Today, the computer industry is actually in first place in terms of popularity among people, which leads to the expansion of the influence and dependence of mankind on gadgets and the Internet. But, of course, networking is used not only for entertainment, but also for business purposes. Therefore, it is extremely important to have a reliable local network, which will ensure the interaction of computers among themselves.
Local area network: types and functionality
In general, a local area network is several computers interconnected to exchange data and use shared resources. And setting up a local network is based on the type of connection and destination.
There are several ways to connect a PC to each other in a network:
- wire connection;
- terminal connection;
- wireless connection.
Each of the above methods is successfully applied, depending on the number of workstations.
Wired LAN
In principle, connecting several PCs with a special cable, and further setting up a Windows local area network is one of the easiest and most reliable ways.
A crossover cable (previously used twisted pair, but today more stable and faster contact provides optical fiber) connects the two machines. There are network connectors for this.
Important! A prerequisite for the PC to work on the network is the presence of a network card with installed drivers.
After the computers are connected to the network cable, the initial network settings should be made. Each computer is assigned a unique identifier, as well as a common local group.
Customization
So, setting up a LAN connection consists of two important steps:
- network identification;
- routing and access to a shared server.
The first step involves creating a unique PC identifier on the network. To do this, open the Control Panel and select "System". In the window that opens, click "Change Settings."
Then there are two options - identification and change.
In the first case, the PC will automatically detect the workgroup and connect to it, and in the second, the computer name and the name of the workgroup are entered manually.
For information! Typically, the name of a workgroup is set as WorkGroup by default.
The end result is the visibility of all connected PCs in a networked environment.
File and device sharing
However, just the visibility of computers is not enough for the full functionality of the local network. Must be set and the settings of the local network. It implies opening access to all network users for access to certain resources, printers, scanners, and other devices necessary for work.
To do this, go to the Control Panel item "Network and Sharing Center" (for Windows 7, in other operating systems the items are called slightly differently) and click on the "Change sharing settings" menu.
And now the fun begins.
The first step is the visibility of the PC to the network. Choose between “enable” and “disable network discovery”. This LAN setting is understandable - in the first case, the computer becomes available to other users, in the second - no.
Next up is file and printer sharing. If this item is activated, then folders with files and printers for which sharing is configured are added to network access. An important point here is the path to the files (for correct access to these files, there should be no Cyrillic characters in the path to them).
The third step is to create shared network folders. These are the so-called network storages in which the files used on the network are accumulated. In this case, connecting the parameter settings via the local network sets the checkbox in the “on” position.
And another item that needs attention is “Making PC Shared.” In this section, you can set password protection for your PC, for example, in order to open access only to a specific group of users. Convenient for those local area networks that use several levels of data protection.
Setting IP Addresses on the Network
In addition to the above actions, you should ensure a clear connection between all PCs on the network. For this, each device should be identified, for which it is necessary to configure the IP of the local network. Each PC receives its own unique IP address (if the network is purely local in nature, then each address should be entered manually, and if there is Internet access, then the network parameters are set automatically).
First you need to go to the local connection settings on each PC (through the Control Panel - Network Control Center - click RMB on the connection - Properties).
In the window that opens, select “TCP / IP Protocol”. By the way, starting with Windows 7, two network protocols, IPv4 and IPv6, are available. In this case, select TCP / IPv4.
Again, if the network has access to the Internet, then the checkbox is selected on the option “Obtain an IP address automatically”. Otherwise, select Use the following IP address.
And below the address itself, the subnet mask and the main gateway are indicated. Typically, the parameters are 192.268.100. *** and 255.255.255.0, and 192.168.1.0 is used as the main gateway. *** Values are unique identifiers for each PC on the network.
After the computer restarts, the LAN setup is completed and you can get started.
For information! To check a stable signal, you can enter the ping 192.168.100. *** command through the Run command. If everything is fine, then the system will display information about the successful exchange of packets.
Local wireless network
This type of computer connection to the network is the most common today. Although it should be noted that the creation of a network using a router (router) is more relevant for mixed networks, where not only stationary PCs, but also laptops are used. And, of course, Internet access is open.
This configuration of the local network is carried out through the console of the router, so on each device connected to the shared resource you only need to enter a name and a workgroup. All other settings are performed in a few clicks.
Pros and Cons of Wireless Networks
In addition to the speed of data exchange, wireless connection provides several indisputable advantages.
Firstly, there is no reference to the place. That is, if a wired connection is used, the range of use of the device is limited only by the length of the cable. Well, with a wireless connection, setting up a Windows 7 local area network allows you to expand this range over the entire wave range.
Secondly, a network using a router allows you to connect in one community not only PCs, but also laptops, tablets and other mobile devices.
Of course, here it can not do without minuses.
The first is shielding and reflection of waves. There may be a conflict of IP addresses assigned by the router. Actual in cases where a wireless network is also nearby.
The second is network security. If a wired local connection is used, then the possibility of third-party interference (phishing, hacker attacks, hidden access to a PC) is completely excluded. And even if the connection through the router is password protected, there is no 100% security guarantee.
Finally
Summing up, it is worth saying that the choice between a wired and a wireless LAN is quite ambiguous. Moreover, it is better to consider with a few examples the cases when it is better to choose one or another method.
- Home network. If a local network is created purely for domestic purposes (such as the exchange of films, music, games over the network), where one access point is issued for each user, then a wired connection is used.
- Work (corporate) network. Here both options are already allowed, since usually in such networks Internet access is opened.
- Multiuser network (with Internet access). In any case, an access point is provided to each user through a fiber optic wire. And already at home, the user determines how to configure the network.