Best way to network my computers

Forums › LAN (ethernet/Wifi/routers/Bluetooth) › Best way to network my computers

Rikkitic

Awrrr
19062 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 16302

Lifetime subscriber

#208653 21-Feb-2017 14:21

I have never bothered networking my computers because I have never really had a need. Now that need is starting to arise. My computers are all connected to the same router via LAN and wi-fi but they don’t see each other. What would be the easiest and most non-intrusive (and not too insecure) way to pass stuff between them using the existing set-up? Is Windows Homegroup to be trusted for this or is there a better way?

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

5655 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 3978

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1723790 21-Feb-2017 14:52

The geeky way is to build a domain controller :-)

I'm a geek, a gamer, a dad, a Quic user, and an IT Professional. I have a full rack home lab, size 15 feet, an epic beard and Asperger's. I'm a bit of a Cypherpunk, who believes information wants to be free and the Net interprets censorship as damage and routes around it. If you use my Quic signup you can also use the code R570394EKGIZ8 for free setup. Opinions are my own and not the views of my employer.

Rikkitic

Awrrr
19062 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 16302

Lifetime subscriber

#1723816 21-Feb-2017 15:22

I'm just looking for quick, dirty and unchallenging.

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

gehenna

8667 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 3883

Moderator

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1723817 21-Feb-2017 15:25

As long as they're all on the same network you can just enable file sharing on each computer, and then manually set up a shared folder that you want to access from other computers. It really depends on what you want to do with the network.

chevrolux

4962 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2638
Inactive user

#1723818 21-Feb-2017 15:26

If you want to just share files then just creating a shared folder is all you want to do. Designate one computer be the "server", create your shared folder and then just connect to that from the other PC's. Maybe even 'map a network folder' to make it easier for you.

Very quick, very dirty.

Rikkitic

Awrrr
19062 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 16302

Lifetime subscriber

#1723847 21-Feb-2017 16:12

Thanks for the tips. I have never been into networking so don't know the ins and outs. I did set up HomeGroup just to see how it works and it seems to work okay. My main concern is security, as in accidentally opening myself to the world since I don't really understand what I am turning on or off. I mainly want to be able to read files on another computer and to transfer or play media files, especially to play files on one computer that are located on a different one (but I don't want to set up a media server). I don't mind the files being confined to a few shared folders. In fact, I prefer it that way. But ideally I would like to be able to access any computer's shared folders from any other computer. I don't need unlimited remote access. The OS's involved are mainly Win 7, with one Win 8 and one Win 10. Newbie question: All computers have Internet access via LAN or wi-fi. When I am streaming something between computers is this purely internal or does it make use of the internet?

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

Brumfondl

1198 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 524

Trusted

Subscriber

#1723871 21-Feb-2017 16:21

Going from one of your computers to another should be purely internal using the private IP addresses assigned by your router (something along the lines of 192.168.x.x at a guess, depending on the router)

Quic Broadband

Move to New Zealand's best fibre broadband service (affiliate link). Free setup code: R587125ERQ6VE. Note that to use Quic Broadband you must be comfortable with configuring your own router.

Rikkitic

Awrrr
19062 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 16302

Lifetime subscriber

#1723873 21-Feb-2017 16:25

OK, thanks.

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

MikeB4

MikeB4
18775 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 12766

ID Verified

Trusted

Subscriber

#1723876 21-Feb-2017 16:28

Are all your PC's etc windows based ? if not Windows Home Group in my experience can be troublesome. If they are windows then Home group or just opening file sharing on all connections (that need it) will serve you best. Caveat get AV software installed or you will be tempting a meltdown

Here is a crazy notion, lets give peace a chance.

Rikkitic

Awrrr
19062 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 16302

Lifetime subscriber

#1723903 21-Feb-2017 16:49

I take back what I said. HomeGroup made a complete hash of things as soon as I added a third computer. Why doesn't that surprise me?

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

Rikkitic

Awrrr
19062 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 16302

Lifetime subscriber

#1723906 21-Feb-2017 16:57

MikeB4:

Are all your PC's etc windows based ? if not Windows Home Group in my experience can be troublesome. If they are windows then Home group or just opening file sharing on all connections (that need it) will serve you best. Caveat get AV software installed or you will be tempting a meltdown

Thanks I already had a meltdown but it wasn't from anything external. Windows quality shines through again. I'm going to look for a third party solution that does what HomeGroup is supposed to do, but without the Windows compulsion to shoot itself in the head. I am open to suggestions. What I want is something that will allow any computer in the network to read or play the files in any other computer's shared folders without abandoning every last semblance of security. No OS other than the Windows versions mentioned above will be included.

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

jonb

1796 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 545

Trusted

#1723944 21-Feb-2017 17:26

gehenna:

As long as they're all on the same network you can just enable file sharing on each computer, and then manually set up a shared folder that you want to access from other computers. It really depends on what you want to do with the network.

Seems like best solution for you. Either Share this folder with 'Everyone', or create a new user on that Windows PC that has access to that folder. From the computer that you want to view the file from, Map a network drive, to \\computername\sharedfoldername . If the shared folder is shared to Everyone it will connect as a new drive letter straightaway, or will prompt to login with a user credentials of the host PC.

Dell

Shop now for Dell laptops and other devices (affiliate link).

tangerz

662 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 199

#1723961 21-Feb-2017 17:55

Get yourself a NAS and store all content to be shared on it. Map to the NAS from each computer. Negates the need for any particular PC to be 'On' to access it's shared content, only NAS needs to be 'On'.

Rikkitic

Awrrr
19062 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 16302

Lifetime subscriber

#1723997 21-Feb-2017 18:46

Thanks for the tips. I will probably do something with shared folders. That seems to come closest.

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

Rikkitic

Awrrr
19062 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 16302

Lifetime subscriber

#1724076 21-Feb-2017 19:55

I just hate Windows so much. I just want to do a simple file sharing thing and again it sends me around and around in ridiculous circles. I get so damned sick of this endless pointless life-wasting stupidity.

Okay, I experimented with HomeGroup and decided that wasn't what I wanted. So I exited it on each computer I had set it up on. Then I created a file share. Then I went to test it on my laptop, which is the only computer running Windows 10.

In spite of disconnecting HomeGroup on every computer, including the Windows 10 computer, When I click on Networking I keep getting the other two computers that no longer exist on the network, with no sign of the file share. Whatever I do, I can't get rid of the non-existent computers. When I research the problem, I find convoluted procedures about removing files from the protected and hidden Appdata folder and turning services off and on. What the hell is wrong with Microsoft? Do they really think people have nothing better to do than play these stupid games all the time? Why can't they ever get anything right?

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

tdgeek

30048 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 9455

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1724139 21-Feb-2017 21:10

Another option, that may be the bees knees or not quite.

I play stuff with a WDTV, it plays everything. Mine is connected by HDMI to the TV, and ethernet to the router. It has 2 USB. I typically copy from a PC to the WDTV to play using the TV. Change TV to the HDMI input, use the WDTV remote to play, pause, FF, RW. Or you can play the title from your PC as you can see the WDTV on the PC. No real need for networking as you manage that from WDTV settings so its available.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5