Understanding Networks in Windows 7

Windows 7 classifies networks into four main categories:

Home, Work, Public, and Domain. The Domain network confi guration (which isn't available in Windows 7 Home Premium), is used in corporate networks. Each network type has its own default confi guration and security settings. However, you can modify many of these settings, creating a custom confi guration that's exactly right for the way you work and share information.

A Home network is designed...well, to be used at home. It assumes that every computer and device on your network is secure and can be trusted. Computers on the network can be detected by each other, and sharing fi les, media libraries, and printers is fairly easy. One very useful feature of a home network is its ability to use a homegroup on computers that are running Windows 7. A Homegroup provides an easy way to share libraries and printers among users on the same computer and on different computers on the network.

A Work network is similar to a home network and is intended to be used in a small-business setting. All the computers on the network are detectable, and the fi les can be shared. Like a home network, a work network assumes that all the computers and devices on the network are safe and can be trusted. However, you can't create a homegroup on a work network.

A Public network is one whose users you don't always know. Because you don't know who's connected to the network, it follows that you can't trust everyone. With the default settings for this confi guration, you can't see or access the other computers and devices on the network, and they, likewise, can't see or access your computer. You also can't share fi les over this type of network. A public network is a useful confi guration that helps to protect you from malicious software when you connect to the Internet using wired or wireless access from public places: coffee shops, hotels, airports, and anywhere the network might not be secure. The increased security settings used in this confi guration are also useful on any network when you don't need to access or share anything with any other computers on your network.

A Domain network, available in Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate editions, is designed for a computer that's part of a corporate-type client-server domain. If you're running one of these versions of Windows 7, your computer will be aware of the type of network you're attached to. If, for example, you bring your computer home, it will recognize the home network and switch its settings from the domain network to the home network. The Enterprise and Ultimate versions also provide an easy way to automatically connect to the corporate network over the Internet, called DirectAccess.

Even without having the Professional, Enterprise, or Ultimate edition, you might still be able to connect to a corporate network using a specialized connection. Depending on the confi guration hosted by the network, you can use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) connection over the Internet, or you can use Remote Access Service (RAS) using a telephone connection. In these connections, the corporate network uses specialized servers to receive your connection, to verify your identity and access privileges, and then to connect you to the network. Many corporate network administrators now issue a smart card that's necessary for making and verifying a connection. For you to use a smart card, your computer needs to be equipped with a smart-card reader.

An Ad Hoc network is another specialized connection among computers that are in close proximity to each other. This temporary network uses the wireless network adapters on the computers to connect directly to each other without using a network router. This type of connection is made by mutual agreement and creates a secure connection, useful for transferring fi les between computers or playing some multiplayer games.