He home group is a characteristic of Windows, what It is widely used today, although the latest version of Windows 10, no longer incorporates the option of create the group, but despite this it still uses file sharing between computers connected to the same network.
It is a very interesting feature, since without using an external disk drive we can share the same network with the connected equipment, all the documents and files that we want.
Activate this feature It is not complicated at all, but for those who do not know, it is something totally strange. So today, we will show you in this post a well-illustrated step-by-step so you can activate the home group as many times as you want.
What is a Home Group and what is it for in computing?
He home group, is a feature that gives us Windows, whose function is to facilitate the sharing of files and printers through a Local network, known as LAN. Thanks to this function we can share any file, be it music, images, videos, disk drives, documents or files to print.
We can take as an example, the illustration of an environment, where we have different computers, and to avoid sending documents by mail or using an external disk drive, we can use the Home Group.
To access and share them, this would be through a shared folder that we manage together thanks to the network. These compartments become real thanks to the fact that the different equipment is connected to the same network, be it Wifi or by wired connection. Although it seems that we are redundant, it is necessary to understand that if our equipment is not connected to the network, it will not be able to access the shared folders.
What type of devices can I include in my local network to expand and make it more complete?
The Home Group is extensive and is a feature compatible with many computers, so much so that we can connect to it, laptops, table PCs, Tablets and phones, but that it has the Windows OS.
It has a wide variety of uses, although it is well known as if it were only for the home, it is mostly used in companies. By simply activating this feature, all computers that have accepted the permission to share information when connecting to the same network, can upload and download files as many times as you want.
Steps to create and configure a Home Group in Windows 10 from scratch easy and fast
In this section we will explain the step by step to create a home group, without any complications. Although it is not a complex process, it can be a bit messy. Each Windows has different characteristics, however today we will explain the version of Windows 10Although the process is not very different with the minor versions of this operating system.
Let’s see below:
We connect to the network
The first thing we should know is that the connections are through networks, can be wireless or wiredHowever, if we have a single network at home we will not have problems with that. But if in our home we have different networks, or we simply do not have a personal Internet connection, but rather use that of our neighbors, we must select a specific network to create the home group.
We create the home group
Already being connected to the network, we go to the icon network that is located at the bottom of our desktop, and we right click, then two options will be displayed and we select Center network and sharing. Then we will see that a window opens, and in the left sidebar, there is an option that says Home Group, we select it.
Home group settings
It will instantly open a window, which tells us that there is no home group created, and we select where it says Create a home group. In a box it will load the configuration options and we click on following to continue.
Now we set the permits, in them we select what we want to be shared and click on following.
We save the password
We save the passwords that the same system establishes us, with this same it is that other computers can connect to the group, since theoretically if another person enters the home group created, it is because is on the same network and the creator has shared the password with the person.
Note: The password is to prevent other people connected to the same network from connecting and extracting documents or files without permission.
We finished
Now for the documents or files to be shared, we right click on them, from the drop-down list that opens, we go to the option of share with and choose Group at home (View and edit).
How to add new computers to my Home Group’s local network?
To add new computers we must first connect them to the network where we create the home group, and from the other computer, we enter the folder TeamsIn the left sidebar we will see an option called Home group, and we select it.
After selecting it, we will see that in the same window it tells us which is the home group created and who created it. Then we click on Join now to be able to connect.
The password that was generated automatically when we created the home group, we must enter it in the field that requests it, since without this no other team will be able to access the folders. After having entered the password correctly, we click on next and we wait for access, then by simply entering the network, we can see the different connected computers and the files they share.
Access files on the home network How can I see the data shared by my computers?
Before that for many it is more than obvious, it is our duty to emphasize that in order to see a shared file, the one who shares it must give access to all users, or at least within the specific users this our PC. Understanding the above, we only go to the folder Teams, and we look in the left sidebar the option that says Red, there we will find the different computers that are connected to it, and allow access to shared folders and files.
Then we must choose the connected device or equipment, and when we click on it, we will see a window with folders and everything that it has shared, depending on the permissions granted we can open, copy or edit the files and documents, and if we want to add a new one to the folder we can also do it.
Tips to improve the security of my Home Group to keep my computers safe
Although it seems that maintaining a home group is the safest way to share our fileslet us tell you there is always one weakness, although this detail may well be more human than systemic.
To improve the security of our home group, we leave you the following tips that will surely help prevent other people from having access to the files you share:
Let’s save our password
We know that the passwords generated by the homegroup system are very complicated and difficult to learn. and therefore we must print or write them to be able to remember them. The truth is that this is not bad, what we should not do is keep our password publicly accessible, in other words we must keep it well.
We are used to writing passwords in the most visible places, but if we create a homegroup it is to maintain a more secure connection and file sharing. If everyone who wants with or without our consent accesses our home group, they also access everything we share and our other computers, being something unsafe for us.
Let’s not share everything to all teams
In Windows we can find the share option, and in it choose if you are granted the power to edit and see or just to see. What we mean by this is that if we only want to send a file so that can only be viewed we should not grant the edit permission.
From another point of view, This advice also applies to the number of computers which are connected to the home group, since in Windows we can find the option to share files only to specific computers or users, with this we avoid that some people can see everything.
We only grant the necessary permits
When we go to create the home group, we do not grant all the permissions, only the ones we need. Remember that if we have a printer connected to the net or other equipment and this is the permission of the printers all those who are within the home group they can access it whenever they want. Therefore, before creating a home group, we must know what its objective is, to know what permissions to grant.
Let’s keep our network safe
As long as look for some information to strengthen security from your computer, you will see this tip. For this we must have a strong Wi-Fi password, since it is through the wireless connection where the attacks are most seen.
Let’s avoid sharing game software
We know that most of the game software we share is free to distribute, or were obtained in an illegal way, and especially those of illegal distribution, is where a greater number of viruses are housed. Viruses have the main function of sharing our information and files with their creators, so we must understand that access by one of them is a total danger to our computer and the files that are in it.