Creating a local network via Wi-Fi. Proper connection of computers via local network

I welcome everyone to my blog. Today I decided to write an article about how to set up a local network via a Wi-Fi router. I have a TP-Link TL-WR841N in my hands, which means I will write instructions using this router as an example. Although in setting up a local network between computers, the router will practically not be configured, so even if you have a different Wi-Fi router, this article will be useful to you.

Local network is a very useful thing. You can exchange files, you can play games, especially since setting up a network through a router is not very difficult. If you have two or more computers accessing the Internet through one router, then there is already a network between them. And it doesn’t matter how they connect, both via a network cable, Wi-Fi, or one via cable and the other via a wireless network. Well, let's get started with the setup process.

Setting up a local network via a Wi-Fi router

What we use:

Wi-Fi router TP-Link TL-WR841N is connected to the Internet. Distributes IP and DNS automatically.
A desktop computer running Windows 7, which is connected to the router via a network cable, the Internet works.
The laptop, also running Windows 7, is connected to the router via a wireless Wi-Fi network, the Internet is working.

Task:

Set up a local network between two (you may have more) computers. Share access to a specific folder or local drive. Get the ability to share files

Setting:

Before we start setting up a network on computers, we will ping from one computer to another to understand whether there is a connection between them. Read more about ping. If you want to do this too, then you need to go to the router settings from one computer and see what IP address the router assigned to another computer on the network. There is an article about that you can read.

We type 192.168.0.1 (192.168..1) in the browser and go to the router settings. Go to the “DHCP” and “DHCP Clients List” tab, we see there the devices that are connected to the router. We look at the IP address that is assigned to the second computer with which we want to set up a local network.

Now we ping to it. Click “Start” and write in the search bar cmd, in the search results, run the utility “ cmd.exe“.

A window will appear in which we write the command ping “IP address of another computer” and press “Enter”. Let's look at the result, if you see that packets are being exchanged, then hurray, there is a network between the computers.

If during setup or work you encounter problems with the network connection, then the first thing you need to do is check and disable antiviruses and firewalls. I also advise you to disable Windows Firewall.

If the packages are not coming, first check your antivirus settings! I have ESET - I open the antivirus, go to the “Settings” tab, “Network”, select “Change the computer’s network security mode” and check “Allow sharing”. Click “Ok”, repeat the ping process, everything works. Half the job is done, let's continue.

Setting up a local network

Now you need to check on each computer which workgroup they are connected to and give them a name. If the name has already been set, then it is better to change it by writing the word in English letters.

Right-click on “My Computer” and select “Properties”. Next “Advanced settings” and go to the “Computer name” tab. Click the “Change” button. Enter a new name and, if necessary, a group.

Don't forget! So that all the computers that you want to connect to the network work in one group.

I had the group “WORKGROUP” registered, I did not change it.

After making the settings, click “Ok” and restart the computer.

Let me remind you that we perform all actions on both computers.

Next, go to “Start”, “Control Panel”, “Network and Sharing Center”. We look at what network your network belongs to, you need it to be “Home Network”, if you have, for example, “Public Network”, then click on it and select “Home Network”. Now click “Ready to Create” on the right.

Click “Create a home group”.

Select the items you want to share and click “Next”.

A window with a password will appear, just click “Finish”. In the window that appears, click “Change advanced sharing settings.”

We also need to disable the password request when accessing a computer on our local network. Scroll down the page and find the item “Password protected sharing”, select “Disable password protected sharing”. Then open the “General” tab, look for the same item, and disable the protection. Don't forget to click the “Save Changes” button.

That's it, the network settings are complete. Restart both computers, or however many you have.

Let's see if our computers can see each other. Go to “My Computer” and click “Network” on the left. Everything works for me, both my computer and laptop that are connected to the router via Wi-Fi are displayed. The network works the same way on a laptop.

If we log into a computer on the network, we will only have access to the Public Folder. In order to open general access to, for example, the entire “D” drive, you need to make some more settings.

Opening shared access to folders on the local network

Go to the folder or local drive that you want to share and click the button at the top “Sharing”, “Advanced sharing settings...”.

A window will open in which click “Advanced settings”. Check the box next to “Share this folder” and click “OK”. If you want, you can also specify the name of the share.

Now all devices connected to the network will be able to share access to this folder.

What we got. We have set up local network via Wi-Fi router TP-Link TL-WR841N. One computer is connected to the network via a network cable, the second via Wi-Fi. Basically, you can have more computers, and they can be connected in different ways. That's all!!!

Many users probably quite often asked the question: “How to make working with multiple computers at home more convenient? How to exchange files faster between home devices, including not only desktop computers, but also laptops, tablets, and smartphones? After all, how create a home (or local, as you prefer) network? This article will discuss the importance of a local network for comfortable work processes and file sharing at home, directly creating this type of network (mainly for devices with the Windows operating system), connecting and configuring additional devices.

What is a home or local network?

Introductory part

First of all, it is worth noting that this type of network, such as a local one, has been used for a relatively long time. Often not even in houses or apartments, but in offices and other work spaces, one way or another connected with the implementation of work on computers and other computing devices. It is also important that if you set up a local network between computers via wifi, you will be able to connect other devices like printers, special peripheral devices, and even a TV (provided, of course, that it has a wifi module).

Now about file transfer. After setting up your home network, you can share files of any format and size between connected devices. But keep in mind that if you, say, want to stream a movie over a wifi network in average quality, be prepared to experience some complications in the form of degraded local network performance or excessive load on your wifi. Setting up a connection is not particularly difficult.

Additionally

But, of course, there are more positive sides. After setting up, for example, you can carry out a session in some newfangled video game with the possibility of online matches with minimal wifi traffic costs, using only the resources of two or more devices and a wifi signal only as a direct channel for transmitting information from one computer to another without access to the Internet itself.

If you decide to connect to a local network via a wifi router, you can also connect smartphones and tablets, as mentioned above, but their functionality in a file sharing environment may be significantly limited compared to personal computers.

Creating a local network

After lengthy introductions, you can proceed directly to the process of creating a connection and start setting it up. To set up, you only need a wifi router with DHCP support and a laptop or PC itself. Before connecting to your home network, you need to make sure that the DHCP server is enabled on your router. This is important because this network protocol is used to receive and automatically fill in information about devices (IP address, etc.).

In the future, you will need to delve a little into the “Workgroup” item in the computer control panel (Start - Control Panel - System). This parameter is important for operational safety. It is needed to prevent attackers from intercepting any files when they are transferred between computers. All these procedures are carried out on the Windows 7 operating system. Then the “Computer name, domains, workgroup settings” section opens, in which you click on “Change settings”, and then on “Change”. In the window that opens, the user can configure parameters such as the workgroup name, device name, and a number of other functions. The workgroup name line most likely contains the default Workgroup.

The group name, like the computer name, can be changed, but you need to remember that the workgroup name must be the same on all computers connected to the home network. After setting the names, you should restart the computer and perform a similar reboot procedure on all connected devices.

Next: Start - Control Panel - Network and Access Management. In the active networks section, click on Home group - Ready to create - Create home group. Then the system will create a password (it is better to write it down separately on paper, it will be needed when connecting via wifi). After this, you will need to go to Change additional access settings and disable password protection everywhere (otherwise the connection through the router will be impossible).

Until the article comes to the connection itself, some subtleties should be mentioned. In the Windows 7 operating system, there are three types of local device connections: public, enterprise network and home (which is what we actually need). In Windows 8, 8.1 and 10, you can create a home group for two types of network: private and home. When you first connect, any operating system prompts you to discover devices. You have to agree with him. Then (mostly for windows 8, 8.1 and 10, since little has been said about them):

Click on the “Network and Sharing Center” icon
In the “View active networks” item there will be the name of the connection and its type

To set the required type:

Windows 8, 8.1: you need to open the side menu (press win+i or move the mouse cursor to the right side of the screen), Change computer settings - Network - Connections - connection name, activate the search for devices and content.
Windows 10: Start - Settings - Network and Internet - the name of your connection (in our case it is wifi), under the list of connections, select Advanced options and make the computer discoverable.

After all this, on the devices connected to the wifi router, you need to find the Network Management, Home Group item and just click the join button. Next, enter the password written on the piece of paper and repeat the entire setup cycle. If connection fails, you should try disabling all firewalls and firewalls. Perhaps they are the ones that are preventing the normal operation of two or more computers. After completing all the settings, you need to reboot the devices connected to the local connection. To check that the connection between computers or laptops is working correctly, go to Explorer - Network. There will be a list of all connected devices.

Additionally

With a relatively large area of housing, the home connection may work poorly or intermittently due to weak wifi signal strength. In this case, you can take measures to increase the signal coverage area / move the router itself closer to the central part of the apartment / set up and distribute traffic resources / if you connect a laptop, you can work closer to the access point.
If desired, as mentioned above, you can connect smartphones to the local network. And both on iOS and Android. But for this you will have to find optimal applications for network configuration.
It is recommended to call connected computers by different names for ease of use. It's better to set this up right away.

Conclusion

Home network is quite a useful tool for carrying out work or other activities that one way or another require comfort in work, using the combined resources of several computers. Setting it up is not particularly difficult, which is good news. Setting up a local network via wifi will help in the future if you set up more advanced sharing of not only files, but also combining user settings. A router connection also saves the user from unnecessary and inconvenient connection cables. We sincerely hope that this article was useful.

Basically, a Wi-Fi router is used as an access point to the Internet. But it can act as a connecting element when creating a home local network to connect all the devices that are in your home. And it doesn’t matter whether it’s done via Wi-Fi or using a patch cord. You will learn more about how to create a home network via a Wi-Fi router correctly and configure it in this article.

Advantages of a home local network

A local network is a group of devices (computers, laptops, smartphones, tablets, etc.) connected to each other using a wired or wireless connection. The main advantages of such a group:

direct transfer of data and files between objects without the need to use removable media (flash drives, external HDD or SSD drives);
Internet access;
access to shared network resources (the printer can print information from any device connected to the network);
building a common gaming area (many modern games have a network play function).

Choosing a router

To create a home local network using a Wi-Fi router you will need:

Wi-Fi router with DHCP support;
connected devices (among them there must be at least one stationary PC).

When choosing a router, you should know what type of connection the provider uses. The telephone line requires an ADSL connector in the selected model. When using a separate cable, the router must have a WAN socket.

Important! Lately, ADSL connections have hardly been used.

Take into account the number of LAN ports in the router, through which peripheral computers or laptops are connected to it via a wired connection. The standard quantity is 4 ports. If this number is not enough for you, use a network switch.

Use a router that works with the 802.11n standard because it provides better performance and greater signal coverage than the 802.11g standard.

Creation

For example, the setting will be shown on a router, to which one PC is connected using a patch cord, and the second via a wireless connection.

Make sure your router is connected to the Internet. The corresponding indicator on the front panel should blink. If for some reason there is no access to the World Wide Web, check the quality of the wire connection to the WAN connector or update the router firmware to the latest version by downloading it from the manufacturer’s website.

Checking physical connection

Before you start creating a network, check the connection between the computers connected to the router:

If packets are exchanged between devices, you can create a local network. Otherwise, check the connection of all devices to the router or set up an antivirus. In the second case, in the program settings, set the switch that allows shared network access to the “on” position.

Settings

Check the name of the devices and which workgroup they belong to (both entries must consist of Latin letters). If necessary, change these parameters:

Important! Follow these steps for all devices that connect to your local network. The workgroup must have the same name, but the computer name must not.

We set up the network by creating a home group. More details on how to do this are described in the article “Creating, setting up, deleting a home group on computers with Windows 10". Repeat the same steps on all devices that are connected to the network, then reboot them and check whether all connected gadgets are displayed in the Network section.

Sharing folders and files

To share a specific folder or drive on your home local network, do the following:

Connecting two or more routers on the same network

Often a user needs to connect two or more routers on one home network. First, think about what result you want to get:

combining two local networks;
creating a common access point for accessing the Internet;
connecting various devices to a second router.

Routers can be connected wired or wirelessly.

Wired

Wireless

When connecting wirelessly, set the secondary router to scan for wireless networks. After that, enable DCHP function on the main router and automatic IP detection on the secondary router.

Installing and setting up the printer

If you need to connect the printer to a local network, read the article “ Setting up a home printer to print from a PC running Windows 10”. It describes all the features in detail.

If there are several computers or other gadgets (tablets, phones, laptops) in the house that have the ability to connect to the Internet, the question arises of how to create a home network through a router with the ability to transfer data between all devices.

To connect all devices to each other, you need a router, which will serve as a communication point. If you don't know, you can read it in one of my blog articles. Communication between the necessary equipment can be organized either via a wired or wireless connection; modern routers can use both types of connections.

In order to create a home network through a wifi router, it is necessary to take into account that the wireless access point must be located in the center of this network and form a so-called “star” when all devices are connected. The Wifi router connects to the Internet via a cable provided by the provider and automatically distributes it to all devices connected to it.

It is also possible to do without a router. However, this method is more labor-intensive.

The wireless connection point has a “WAN” (Wide area network) port, which means a connection to the global network. And the rest of the devices connected via cable are included in the local/home one and, accordingly, are connected via wire to any connector designated “LAN” (Local area network). On most routers, there are four data ports, which allows you to connect four computers via a wired connection. If it is necessary to expand the number of “LAN” ports (there are cases when four are not enough), then it is possible to use network switches. Using a network switch model with 8 ports, you will increase the number of connected devices by 6 pieces, since one port on the router and one port on the switch will be occupied by connecting to each other.

In addition to a wired connection, the well-known wireless network can be used to create a private network; the combination “WLAN” is usually used to designate it.

If you have a fairly large apartment area, then when connecting devices via Wi-Fi, a disconnection may occur due to a very weak signal in remote parts of the room. In this case, I suggest using or using

Having chosen the type of connection, based on the capabilities of your devices and personal preferences, a so-called home network is organized through a router, allowing you to organize data transfer. However, in order for everything to work harmoniously, you need to make some more settings. It will be described below , how to create a home network via a wifi router on computers and laptops. You can read about connecting tablets and Android-based mobile devices in another article.

Create a workgroup for your home network

First, we need to create a working group that will include all the computers on our network. To do this, follow the following path:

Start > Control Panel > System and Security > System

Click on “advanced system settings” in the column on the left, the “System Properties” window will open. The default name of your workgroup will be WORKGROUP, but you can change it by clicking on the “Change” button.

We carry out the same actions on all computers that will be connected to the access point.

Create file and printer sharing

If you do not perform these actions, then no matter what you share, access to this data will not be available. To do this you should follow the following path:

Start > Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center

Several profiles will appear on the screen. Each profile must be shared and password protection disabled.

When you create a home network via a wifi router, be sure to make the same changes on all computers.

Access to folders and files

If we want to be able to work with the files of a user on another computer, we need to share the necessary folders.

On the folder for which we want to share, right-click and select from the pop-up menu Sharing >HomeGroup

After these simple steps, the folder will be open to all users of the workgroup.

I would like to note one more point: if you are unable to connect to any computer, be sure to check the settings of the standard and built-in firewall. It happens that there are different connections.

If your home network via a wifi router is created correctly, then after logging in you will see the computers located in your group and the shared folders and files accordingly.

That’s basically all the information on how to create a home network through a Wi-Fi router, but if you couldn’t handle the setup yourself, then leave your questions in the comments and I’ll try to answer them.

Today, Wi-Fi (wi-fi) networks are widespread. Cafes, restaurants, shopping centers and even banks - everywhere you can catch the network using a laptop or smartphone. This article will describe how to create Wi-Fi.

Connection instructions

In order to create a Wi-Fi network, you need to purchase some equipment. Namely, a router that will directly distribute the network. The router will come with 2 cords: one for connecting to the computer, the second is a cord for the Internet outlet. We connect the cords. Turn on the router. We are waiting for the lights on the device panel to light up. After this, the Wi-Fi network should appear. We check its presence using a laptop or smartphone.

Wi-fi hotspot

Almost any laptop with an Internet connection can become a Wi-Fi hotspot. For example, if the Internet is connected to the machine via a cable. In order to distribute Wi-Fi in this way, you need to turn on the access point. Below are instructions for Windows OS.

Go to "Start" → "cmd" → "Run as administrator"
We check the compatibility of Wi-Fi modules on devices. To do this, in the window that appears, enter “netsh wlan show drivers” on the command line. Press Enter.
Next, write “netsh wlan set hostednetwork mode=allow ssid=name key=password” in the same place. Here “name” is the name of the Wi-Fi network. You can come up with anything. Same thing with the “password” column. Create it yourself for your network. You need to write only in Latin letters. Press Enter.
We launch Wi-Fi with the command “netsh wlan start hostednetwork” in the same line.
Next, you should set up access for other users to the Internet. To do this, go to the “Network Control Center”. Next, look for the adapter settings and click the “Access” tab. We look for the item that allows other users to use the Internet, and put a tick in front of it. We look for the item “Connect to a home network” and here we select the creation of a virtual router. Click OK.

We check the functionality of Wi-Fi. To do this, we try to find and connect to the network from another device.

Access point from a smartphone with Android

If there are no other options, but the Internet is needed, then the network can also distribute a smartphone. How to create a Wi-Fi connection using a smartphone with Android OS?

Go to "Settings" → "Advanced settings".
select the “Modem and access point” item and make the “Portable access point” item active.

After this, a notification about the name of the network and its password will appear on the screen.