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June 2018 Newsletter - Home, Public, Business Networks

Published on June 1, 2018

What's the difference and why does it matter?

It's very likely that at some point or other you've seen a pop up similar to this one: The most typical examples of this will ask you to either select a private or public network, or in this case you choose between home, business, or public.   Does it make a difference if you choose one over the other? Yes, to some degree it does. Based on your selection Windows assigns a network discovery state to the network. Network discovery affects if a computer can be seen and see other computers on the network. It also handles file sharing, public folder sharing, printer sharing and media sharing in the network.   Public Location (Recommended) - Windows will turn off Network discovery, which will hide you from the other users on the network. It will turn off Network Sharing Features (files, folders, printers etc.) and of course disable the HomeGroup Feature. As long as you don’t need to share anything on your computer with other computers on your network, then this is the most secure Location Setting you can use, to protect your computer and your privacy.   Work Network - At work you do know most of the computers and users, and you do need to connect to the office Printer, scanner, server, etc. But, you do not need to share private information so the Work network does not include HomeGroup. This is the next most secure option, but since you are connected to all these other devices there will always be a risk factor.   Home Network - This network type does everything the Work network does but it also supports the Homegroup feature, making it possible to create and join Homegroups if supported by the operating system edition. This network type should only be used when you know all the other devices and users on the network.   All these network types have their place and can be useful in different ways. Now that you know the difference you can make an informed decision of which one best suits the situation you are currently in. And as always if you have any questions or need help setting up or changing your network give us a call and we would be happy to help.   Feel free to email us with any questions: info@allcareit.com Did you find this newsletter helpful? Why not forward it to your friends or family so they can benefit too! Or send them this link so they can sign up for our monthly newsletters https://allcareit.com/services/newsletters/#newsletter-sign-up