create a local network in Windows 10 - magic, a router and some wires

As funny as it sounds, when computers were slower and more expensive, building a local network was cheaper and easier. To connect several computers, all that was needed were network adapters and cheap coaxial cable (much like the cable used to connect television antennas). The connection topology was a “ring”, so a router was simply not needed. But such networks were slow, the maximum speed achieved could not exceed 10 MB, and as new clients connected, the speed dropped exponentially.

The “ring” was replaced by the “star” topology, on which all modern networks are built. Here, the router is in the center, and the clients are at the ends of the rays of an imaginary star. The beam can be either a wired connection or a WiFi connection. Almost all home networks are built as a star. The network that we will set up is no exception.

The router is a key player in the home (and any other network). The incoming Internet channel, client machines, and peripheral devices (printers and disk storage) are connected to it. 99% of home routers are equipped with a WiFi module, so they can connect clients over the air. If you don’t have a router, you’ll have to buy one, and it’s advisable not to skimp on the purchase, because the speed and comfort of your home network depends on the performance and stability of the router. The router must be equipped with at least two antennas and USB ports for connecting peripherals.

Avoid using routers that are “gifted” by your ISP upon connection or installed “for free.” As a rule, these are the simplest and cheapest devices, the performance of which is enough to connect 2-3 smartphones to the Internet together. A home local network is an enormous burden for such a unit: it will often freeze, overheat and ultimately fail.

If you live in a multi-apartment high-rise building, it would be a good idea to buy a 2-band router operating in the frequency ranges 2.4 GHz - 5 GHz. The 5GHz band has many more channels and fewer routers, so your network will be less affected by nearby routers. The illustration shows how routers configured to operate in adjacent channels interfere with each other. The result is a decrease in speed and response.

The WiFi Analyzer program will help you select a free channel in the operating range

It would also be a good idea to limit the transmitter power to a value that ensures stable reception throughout the entire house, and other networks will not be visible. This configuration can be done both from the router side through the web interface, and from the client computer through the device manager.

DD-WRT firmware provides the user with flexible configuration of the WiFi module power

Setting up the router is quite simple and in most cases you will need to configure the incoming Internet connection (login and password will be provided by the provider) and the wireless network: come up with a name for it, select an encryption algorithm (WEP, WPA or WPA2) and the most hack-resistant password. If necessary, enable the DHCP server to distribute addresses. After this, you can begin connecting home network clients (hereinafter referred to as DS).

When creating wireless connections, do not use encryption lower than WPA2. The network password should contain lowercase, uppercase letters and numbers and look chaotic. Date of birth, dog's name or girlfriend's name as a password is a bad idea. On the Internet you can find a lot of programs for hacking WiFi that do not require any special knowledge.

Connecting a DS client using a cable

If the laying of cables around the apartment is carried out by specially trained cable elves, the task is greatly simplified. If not, then you can do it yourself, although you will have to work with your hands.

1. Choose a place to install the router and connect the Internet provider cable to it - usually it is already inserted into the apartment/house and crimped with an RJ-45 plug. The port for connecting the provider cable is highlighted in color and labeled: WAN or Internet.

   The ISP cable plugs into a special port on the back of the router

2. Lay the cable to the computer connection points, securing it to the baseboards. If your baseboards have cable channels, you can hide the cables in them.
3. Using crimping pliers, crimp the RJ-45 connectors at the ends of the cable according to the diagram below.
4. Connect the computer's network interface with a cable to the corresponding port of the router. If the number of computers that need to be connected to the network by cable is more than four, you will need to connect an additional splitter-switch to one of the ports and connect the remaining clients to it.

   Home network clients connect to the yellow (LAN) connectors on the back of the router

Connecting a DS client using WiFi

Despite the obvious advantages of the cable (highest speed, absence of interference and harmful radiation), not everyone is ready to put up with the fact that a computer or laptop is connected by a wire. In addition, for a number of devices (tablets, smartphones, transformable netbooks), connecting to the network using WiFi is the only possible option.

First of all, you need to enable the WiFi interface in the router, create a network name (SSID), select the encryption type and come up with a password:

On your computer, select yours from the WiFi networks available for reception, enter the password and connect to it.

Setting up LAN in Windows 10

You connect to the router with a cable or over the air - make sure that the network card (adapter) has received TCP/IP and DNS server addresses from the router:

1. Open “Network Connections” and find there the network card through which the computer is connected to the router.
2. Expand the properties of the adapter, and in them - the TPC / IP protocol.
3. Make sure that all values ​​are obtained automatically.

Next, you need to make sure that all Windows devices connected to the network have the same workgroup selected:

Working with Homegroups

For an unprepared user, the simplest solution in which all users will have shared access to each other’s resources is to create a Homegroup. In earlier versions of Windows, HomeGroup was unstable and limited. In Windows 10, setup has become simple and straightforward, and the Homegroup mechanism works like a clock.

Creating a Homegroup in Windows 10 is a process that is as simplified as possible. Follow the instructions and prompts of the system, after checking the necessary settings. In this case, access will only be granted to shared OS folders. If necessary, you can change the composition of the Homegroup, enable or disable the types of resources that will be available, or leave the Homegroup.

Before creating a Homegroup, you should make the folders that will be accessible in this group public. By default, the home group includes the so-called user files: “video”, “music”, “documents”, as well as “printers and devices”. If you don't want to bother with extras. settings, you can simply place documents for sharing in these folders. And if you need to ensure accessibility of folders in other places on the hard drive, you will need to tinker a little.

Creating a home network

Settings

Thanks to the efforts of Microsoft, the process of creating a network has become as simple and straightforward as possible. If you follow the instructions, no problems will arise.

1. In the Home Group window, go to Change advanced sharing settings, and then click the Private tab.
2. Enable “Turn on network discovery” and “Turn on file and printer sharing” options.
3. Then open the “All Networks” tab and turn on the “Enable sharing. Users on your home network will then be able to read and write files in the homegroup shares.
4. To prevent users from having to enter passwords, enable the “Turn off password protected sharing” option.
5. Save your settings changes.

In the “Home Group” window, select “Create a Home Group”, and in it specify the folders to which access will be shared. The list of available folders will already include standard Windows 10 user folders, as well as folders to which you have configured access separately.

Once you complete the Home Network Setup Wizard, your computer will generate a password that other network users will need to enter to access shared folders. If password access is disabled, users can simply open folders as if they were located on their local drive.

Disabling password access to folders makes your home network vulnerable to external Internet attacks. If your network router is connected to the Internet, be sure to configure your firewall to exclude external requests to home network resources.

Connecting to a homegroup

Open the “Control Panel”, in it turn on the “Categories” display mode, in the “Network and Internet” group open the “Home Group” item, and in it - the “Join” item.

Delete a homegroup

1. Before deleting a homegroup, disconnect from it.

   Leaving the home group is carried out only after disconnecting from it

Disable network discovery and folder and printer sharing. These options can be found in Advanced Sharing Options. Don't forget to save your changes.

Turn off sharing to leave a homegroup

2. Open a command prompt from which you launch the service manager.
   

   Launch Service Manager from the Windows Command Prompt

3. The HomeGroup Provider and HomeGroup Listener services need to be stopped.
   

   Select HomeGroup Provider and HomeGroup Listener services to stop

4. The service must not only be stopped, but also the status must be set “manually” when the OS starts.
   

   In configuring service settings in Windows 10, you must click “Stop”

Now the home group will not appear in the control panel settings and will not work.

Video: how to create a local network on Windows 10

Adding a device to the local network

Let's look at how to add a device (not a computer/laptop) to a local network using the example of an ordinary printer. There are several possible algorithms for sharing a printer on a network. Depending on the interfaces of the printing device, it can be connected directly to the router or to one of the client computers with shared access configured.

A modern workgroup printer carries all the interfaces for integration into a local network

Sharing an Ethernet Printer

Typically, a wired network interface is present on color and monochrome laser printers for small workgroups and offices. These are rather large, high-performance devices, so they are rare guests at home. But if by chance such a printer came to you, setting up shared access to it is not difficult at all:

After installing the drivers, the printer is available for sharing.

On each computer on your home network, steps 3–7 of the instructions must be repeated. It doesn’t matter how the clients are connected, the TCP/IP protocol is supported in both cable and wireless connections.

Sharing a Wi-Fi Printer

Wireless interfaces can now be found even in inexpensive inkjet printers and MFPs. Manufacturers have tried to make the installation process as simple and straightforward as possible.

Printing on a wireless printer will be available only to those network clients that are connected to it via the WiFi protocol. Wired clients will not be able to print directly to such a printer. If you share this printer on a computer with WiFi, everyone can print.

Sharing a printer connected to a network client

This type of connection is the simplest. The printer connection interface does not matter. All you need to do is configure shared access to it:

Do not forget that printing on such a network device will only be possible when the client computer to which the printer is connected is turned on.

How to remove LAN in Windows 10

This question is very relevant for laptop owners who often connect to public networks. Each time you connect to a new location, the OS creates a new local network called “Local Network N”, where N=1,2,3... There is no simple removal mechanism through network settings, so here is a step-by-step removal guide.

1. Using the Win+Pause key combination, open the system properties window and select “Advanced system settings” in it.

   In the window that opens, select additional system parameters

2. Open the Environment Variables dialog.
3. Create a new variable DEVMGR_SHOW_NONPRESENT_DEVICES and give it the value "1".

   After creating a new variable, you need to set it to 1

4. In Device Manager, enable showing hidden devices.
5. In the “network adapters” section you will see a whole bunch of old network connection items with numbers “1,2,3”... and ad infinitum. By deleting these items, you also delete the local networks associated with them.

How to disable network discovery

Network discovery is a mechanism that allows computers on a network to see other machines, their network drives and printers. If you don't want your machine to be visible on your home network, it's best to turn off network discovery.

Home network does not work: causes and diagnostics

The network is both a technically and programmatically complex organism, equipment that ensures round-the-clock uninterrupted operation and costs a lot of money. In the home segment, the class of equipment is lower and it is prone to failures and malfunctions. All this leads to loss of network functionality. Let's take a quick look at the main mesh problems and how to fix them.

Router malfunction

Most home routers are made in compact plastic cases. Electronic components operate in a very severe thermal regime, almost “to the limit”. The hot season adds 10–15 degrees to the temperature of the device and the router freezes. Along with it, the entire home network loses its functionality. Symptoms include the inability to log into the router’s web interface and lack of access to the Internet and network resources. To restore the network, you need to turn off the router and let it cool down, but this is a palliative measure. A radical solution to the problem would be to improve the heat transfer of the router by creating additional ventilation holes and installing a fan for airflow.

Installing additional fans will help your router overheat significantly less and work longer

Operating a router in severe thermal conditions not only makes the network unstable and glitchy, but also reduces the lifespan of the router itself by 3-4 times.

Damage to the network cable

Pets, curious children, or just a wife with a mop can instantly render a network segment inoperable by damaging the wire that connects the computer to the router. If only one client has lost access to the network, the problem is most likely in the cable. Disconnect the connectors, carefully inspect them and the wire itself. If the RJ-45 plugs are damaged, you can cut them off and crimp new ones. If the wire itself is mechanically damaged, you need to replace it entirely. Twisted or soldered connections will lead to network errors and a drop in speed to a snail's pace.

Inexpensive twisted pair UTP is designed for installation in protected cable boxes. If the cable is laid along the baseboard and is poorly secured, it can be easily damaged

Damage to WiFi antennas

External antennas of a router or network adapter connected to a computer can be easily damaged by children or careless users. In inexpensive home devices, antenna connectors are held in place only by soldering, without additional fastening. Mechanical impact on the antennas leads to the formation of cracks and loss of contact. It is easy to diagnose such damage - if at a distance of a meter and a half there is a connection between the router and the computer, but at 5–6 meters there is no longer any connection - the antenna is damaged. The fix requires opening the device and soldering it. If you do not have the skills for such repairs, contact a service center.

The SMA antenna connector is the weak point of the router. Impact or lateral force leads to connector breakage

Operating a router for a long time with a damaged antenna can result in device failure. Try to fix the problem as quickly as possible.

So, the home local network has been created: the router’s LEDs are blinking merrily, network clients go online and exchange files, the printer rustles with sheets of paper. The network works, but not everything has been done yet: you will need to install anti-virus software, configure a firewall in the router, protect the connection from external virus attacks, create a blacklist of sites so that children do not find “movies for adults” on the network. Test the network for errors in data transmission and measure the speed of operation. However, this is the topic of the next material. Stay with us!