Chapter 20

Working with Networks

Get ready to . . .

⇒ Join a Homegroup

⇒ Make a Connection to a Network

⇒ Specify What to Share over a Network

⇒ Set Up a Wireless Network

⇒ Make Your Computer Discoverable to Bluetooth

⇒ Connect to Bluetooth Devices

⇒ Go Online Using Your Cellular Network

A computer network allows you to share information and devices among computers.

You can connect your computer to other computers by setting up a wired or wireless network, for example. Devices connected to a single Homegroup on a network can share hardware such as a printer, an Internet connection, and more.

In addition to a computer network, you can use Bluetooth technology to connect to devices at a short range. For example, you might use your computer’s built-in Bluetooth capability to connect to a Bluetooth mouse that sits next to it on your work surface.

You can also use your cellphone’s 3G or 4G network to go online through a process called tethering.

In this chapter, you’ll explore several options for getting connected to other devices and sharing information.

Join a Homegroup

1. When you set up a network, you have to arrange to include each computer on the network in a Homegroup so that they can connect. If somebody has set up a Homegroup on another computer, you can join that network with a few steps. Start by pressing Win+I.

2. Click Change PC Settings.

3. Click HomeGroup, and then enter a Homegroup password on the screen that appears (see Figure 20-1).

4. Click Join to make your computer part of that Homegroup.

Figure 20-1

To locate the password for the Homegroup, you need to sign in as a user with administrator status. Then, open the Control Panel, click Network and Internet⇒Homegroup, and then click View or Print the Homegroup Password. Once you’ve joined the Homegroup, the password is displayed in the Homegroup settings of the PC Settings screen.

Make a Connection to a Network

1. If you take a computing device with you around town or on the road, you’ll find that you often need to connect to networks in locations such as airports, coffee shops, or hotels. These public network connections are called hotspots. When you’re in range of a hotspot, connect to it by first pressing Win+I.

2. Click the Network shortcut shown in Figure 20-2.

Figure 20-2

3. Click a network name, as shown in Figure 20-3.

4. If you want your computer to connect to this network when you come in range of it, you can click the Connect Automatically check box.

5. Click Connect.

Figure 20-3

In many cases, you’re asked to enter a password for a network after you click Connect in Step 5. You have to ask somebody for this password; it may be publicly posted — for example, in a coffee shop — or you may have to ask for the password when you check into a hotel.

Specify What You Want to Share over a Network

1. Many people use networks to share content such as word- processing documents or pictures, or even a printer connection. When you’re using a public network, you might not want to share your valuable data with others, so you may want to modify your sharing settings. Be sure you are part of the Homegroup (see the previous “Join a Homegroup” task) and then press Win+I.

2. Click Change PC Settings.

3. Click HomeGroup, and then click the On/Off button for any of the content or devices in the list (see Figure 20-4).

4. In the Media Devices section, click the On/Off button to share content with devices other than your computer, such as a game console.

If you decide you don’t want to participate in the network anymore, you can leave it by scrolling down in the window shown in Figure 20-4 and clicking the Leave button.

Figure 20-4

Set Up a Wireless Network

1. If you have several computers in your home, you’ll find you can save yourself steps by connecting them to each other through a wireless network. No more will you have to walk upstairs to print from a single computer; all your computers on every floor and in every room can share that printer, as well as an Internet connection and documents. Start by connecting a router or other access point hardware to your computer.

2. Start to type Control Panel on the Start screen.

3. In the Search results that appear, click the Control Panel app.

4. Click Network and Internet in the Control Panel (see Figure 20-5).

Figure 20-5

5. Click Network and Sharing Center, and then click Set Up a New Connection or Network (see Figure 20-6).

Figure 20-6

6. Click Set Up a New Network and then click Next.

7. Click the router or access point to set up and click Next.

8. In the window shown in Figure 20-7, enter the PIN number located on the router label and then click Next.

9. Enter a network name and click Next. Windows completes your network setup. Click the Close button to close the window.

You can also share documents using a service such as Microsoft’s SkyDrive. You can upload and share files using this service, and a small amount of online storage is free. You can also then access this content from any computer, connected to your network or not. See Chapter 15 for more about SkyDrive.

Figure 20-7

Make Your Computer Discoverable to Bluetooth

1. Making a Bluetooth connection involves ensuring that both devices are Bluetooth compatible (check your device specs for this) and making both devices discoverable. Begin typing Control Panel.

2. Click the Control Panel app in the Search results.

3. Type the word Bluetooth in the Search box.

4. Click Change Bluetooth Settings.

5. Select the Allow Bluetooth Devices to Find This Computer check box (see Figure 20-8) and then click OK.

Figure 20-8

If you’re travelling out of your home with your tablet or laptop, set your device to be undiscoverable. That step will protect your computer’s contents or settings from people who might try to connect to your computer and steal your data via a Bluetooth connection. Another option is to leave your computer discoverable but select the Alert Me When a New Bluetooth Device Wants to Connect check box in the Bluetooth Settings dialog box.

Connect to Bluetooth Devices

1. After you make your computer discoverable, you can connect to another Bluetooth device that is turned on. Begin by displaying the Control Panel.

2. Type Bluetooth in the Search box.

3. In the search results that appear (see Figure 20-9), click Add a Bluetooth Device.

Figure 20-9

4. Click a device and then click Next.

5. In the screen that appears, make sure that the displayed passcode on your computer and Bluetooth device match, and click Yes.

6. Click Close.

Bluetooth devices are improving, but you may find that connections are spotty. If a Bluetooth device such as a headset isn’t dependable, consider having a USB or wireless version of the device available as a backup.

Go Online Using Your Cellular Network

1. It’s possible to use a smartphone’s 3G or 4G connection to connect to the Internet. Usually you have to pay your phone service provider a monthly fee for this service, called tethering or personal hotspot. In addition, your computer has to be Wi-Fi capable. Start by turning on the hotspot feature on your phone (typically this is found in Network settings).

2. On your computer, press Win+I, and then click the Network setting.

3. Click your phone’s Wi-Fi connection, like the one shown in Figure 20-10.

Figure 20-10

4. Click Connect and Enter the Security Key.

5. Click Next, and click an option to turn on sharing or leave sharing off.

Be aware of the drain on your phone’s battery when tethering. Connect your phone to a power source when tethering, if possible, and turn off hotspot when you’re not using it.