Windows Vista Tips: Home Networking Setup Tutorial Managing Your Network Settings in Windows Vista Vangie Beal
Managing Your Network Settings
After configuring your workgroup and computer names, it's time to manage the settings for your network adapter. Again, if you've used a Vista Upgrade or the Windows Easy Transfer your network adapter settings should already be correct. If not, then you go back to the Network & Sharing Center and choose Manage Network Connections. The next window will bring up your network adapter connection details. From here you simply right click on the adapter, chooseProperties, and you will find yourself in the more familiar "Local Area Connection Properties" window.
From the Network & Sharing Center, choose "Manage
Network Connections" and select your connection choice.
Use "Local Area Connection
Properties" to set your network adapter connection
details.
For most home networks, you're going to need to select the Internet Protocol 4 (TCP/IPv4). Highlight the protocol and choose Properties. If you use a dynamic IP address, you will select Obtain IP address Automatically and Obtain DNS Server Address. If you have a static IP address, click the radio button for Use the Following IP Address and enter in the IP Address,
Subnet Mask, and Default Gateway. You will also need to enter in your DNS server addresses as well.
NOTE: Internet protocol 6 (TCP/IPv6) is also available in Windows Vista. Computers that use both IPv4 and IPv6 might encounter a rare problem where it cannot resolve names and connect to Internet resources. This happens due to incorrectly configured DNS servers and you need to contact your ISP if this occurs.
TIP: Information on configuring IPV6 is
available here from Microsoft.
Network Location Choices:
In Windows Vista Home Premium, you have two options for Network Location: Public and Private, and you must choose the Network Location the first time you connect your PC to the network. The network location is what determines your Microsoft Vista firewall settings.
Public: If you're connecting to a network in a public place, for example a coffee shop or airport, you'll choose a Public location
type. Choosing public will limit discovery of other computers and is designed to keep your computer from being visible to others on the network. Public offers the most security.
Private: Private networks is what you will need to select for home, small office, or work networks. Choosing private will automatically configure the firewall settings to allow for communication.
TIP: Securing your Private Location Type: For your home network, if you want to enable communication between your PCs and network devices, such as a printer, you will need to choose the private location. It is important to remember that for each instance of sharing you are basically opening up a hole in your firewall to allow access. Close the ports and and removing sharing from folders and applications that are not needed.
From the Network & Sharing Center, under "Customize Network Settings" you can choose a Public or Private Location.
In the Network & Sharing Center, if there are devices which cannot be placed on the map, a quick link will bring up a window to show those devices which are missing from the map.
At this point, unless you have some oddly configured XP firewalls, or highly secured PC, or odd and uncommon devices and the likes, your Vista-based PCs should now be connected to your home Ethernet network, and the network should be seeing the PCs, which now should now be communicating with Windows XP systems as well. You can also turn on Network Sharing & Discovery (located in the Network & Sharing Center) if you're using a private network location. This will allow your computer to see other network computers and devices and makes your computer visible to the other network computers.
With everything communicating, you should now be ready to set up file and folder sharing in Microsoft Windows Vista.
