Simple Questions: What is the Network and Sharing Center in Windows?

In many of our tutorials about networking in Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1, you will see that we mention quite often the Network and Sharing Center. This panel is the entrance point to many networking tasks. Therefore, in this article I will show you what is the Network and Sharing Center, how to launch it and which are the main tasks that can be performed starting from here.

What is the Networking and Sharing Center?

Simply put, the Network and Sharing Center is the control panel from where most of networking settings and tasks can be launched in Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1.

Tasks which are Launched from Networking and Sharing Center

Let’s start with Windows 7: the Network and Sharing Center window is split in two. On the left side there is a column with shortcuts to tasks such as: managing your wireless networks, changing settings for all network adapters and changing network sharing settings. On the bottom left side there are shortcuts to the HomeGroup settings panel, to the Internet Options panel and to the Windows Firewall control panel.

On the right there is a big white area split in two parts. The upper-side shows you basic information about your current network connection: the name of the active network, access type and the HomeGroup to which your computer belongs. The lower-side contains links towards wizards which help you do the following: setup a new connection or network, connect to another network, change HomeGroup and sharing settings and troubleshoot problems.
In Windows 8 and Windows 8.1, the panel looks almost the same, with some minor differences. For example, the "Connect to a network" link is gone because its wizard is the same as "Set up a new connection or network".

The "Choose homegroup and sharing options" link is also gone, because the same Homegroup settings can be accessed via the Homegroup link on the left column.
On the left column, you won’t find the "Manage wireless networks" link, not even on laptops or tablets. That's because the management of wireless networks connections is done differently in Windows 8 and Windows 8.1. More details about it can be found in thes guides:

• How to Manage Wireless Network Connections & Profiles in Windows 8
• How to Delete or Forget Wireless Network Profiles in Windows 8.1

How to Start the Networking and Sharing Center?

The Network and Sharing Center can be launched using several methods. One way is to launch the Run window by pressing the Windows key + R, type "control.exe /name Microsoft.NetworkAndSharingCenter" and click OK. This works in all versions of Windows that include this feature.

A second alternative, that works only in Windows 7, is to click on the network icon on the right side of the taskbar and then on "Open Network and Sharing Center".

In Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 you must right-click the network icon, on the right side of the taskbar, then click on "Open Network and Sharing Center".

The third way is to go to "Control Panel -> Network and Internet -> Network and Sharing Center". This works in all versions of Windows.

In Windows 8 you can also search for the words "network sharing" and click the appropriate search result under Settings.

In Windows 8.1, search works the same. The only difference is that you do not need to filter the search results. Its shortcut is displayed immediately.

The same search can be done also in Windows 7's Start Menu search box.

Conclusion

As you can see from this tutorial, the Network and Sharing Center is one of the most important panels when managing your network connections. If you are looking for other cool tips and tricks on networking, don't hesitate to read some of our recommendations below.

How to Customize Network Sharing Settings in Windows 7

I will continue our series on Windows 7 networking with an article about how to set your network sharing settings. Compared to older versions of Windows, Windows 7 makes it is easier to set such settings. In this article I will cover the following: where to find the network sharing settings, how to turn on or off network discovery, file sharing, media streaming, password protection, how to set encryption for sharing connections and how to configure HomeGroup connections.

Where to Find the Network Sharing Settings

First, you have to open the Network and Sharing Center. On the left side of its window, there is a link called 'Change advanced sharing settings'. Click on it and the appropriate window will open. An alternative is to search for the word sharing in the Start Menu search box. One of the first search results will be called 'Manage advanced sharing settings'. Click on it and the 'Advanced sharing settings' window will open.

In the 'Advanced sharing settings' window you will see lots of settings, split in two categories: Home or Work and Public.

These categories have some arrows on the right side of their top row. If you click on it, the category will minimize or expand.

First, you will need to modify the settings of the current profile, whatever that might be. You can change the sharing settings for the other profile too and they will be applied once you connect to a network to which that profile applies. Next, I will be describing all available settings one by one and give you recommendations for how to configure them.

Turn On or Off Network Discovery

The first setting from the list is called Network Discovery. When it is turned on, this setting allows your computer to search for other devices on the network it is connected to. Also, it allows other computers on the same network to find it.

Recommendation: If you are connected to a home or work network, it is best to turn on this settings. For public networks, it is best to turn it off so that your computer won't be visible to other computers.

Turn On or Off File & Printer Sharing

Next, you can enable or disable the file & printer sharing. When turned on, this feature allows you to share content with other computers from your network. With it turned off, you won't be able to share anything. Even if your computer is visible for other devices on the network, nobody will be able to access any shared files or folders.

Recommendation: Turn it on for home or work networks. Turn it off for public networks.

Turn On or Off Public Folder Sharing

One way to share files and folders is to move them to the so called Windows 7 Public folders. These are found in 'C:\Users\Public\'. If this option is turned on, anything that you copy to those folders will be visible to other computers on your network.

Recommendation: Turn it off. Personally, I don't need this feature. I prefer to share directly the files and folders I want to have shared, without having to copy them to another location. In the end it is a matter of personal work style. If you find these public folders useful, you can turn the feature on. However, on public networks it is highly recommended to turn this feature off.

Turn On or Off Media Streaming

The next setting is about media streaming. This feature allows you to stream multimedia files (pictures, video, music) by using Windows Media Player. In this section, Windows 7 it will tell you if it is turned on or off. If you want to change the current status, click on the 'Choose media streaming options' link.

If it is turned on, you will see a window listing your computer and others from your network which have media streaming enabled. If you don't need to use such a feature, you can disable it by clicking on the 'Block All' button and then on OK.

If media streaming is turned off and you will be asked to turn it on. Click on 'Turn on media streaming'. Then, you will see a window similar to the one above, where you can edit your media streaming settings.

Recommendation: Turn it on only if you use media streaming. For public networks always turn it off.
We will cover more about media streaming and how to use it in a separate article, dedicated only to this topic. So, stay tuned for future updates on our site.

Encryption for File Sharing Connections

The next setting is about the type encryption used for file sharing connections, when computers connect to each other and copy files and folders from one to the other. By default, this is set to 128-bit encryption.

Recommendation: Leave it set to 128-bit encryption, unless you have issues with some older devices or computers with operating systems which cannot properly access your shared files and folders.

Turn On or Off Password Protected Sharing

Password protected sharing allows people to access your shared files and folders only if they have a user account and password set on your computer. If they don't know such details, they cannot connect to your shared items. This feature comes into play with computers which are not included in your HomeGroup (in case you defined one) or for computers for a public network.

Recommendation: Turn it on at all times.

Configure HomeGroup Connections

We've covered the HomeGroup feature extensively in one of our previous articles. By default, a HomeGroup has its own password which all computers who join it, must know. If you happen to use the same username and password on all computers from the HomeGroup, you can set Windows 7 to use that, instead of the separate HomeGroup password. However, this is not a recommended practice. Using the same username and password across all your HomeGroup computers can be a security risk.

Recommendation: Use only 'Allow Windows to manage homegroup connections'.

Conclusion

As you can see, setting network sharing settings is not very complicated. What you need to remember in terms of best practices is that everything should be turned off when you are connecting to public networks. This way you will avoid for your files and folders to be access by unauthorized persons. Also, for home or work networks, turn on only the features you are actually using. If you've got some other interesting things to share, don't hesitate to leave a comment.

Command Prompt - Advanced Networking Commands

In one of our previous tutorials, you've learned how to use basic commands in Command Prompt. Now it's time to take things to the next level and show how to use some of the more advanced commands. The first set of advanced commands contains useful network commands which facilitate the following: viewing information about your network devices and connections (assigned IP Address, the MAC of the network card), checking the availability of a certain host and displaying a wealth of networking and ports information.

Retrieving Information About Your Network Connection

To obtain detailed information about your network connection, use the ipconfig command. Type ipconfig in Command Prompt and press Enter. As you can see below, a list with the network devices existing on your system and their IP addresses is displayed. You get also details such the default gateway, subnet mask or the state of the network adapter.

With the /all switch you will get a whole new level of detail: DNS information, the MAC (Media Access Control) (in the Physical Address field) and other information about each network component. Check out the picture below to see a sample of the combination of ipconfig command with the /all parameter.

It's worth mentioning that the ipconfig command allows you to perform certain operations, if you use the right parameter. For example the ipconfig /release and ipconfig /renew commands force your network adapter to drop and renew the current IP address. These parameters are useful in networks that use DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) to distribute IP addresses automatically. Basically your system gives up its current address and requests a new one from the DHCP server. This can be very useful in certain networking scenarios.

Finding Your Computer's MAC Address

Another way to obtain the MAC address is to use the getmac command. Just type getmac and press Enter, as shown below.

Testing the Connection to a Website or Network/Internet Location

To test your connection to a certain website or another network or Internet location, you can use the ping network command followed by a web-address or IP address. For example, if you want to check the connectivity to our website, without opening a web browser, type ping www.7tutorials.com and then press Enter.

This command allows you to use a quite useful parameter that enables you to ping the specified address until it's stopped manually: -t. For example, I typed ping -t 192.168.2.1. After a period I decided that I want to see some statistics and I used the keyboard combination CRTL + Break. This shows the averages for the ping commands run until then. Finally I terminated the action by using the keyboard combination CTRL+C. This stopped the endless cycle of ping commands to the specified address.

Check Network Connections and Display Port Information

With the netstat command you will be able to see active network connections between your system and any other systems on your network or the Internet.

The -a parameter shows all connections and listening ports. A sample can be seen in the image below.

Conclusion

If you liked today's article, don't miss the next article from ours Command Prompt series. We will cover other useful commands which can be used in this tool. If you have any questions about this set of commands, don't hesitate to leave a comment.

4 Ways to Learn a Computer's IP Address in Windows 7 & Windows 8

The IP address or Internet Protocol address is a numerical label that is used in networks to identify and location network devices, from computers to smartphones to printers and other devices. Learning the IP address can be very useful information, especially when you want to set up your home router or when you want to connect to other devices on the network. But how do you learn a computer’s IP address in Windows 7 and Windows 8? Let’s find out from this tutorial.
If you want to learn more technical details about IP addresses and their role in networking, we definitely recommend reading this Wikipedia entry: IP address. It is very well documented.

1. Learn the IP Address from the Command Prompt

First open the Command Prompt. Then type the command ipconfig.
This will list all the network adapters found on your computer and details about each of them.

Each network adapter will display both the IPv4 address and the IPv6 Address, in the appropriate fields.

To learn more about the parameters accepted by the ipconfig command and what they do, type ipconfig /?.
If you are interested in learning other networking commands that can be run in the Command Prompt, read this tutorial: Command Prompt - Advanced Networking Commands.

2. Learn the IP Address from the Network and Sharing Center

A less geeky method that doesn’t involve using a command, is to use the Network and Sharing Center. If you want to learn more about it and how to open it, read this guide: What is the Network and Sharing Center in Windows 7 & Windows 8?.
Open it and the click or tap the "Change adapter settings" link on the left.

The Network Connections window now opens, listing the network adapters installed on your computer.

Double click (or double tap) the network adapter for which you want to learn the IP address. This opens the Ethernet Status window for that adapter.

Click or tap Details to learn a series of details about it, including the IPv4 and IPv6 address.

When you are done, Close the windows you just opened.

3. Learn the IP Address from PowerShell

PowerShell is a tool similar to the Command Prompt, only that it is even more powerful and allows you to control or work with many elements that make up Windows.
PowerShell has two commands you can use to learn the IPv4 and IPv6 address.
The first and shortest is gip. Type it and press em>Enter. It will display several details about each network adapter, including their IP addresses.

Another command which returns the same results is Get-NetIPConfiguration. Type it, press Enter and the look for the information you want to learn.

4. Learn the IP Address Using the Network Map (Windows 7 only)

Windows 7 has a unique feature that is not available in Windows 8. It is named the Network Map and it shares a visual map for your network. If you want to learn more about it and everything it has to offer, we recommend reading this tutorial: The Network Map - Access Your Network Computers in a Fun Way.
To access it, first open the Network and Sharing Center. On the top right of the window, there is a link named "See full map". Click on it.

This opens the Network Map. If you hover with the mouse over your computer, networking related information will be displayed, including the IPv4 and IPv6 address.

Write it down and close the Network Map.

Conclusion

Learning your computer’s IP address can be useful in many networking scenarios. If you know of other ways to learn the IP address in Windows, don’t hesitate to share it via the comments form below.

How to setup FTP server in Windows 7

In Windows 7, you can share files on home network easily using Home Group but creating an FTP server gives you many benefits. The FTP can also be accessed by other Operating Systems in the network, You can also configure it to be accessed from anywhere through internet. In this short tutorial, I will guide you to make an FTP Server on Windows 7 for LAN. 
Let's do step by step:

Step 1:  Open control panel  and then click on Programs.

Step 2:  In Programs, click on Turn Windows features on or off.

Step 3:  After clicking Turn Windows features on or off you will see a new window. Find Internet information Services and mark check on it and then click OK button and restart the System.

Step 4:  Open the Control Panel and set the  category to small icons and click on the Administrative Tool.

Step 5:  Click on  Administrative Tool

Step 6: Under Administrative Tool click on Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.

Step 7: Here the actual ftp setup starts. Now right click on Site icon and select the Add FTP site Option.

Step 8:  Now give the name to FTP and Select the folder name from the Browse Button.

Step 9:  Select the IP address of your FTP from the list which is provided by the OS and set SSL to No SSL .

Step 10:  Select Authentication mode to Anonymous, Access to All users and give the Permissions for 

client i.e R/W . 

  

Step 11:  Add the FTP Exception to the firewall. To add this Open the firewall settings click on Allow a program or Feature through Windows Firewall.

Step 12:  Now check the both CheckBox for FTP server and click on OK.

Step 13:  To check the how FTP work goto Run and type the Address of your FTP server followed by ftp:// or you can directly add this address to the URL of the Web browser to Open FTP.

Step 14:  Now you can see the All the content of the FTP folder in the Web Browser and you can download it also. 

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