There are numerous methods to work collectively in a community primarily based on Windows 11. The easiest is to arrange a shared workgroup, a sort of staff of computer systems with equal rights. The workgroup in Windows 11 connects the collaborating gadgets in order that the computer systems throughout the community can see one another. This relies on file and printer sharing, which permits the PCs within the workgroup to change Office paperwork, pictures, music, movies and so forth at file degree. To make the essential settings and arrange a workgroup in Windows 11, comply with these directions. Once the workgroup community is about up, use community shares to share particular person paperwork or total folders on the laborious drive with the opposite computer systems within the community.

Adding Windows 11 to the community

A Windows 11 community primarily based on a workgroup requires that every one desktop PCs and notebooks are linked to one another. To do that, it’s adequate to attach the computer systems to a WLAN router such because the Fritzbox, both by way of an Ethernet cable or wirelessly by way of WLAN. The router bodily connects the computer systems and printers linked to it in order that they’ll talk with one another. To do that, the DHCP server within the router, which is energetic by default, assigns a novel IP tackle to the person gadgets. The knowledge packets are then transported between the computer systems with out you having to fret about addressing and routing.

Modern WLAN routers mechanically care for all the pieces mandatory by default. So ensure that your pc and each different pc meant for the community is linked to the router. Then perform the next steps in Windows 11.

Check community profile

For a non-public workgroup community, the “Private” community profile kind should be chosen in Windows 11. This ensures that your PC will also be seen by different computer systems. To verify and, if mandatory, change the profile kind, click on on “Network & Internet” and your community connection — both “Ethernet” or “WLAN” and “Properties” within the Settings app. Make positive that the “Private” possibility is chosen below “Network profile type” and shut the window.

Activate community features

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The subsequent step is to activate “File and printer sharing for Microsoft networks” in your PC or pocket book. To do that, open the Settings app and click on on “Network and Internet” on the left. Click on “Advanced network settings” after which on “Change adapter options.”. Windows 11 opens a brand new window with an icon in your community connection. It is labelled “Ethernet” or comparable for a wired community connection — or “Wi-Fi” for a wi-fi community connection. Right-click on the icon and click on on “Properties” within the context menu. Windows 11 now shows a window with quite a few settings. Make positive that the “File and printer sharing for Microsoft networks” possibility is ticked. Confirm with “OK” and shut the connection window.

The various technique to swap on “File and printer sharing for Microsoft networks” is by way of the search operate: Click on the Windows button and sort in “control panel”. Click on the Control Panel app. Click on “Network and Internet > View network status and tasks > Change adapter settings.” Windows 11 will now show the icon in your community connection. You can then right-click on it and use the “Properties” command to make sure that “File and printer sharing for Microsoft networks” is ticked.

Customize the pc title

Windows 11 makes use of the pc title to uniquely determine a pc within the community. We advocate utilizing a pc title that’s as significant as attainable so as to simply acknowledge and assign the system in query. The Settings app in Windows 11 shows the present pc title on the prime of the beginning web page. If you wish to change the title, click on on “Rename.”

Windows 11 will then open a brand new window. Enter your required title within the empty enter discipline. It might solely comprise letters, numbers, and hyphens. Confirm with “Next” and restart your pc.

Set workgroup

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Checking and altering the workgroup title in Windows 11 will not be as handy as altering the pc title. Type “Workgroup” into the search discipline on the prime left of the Settings app after which click on on “Change workgroup name”. Windows 11 opens a brand new window through which the title of your workgroup seems after “Workgroup” – it’s “WORKGROUP” by default. If you wish to specify your individual title, click on on the “Change” button.

Under “Member of”, choose the choice “Workgroup” and enter the title you need in your workgroup. Windows mechanically capitalises the title. Click on “OK”.

Tip: It will not be mandatory to customize the default workgroup “WORKGROUP”. The community in Windows 11 works simply as effectively with the default title.

Switch on community detection

Windows 11 makes use of community discovery to entry your pc from different PCs within the house community. The operate gives details about your pc that different programs can retrieve. In public networks, community discovery ought to all the time be disabled for safety causes, however it’s required in a non-public workgroup community.

Windows 11 usually prompts community discovery mechanically whenever you swap to the “Private” community profile. It is subsequently typically advisable to set the personal community profile as a substitute of the general public profile on all Windows computer systems within the house community.

You can discover out whether or not the community detection operate is switched on within the Windows 11 Control Panel. Click on the Windows button, enter “control panel” and click on on the Control Panel app. Click on “Network and internet > View network status and tasks > Change advanced sharing settings.” Windows 11 now shows the settings for the community profiles “Private” and “Guest or Public.” Make positive that the “Switch on network discovery” possibility is chosen below “Private.” If mandatory, click on on “Save changes” and shut the Control Panel.

Check this setting later for all different Windows PCs in your house community and alter their community profile to “Private” if mandatory. Then verify whether or not the community discovery operate can also be activated.

Further studying: 10 Windows 11 tips and tricks we use to customize our PCs

Log in with a Microsoft account

In addition to “File and printer sharing for Microsoft networks,” the suitable community profile and community detection, the consumer rights should even be appropriate for sharing information and folders in Windows 11. For community entry to a Windows 11 PC, it’s mandatory to go browsing to the respective pc with a consumer title and the corresponding password.

There are two strategies for this: Either you arrange the consumer accounts of the opposite PCs on every PC. Or you need to use a central consumer account for all community entry. So you could entry the information of the opposite PCs as conveniently as attainable from any pc within the community, log in all over the place together with your Microsoft account in Windows 11. Advantage: You don’t must take care of entry rights within the community and may entry your private knowledge wherever and at any time.

If you might be already logged in to Windows 11 with a Microsoft account, no change is critical. If you employ a neighborhood consumer account, open https://account.microsoft.com/account in your browser and create a brand new account. Then change the account kind within the Windows 11 Settings app below “Accounts > Your info.” Click on “Sign in with a Microsoft account instead” and enter your new account particulars.

Show community

After you might have added not less than two computer systems to the workgroup as described, Windows 11 shows the 2 programs within the community setting. Open the Explorer by clicking on the file icon within the taskbar or utilizing the Win-E keyboard shortcut. Click on “Network” within the left-hand column. Wait a second till Windows has recognized the programs within the community, then the linked computer systems will seem.

Good to know: After clicking on the “Network” entry on the right-hand aspect, the Explorer in Windows 11 additionally exhibits different gadgets which are at present energetic on the community along with your PCs. Depending on the Wi-Fi router and the machine settings, routers, Wi-Fi repeaters, good house elements, community laborious drives, and media servers additionally seem right here.

The icons make it straightforward to acknowledge whether or not it’s a pc or one other community machine. Windows 11 all the time identifies computer systems in Explorer with a monitor image. But watch out: Other gadgets within the community may also faux to be computer systems and are then displayed by Windows 11 with a monitor icon. If it’s not a PC, it’s possible you’ll obtain an error message whenever you click on on the icon.

This article was translated from German to English and initially appeared on pcwelt.de.