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Networking with Windows 7 : Using the Network and Sharing Center

5/29/2011 11:45:47 AM
A user may not be able to access the Internet with Internet Explorer and may complain that "the Internet is down," but as a technician you know there are lots of pieces between the user's system and the Internet. One of those pieces is much more likely to be the problem rather than the entire Internet.

If a system is not communicating with other hosts, it's important to check the TCP/IP connectivity and configuration information. A primary tool you can use to start checking TCP/IP is the Network and Sharing Center, shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Network and Sharing Center

You can access the Network and Sharing Center via the Control Panel => Network And Internet group. You can quickly determine a lot about the connection from this page:

  • The computer name is DRG.

  • The computer is connected to a network. If the connection had a problem, there would be a yellow triangle or a red X on the line connecting the computer to the network (see Figure 7.11).

  • The known network name is Verizon Wireless – VZAccess 72. Networks can be identified as public or private. The icon of a park bench is used to represent a public network.

  • The computer is connected to the Internet. If it wasn't connected to the Internet, it would have a red X between the network and the Internet. In addition, the Internet icon would be dimmed if the Internet wasn't accessible.

The View Your Active Networks section also shows that the connection is a public network. You can click the Public Network link and change this to Home Network or Work Network (both of which are considered private).

Figure 2 shows the icons for a different computer that has connectivity problems with an unknown network and is not connected to the Internet. Notice that this connection is listed as the Local Area Connection. This is the default name for a wired network interface card.

Figure 2. Bad connections shown in the Network and Sharing Center

The left panel of the Network and Sharing Center includes several links that can be used to configure networking:


Control Panel Home

This will return you to the main page of the Control Panel.


Manage Wireless Networks

If the computer has wireless capabilities, this link appears. It can be used to add and configure wireless profiles.


Change Adapter Settings

This link gives access to all of the network adapters and connections on the system. This includes wired adapters, wireless adapters, and virtual private network connections if they've been added to the system.


Change Advanced Sharing Settings

Advanced sharing settings are used to configure different profiles such as a public or private profile (used for home or work).

1. Public vs. Private Networks

The first time Windows 7 connects to a network, the system will determine the type of network or will prompt the user to identify the type of network. In general, a network is identified as either Public or Private, and it can also be identified as Domain.


Public

A public network is one that is in a public place, such as in an airport or coffee shop. When the network type is identified as Public, Windows Firewall is configured to protect the client by refusing unsolicited connections. A user can connect to the Internet to retrieve email or Internet pages because these connections are solicited by the user. Anytime a computer has a public IP address, Public should be selected as the network type.


Private

A private network is one that is private for the user. For example, a corporate network or a home network is commonly configured with the Private network type. Security on the Windows Firewall is relaxed to improve usability within the network. Private networks are typically protected with a router and a firewall placed between the user and the Internet, and they can be labeled as Home or Work.


Domain

If a computer is a member of a domain and authenticates with a domain controller, it will be put into a Domain network location. This is similar to a private network where Windows Firewall is relaxed to improve usability within the network.

Two important networking elements are automatically set up when a computer is configured as a Public, Private, or Domain network type: Windows Firewall exceptions and Network Discovery.

1.1. Network Discovery

Network Discovery is used to simplify the process of configuring and connecting network-connected systems and devices. It is enabled by default in private (nondomain) networks and can be enabled in a domain network with Group Policy. It should remain disabled in public networks to prevent clients from connecting to the system and accessing resources.

Several protocols work together to enable the Network Discovery feature. The Function Discovery Provider Host service and Web Services Dynamic Discovery service are both used by Windows 7 to locate other Windows Vista or Windows 7 clients on the same subnet. The Simple Service Discovery Protocol is then used to identify devices that support these protocols.

Network Discovery is limited to the same subnet. The Network Discovery messages are not passed by routers, so any clients on different subnets will not be located or discovered using Network Discovery.


As an example, Media Center Extender Devices (such as Microsoft's Xbox 360) use the Network Discovery protocol. When the Xbox 360 is on the same subnet and Network Discovery is enabled, clients can easily connect and use all of the features available, such as watching movies in one room from the Xbox 360 in another room.

Network Discovery is automatically configured for the different types of networks as follows:


Public

Network Discovery is disabled by default. This prevents other clients in a public network from seeing or discovering the Windows 7 client.


Private (home or work)

Network Discovery is enabled by default in private network types. This is useful in home networks and small-office networks where users share resources with others, and it allows the clients to easily discover each other.


Domain

Network Discovery is disabled by default in domain networks, but it can be enabled with Group Policy.

When Network Discovery is enabled, the system can also create a Network Map. The Network Map identifies all of the discoverable clients on the network that have Network Discovery enabled. If the network has a path to the Internet, this path will also be displayed in the map.

Two protocols must be running to support the Network Map feature. Both can be enabled on the network adapter property page. They are

  • Link-Layer Topology Discovery Mapper I/O Driver

  • Link-Layer Topology Discovery Responder

The Link-Layer Topology Discovery Mapper service is also used by Network Discovery. This service is set to Manual and is started when needed by Network Discovery. If the service is set to Disabled, the Network Mapping feature will fail.

1.2. Windows Firewall Exceptions

Most firewalls are configured with an implicit deny policy, where all traffic is blocked except for some specific exceptions. Exceptions are identified with rules that specifically identify what traffic is allowed.

Windows Firewall is configured as follows for the different network types:


Public

All unrequested incoming traffic is blocked. Exceptions can be created to allow specific traffic if desired. Clients will still receive requested traffic. For example, if a user accesses msnbc.com using a web browser, the msnbc.com web page will be displayed.


Private (home or work)

The firewall is configured to allow connections with other clients in the network. Computers can share resources that are accessible by others, assuming they have the correct permissions.


Domain

The firewall is configured similarly to a private network. Network administrators may need to configure other exceptions via Group Policy to allow specific traffic within the network, depending on the applications used in the domain.

1.3. Network List Manager Policies

Network List Manager Policies are included as part of the Group Policy and Local Security Policy settings. These settings affect how networks are identified (public or private) by the system when the user is not prompted to select a network type.

Figure 3 shows the Local Security Policy console with Network List Manager Policies selected. You can access this console by clicking Start, typing Secpol.msc, and pressing Enter, or by selecting Local Security Policy from the Administrative Tools menu.

Network types you may see here are as follows:


Unidentified Networks

An unidentified network is one that can't be identified because of a network issue or a lack of identifiable characteristics.


Identifying Networks

This is a temporary state of a network until it has been identified or Windows 7 has determined it cannot identify it.


All Networks

This includes settings for all networks whether they are identified or not.


Named Networks

A named network is usually a wireless network. Figure 3 shows the name of the Verizon Wireless – VZAccess 72 network because the system is currently connected to that wireless network.

Figure 3. Network List Manager Policies

NOTE

If a network is set to Public, preventing any external connectivity or the use of Network Discovery, and you can't modify the settings, you should check the Network List Manager Policies. These may be controlled by a GPO in a domain or by the local security policy in a workgroup.

When troubleshooting issues, you should focus on the properties of the Unidentified Networks and All Networks settings. The properties are shown in Figure 4.

Figure 4. Unidentified Networks and All Networks settings

When the Unidentified Networks settings are configured, they can ensure that unidentified networks are automatically configured as Public (preventing the use of Network Discovery and outside connections). The user permissions can also be configured so that users cannot change the location type. It's also possible to prevent the user from modifying any of the network settings from the All Networks Properties page.

2. Changing Advanced Sharing Settings

If you click the Change Advanced Sharing Settings link in the Network and Sharing Center, you'll have access to many of the settings for the different profiles (Public or Private).

Figure 5 shows the Advanced Sharing Settings page with some of the Home Or Work settings. As a reminder, the Home Or Work selections are considered private, and the Public selection should be chosen when connected to a network in a public place.

Figure 5. Advanced Sharing Settings

You can access the following settings from this page. Once a setting is selected and configured, it will apply to all network connections using this profile. For example, if you disable the Home Or Work setting for Network Discovery, Network Discovery will be disabled for all private network connections.

The following settings can be configured on this page:


Network Discovery

When enabled, other computers can see this computer and this computer can see other computers. This is turned on by default for private networks and turned off for public networks.


File And Printer Sharing

When turned on, files and printers shared on this computer can be accessed over the network by other users. This is turned off by default for private networks and public networks.


Public Folder Sharing

This allows other people to access files in the public folders. This is turned off by default for private networks and public networks.


Media Streaming

When enabled, media files (such as pictures, music, and videos) stored on this computer can be accessed. This is off by default on both private and public networks.


File Sharing Connections

This uses stronger 128-bit encryption to protect file-sharing connections, but you can weaken security to use 40- or 56-bit encryption for devices if necessary.

Other -----------------
- Networking with Windows 7 : Resolving Names to IP Addresses
- Understanding Network Connectivity in an Enterprise (part 4) - Configuring a Network Interface Card & Using Proxy Servers
- Understanding Network Connectivity in an Enterprise (part 3) - Understanding the IP Addresses
- Understanding Network Connectivity in an Enterprise (part 2) - Understanding the DHCP Lease
- Understanding Network Connectivity in an Enterprise (part 1) - Unicast, Multicast, and Broadcast & Using IPConfig
- Configuring and Troubleshooting Application Issues : Identifying and Resolving Software Failure Issues (part 2)
- Configuring and Troubleshooting Application Issues : Identifying and Resolving Software Failure Issues (part 1)
- Configuring and Troubleshooting Application Issues : Designing a Deployment Strategy
- Configuring and Troubleshooting Application Issues : Designing a Delivery Strategy
- Configuring and Troubleshooting Application Issues : Installing and Configuring Software
 
 
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