How Do I Get My Windows Machines to Network With Each Other?

❓ Home networking can be very difficult, but I have a few tricks that work well for me.

❓ My formula for Windows networking
- Ensure devices are on the same network.
- Use the same workgroup name.
- Create identical login accounts on all machines.
- Use the same password for these accounts.
- Make them administrator accounts.
Networking can be complicated, but this approach simplifies authentication across Windows devices.

Chapters
0:00 How Do I Get My Windows Machines to Network With Each Other?
1:00 Leo’s magic formula
1:50 Step 1 Same network
3:15 Step 2 Same workgroup
5:20 Step 3 Same login
6:45 Step 4 Same password
7:45 Step 5 Be the administrator
8:15 Trade-offs
8:30 It’s all about authentication

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#askleo #network #networking

[Maltojo]

Well, you made that so simple! Back in the mid 2000's while getting my CCNA I could connect 100+ nodes across banks of switches and routers no problem. But had a heck of a time getting my 3 home Microsoft computers to talk to each other.

[NoEggu]

Assuming that the two computers that you want to network are on the same local network (as our host explained), then you can use drive mapping to share files between those two (or more) computers.

Consider two computers: 1-local, and 2-remote.
You want the local computer to have access to some folder on the remote computer.

On the remote computer, open up file explorer, right click on the folder that you want to share, then click on properties, and you will see a "Share" button. After clicking on "Share", you will have to tell that remote computer which users (which logins) will be allowed to access the folder. Add whichever users you wish to give access.

In fact, you can create a new user on that remote machine, and never use that new user's login. But with that new user account on the remote machine, you can add that new user's name in the sharing section. Now that new user account, on the remote machine, will allow that account name to connect to that shared folder.

I suggest that you have at least one file in the folder that you are sharing. It will help confirm that all is working, when you set up the local computer to access the remote computer's shared folder.

With the above set up on the remote machine, now go to your local machine.

On your local machine, open up file explorer. Then click on "This PC", in the left-hand column. That will change the options listed near the top of the window. One of the options you will now see is "Computer".

Click on the "Computer" menu that is on the top of the window.
Once there, you will see (near the top of the window) "Map network drive".

Click on that, and you will be able to enter the information about the remote computer. Once you correctly enter the information about the remote computer (including the password of the remote computer's account), then you will see that remote computer's shared folder. By default, you will be able to use that remote computer's folder just like any other folder. If you want, you can change the permissions to (for example) read-only. You would have to go back to the remote computer to set custom permissions (such as read-only, or delete permissions, or using sub-folders, etc).

Most of the above can be accomplished via the command prompt, via the "net use" command.
Run:
net use /?
...to get help with that command.

As far as I know, as long as the two computers can see each other on the network, then the above "map network drive" tool will allow you to share a folder (or as many folders as you set up for sharing).

The above works for Windows 7 and Windows 10.
I do not have a Windows 11 box to see if anything is different. But it is probably the same.

The above is basically telling the remote computer to share a folder, and which user(s) can have access to that shared folder.
Then the local computer uses "Map network drive" to connect to that shared folder on the remote computer.

If on the local computer you have trouble entering the name of the remote computer, you can use the remote computer's IP address, instead of the hostname of the remote computer.

[andythomas]

Great video Leo thank you. Another requirement is that each computer's network is set as PRIVATE and not PUBLIC.

[mikeflowers]

Thank you very much, Leo. Your guidance in this video has help me network and file share among my new Windows 11 PC and my Windows 10 PC and laptop. I followed "Leo's Formula" with excellent results - results that had eluded me for days!

[rafflesnh]

Leo, thanks so much for this. I hadn't realised that it was so much more complex than I had imagined. I simply boiled my hit and (very) miss attempts at getting my various Windows hardware to play nice, was simply down to my ignorance/ineptitude! Still, I did manage to learn some new tricks from you to try, so thanks again.😀

[minecraftmike]

Wow, this is a great video. I like the checklist style approach to explaining.

[msun]

Yes, there are so many settings to get right - and these are a devil of a job to find as well. Aspects like share versus NTFS file permissions, whether the W-Fi connection is declared to be public or private, advanced sharing permissions, firewall blockings, etc, etc. It's not easy to cover all this aspects in a concise and easy to understand format.

[ChristopherSisk]

i gave up on windows networking and file sharing a long time ago as i was always trying to get different versions to talk when upgrading.. ie. XP to 7, or 7 to 11.. and there were always issues that made a simple networked drive or shared folder never work right. so i just use a simple flash drive or a portable hdd these days.

[TazzSmk]

frankly the important steps aren't mentioned - network type must be private, and printer sharing must be enabled, else SMB sharing doesn't work (in Windows 11)

[michaellundsrensen]

Thank you for your great videos, they are very enriching!
An idea for a video:
How to reset everything - EVERYTHING - regarding the network. If, for example, you can't get two computers to talk to each other, it would be nice to reset the Password, PIN, Domain, Firewall and yes, what else is there?
Also remember to tell that VPN can mess up completely and make the network connection impossible.
I have two computers on the same Microsoft account, same user and PIN, same Domain (the router is also set to that domain). There are shared drives on both.
But they won't see each other. I'll soon know this video by heart!
Somewhere there must be a typo, e.g. a space that destroys the connection.

[peterstubbs]

I understand your pain. I recently bought a new dell windows 11 system to replace two old windows 10 machines. I thought I would be able to copy all the data across via the network. After several hours I gave up and instead copied all the data off to a USB SSD drive and then back on. The old machines are off to the tip. I now have just the one Microsoft machine. I also have a Mac mini and I have been able to access the windows machine. Hurrah. What joy. Thanks for your. videos. Pete

[peterhancox]

You left us high and dry, you cover the set up, now give us an example of the same file on two different computers, I.e file sharing

[billbaggins]

Thanks Leo, but a practical example would have been nice

[michaellundsrensen]

Very clear information, again! Thanks.
I was waiting on the Share drive, sometimes Share and sometimes Advanced Share. But You didn't mention that, What's the difference?

[KarlUppianoKarlU]

Even if you're on the same router, these days that's no guarantee that you'll have end-to-end connectivity. Many modern routers have guest WiFi and private WiFi. If someone connects to guest instead of private, they won't be able to access the computers on the private LAN, and possibly vice-versa.

[DevilbyMoonlight]

I always use a local account, Most issues arise from firewall rules and rights and privileges, the new home group feature adds another layer of problems I always set up mine old school, that is: users that need access to resources with their MATCHING passwords are duplicated on machines they NEED access to, as by default a machine wont allow a network login without a password, but this can be changed but doing so is real insecure, old methods work share permissions everyone full control, using NTFS file permissions, to lock things down, when networks get over 10 devices it was always recommended to move to a domain, as it gets unwieldly, but domain controllers and FSMO roles are too much for most people too handle.

[davinp]

Microsoft could make it easier. There are still many network settings in Control Panel that are not in the settings app

[TheArtOfTechSupport]

You can use a VPN like tailscale then you can file share between routers, buildings and countries
I would use ip address in the file Explorer or syncing up like folder sync or free file sync if it's the local ip address or it's using a VPN then the virtual ip address

[jud.]

is there any way to make multiple devices get all user logins from a server/NAS if so could you make a video on it?

[acreguy]

The fact that networking two Windows machines is difficult, is a testament to the stupidity of Microsoft.