To set up a home group in W7 easily and simply it is necessary that you read this article to the end. We will explain in detail what this tool is about and what its main benefits are.
We will also talk about how to set up a Home Group in Windows 7 from scratch and how to add other computers in just a few steps. So you should pay attention to the step by step that we will present to you.
Finally, you will find the best tips to strengthen the security of your GH network in Windows 7 explained as easily as possible. Check out.
Index:
What is a Homegroup and what are the benefits of using it?
The Home Group is a tool that Windows 7 offers to connect several devices to the same network , as long as you have them in the same place and have a connection to WiFi or Ethernet . In this way it is possible to share information and resources between all teams. It is characterized by its security and its easy creation, so you will not need advanced computer knowledge to have your own home network.
When you integrate several computers into the Windows 7 Home Group, you will be able to perform the following tasks:
- Share printers. That is, you can send a single printer to print from two or more computers with W7 that belong to the GH.
- Access librariesinstalled on other devices, and vice versa.
- See the multimedia contentof other members and share your images and videos.
- Create public foldersand use them through passwords.
It is necessary to clarify that thanks to the Home Group you only have to configure the network , choose the elements and hardware that can be shared and establish a password for the group. This means that when you need to view a document on another device, you only have to enter the GH .
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Then enter your password, access File Explorer or another specific location on that computer – just as you would on yours – and edit or delete the information. From this it follows that the other user should not perform any extra task to grant you access permission, except to accept to belong to the Home Group .
Learn step by step how to set up a Home Group in Windows 7 from scratch
If you want to connect two or more computers to a Home Group through the Windows 7 operating system, you must perform this step by step that we show you below:
Enter the Home Group option
The first thing you will have to do is press the Windows Start button and choose the Control Panel tool . Next, you will have to look for the Home Group function , for this you will have to write (once you have pressed the Windows icon) the name of the tool. The application will appear in the start menu window, so you must select Open (you can also double-click on it to access the GH).
Create the Home Group
Once you have opened the HomeGroup option, you should find Share with other home computers running Windows 7 and click on it. After this you will have to choose the Create a group at home tool .
If for some reason there is already a Home Group in your home , the operating system will ask you if you want to integrate this GH. Otherwise, you must continue with the creation steps and become the network administrator, this means that the other members cannot create another Home Group if they already belong to yours (unless they abandon your creation) .
Configure usage options
Now what you have to do is establish the conditions for the rest of the teams and yours to work. You will have to choose the resources and folders that you want to be shared and then set a password to enter. You can do this by entering the Control Panel tool and then choosing Networks and Internet . In this window you will find the Home Group option , so you must click on it. After this you will have to start checking the boxes that you think are convenient to enable the permissions.
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Add new computers to your Home Group to make it more complete by following these steps in Windows 7
So far you have created a Home Group , but only you belong to it. What you are going to have to do now is incorporate other computers and devices to the GH, for this you must access through the PC you want to add to the Home Group .
After this you will have to follow the following steps:
Access the Home Group tool
Do not forget that you must do all these steps from the computer you want to connect to the GH . When you are in Control Panel , you will have to find the option HomeGroup and click it.
Add other devices to the GH
Next, you will have to click Join Now . This will open a wizard in which you must enter the access password and then you will continue with some simple steps to understand.
Use File Explorer to access documents from other computers
When you want to access folders and files on any device that belongs to the Home Group, you will need to enter File Explorer . For this you will have to click on the Start button and then click on your user profile. Next, the Home Group tool will open, which will have a navigation panel. Look for the name of the user or the team where the folders you want to access are located, after this you must double-click on the file that interests you to open it.
Block folders you don’t want to share
What you will have to do now is customize the options to avoid sharing your data , or any of them, with the other members of the GH. To do this you will have to click on Start and then select your username.
Once you have done the previous steps, find the library that you do not want to share with others. Go to the top of the screen and select the Share with option , then click Nobody . You also have the possibility to add some users and delete others, in this case you must choose the Specific users option , specify who can see (or also write) and then select Add .
Customize other options
What you will have to do now is decide if you want to share the libraries and printers or modify the access password , among other things.
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For this you will have to access the Control Panel, choose the Control Panel tool then choose some of the following options:
- Share librariesand printers.
- Share multimediawith devices.
- View or printthe homegroup password.
- Changethe password.
- Leavethe group at home.
- Changeadvanced sharing settings .
- Launch theHomeGroup Troubleshooter .
Tips to improve the security of your Home Group network in Windows 7
You should not forget that the security of a home network is directly related to WiFi, so you must protect not only the GH configuration but also that no intruder can access the wireless signal. Therefore, to improve the security of your Home Group network, we will show you below the best tips that you can use to keep your Windows 7 devices safe.
Let’s get started:
Create a strong password
For the set of computers to be protected, it is necessary that no one can access the Home Group. For you to be successful with this objective, you must create a password that is as secure as possible and that is difficult to deduce.
There are different techniques that you can use to eliminate the subjectivity of your keys, but this time we recommend that you use our Password Generator tool . Then you must click on the Generate password button . But this is not all, it is advisable to change this key frequently and share it with secure methods. This will prevent anyone from accessing the home network.
Internet Password Generator
Install antivirus
In all the devices that belong to the Home Group it is necessary that you install an antivirus so that it detects possible threats in real time. With this action you will considerably reduce the installation of malware that can spy on your activities or that of other devices.
You should not forget that a virus can enter any computer and spread throughout the network in a very fast and easy way without anyone noticing . For this reason, it is convenient that all Windows 7 computers have antivirus activated, since if one of them does not have it, the entire network will be in danger. You can also install firewalls on the router to prevent actions that could put the security of the Home Group at risk.
Update the operating system
Every time you update the OS and virus detection programs, you are increasing their level of security . This is because each update has new codes to detect the latest malware , which appear almost daily.
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While it is true that Windows 7 has stopped receiving updates from Microsoft , it is convenient that you look for the latest one that the company has launched on the market. So you must keep in mind that updating your antivirus and firewall is vital to keep your computers protected.
Save the most important information and protect it
You must configure the options of the Group at Home network in such a way that you can create folders for public use in which you store information that does not harm your safety or that of the rest of the people involved in the GH. This means that you must create a library that is exclusive to share data with other computers. But you will have to save private information in a different folder and make it inaccessible to other participants.
Modify the router configuration
As we told you before, the security of the Home Group network depends largely on the protection of the WiFi network. For this reason, it is convenient to change the default options that the router brings from the factory and customize the accesses to make them more secure.
For this you will have to access the URL 192.168.1.1 with your browser and then write your username and password. Next, you will have to modify the access key, the name of the network (you will find it in the SSID field), the type of security (you must make sure it is WPA2) and add MAC filters.
Create a parallel network
You should not forget about the guests at your house. That is, if you want to share WiFi with them you will have to create a new network in which you do not have access to the GH because otherwise anyone who accesses your network will be able to know the data you share with other devices. So creating a new network is a good idea to keep the libraries you share with Windows 7 computers as safe as possible.
