Network Discovery and Browsing

Network Discovery and Browsing

With earlier versions of Windows, you could use Network Neighborhood to browse network resources such as shared folders and printers; however, this system was inefficient because it relied on network broadcasts to gather such information.

To fix this problem, Windows Vista introduced Link Layer Topology Discovery (LLTD), which queries each device that supports Plug and Play Extensions (PnP-X) or web services for devices to determine its capabilities and to determine the topology of the network. LLTD also uses version con- trol to keep the information current. It also describes the Quality of Service (QoS) Extensions that enable stream prioritization and quality media stream- ing experiences, even on networks with limited bandwidth.

The information that is gathered to create the network map and which infor- mation the computer gives out to other Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows Server 2008 computers depends on which network services that you have enabled or configured using the Network and Sharing Center.

To enable network discovery, you need to do the following:

1. Open the Network and Sharing Center.

2. Click Change advanced sharing settings.

3. Select Turn on network discovery, as shown in Figure 10.1.

4. Click the Save changes button.

Sharing Files and Folders

FIGURE 10.1

Managing Network Services with the Network and Sharing Center.

The network services configurable under Advanced sharing settings are as follows:

. Network discovery: Allows this computer to see other network computers and devices and is visible to other network computers.

. File and printer sharing: Files and printers that you have shared from this computer can be accessed by people on the network.

. Public folder sharing: People on the network can access files in the public folder.

. Media streaming: People and devices on the network can access pic- tures, music, and videos on the computer. In addition, the computer can find media on the network.

. File-sharing connections: Windows 7 uses 128-bit encryption to help protect file-sharing connections. Some devices don’t support 128-bit encryption and must use 40- or 56-bit encryption.

CHAPTER 10: Sharing Files and Folders

. Password protected sharing: Only people who have a user account and password on the computer can access shared files, printers attached to the computer, and the public folders. To give other people access, you must turn off password protected sharing.

. Homegroup connections: If you have the same user accounts and pass- words on all of your computers, you can choose to allow Windows to manage homegroup connections when you connect to another computer in the same homegroup. Or you can use the user account and password to connect to other computers.

Similar to Windows firewall, the network services use separate network pro- files based on Home/Work and Public profiles.

To view the topology or to view the network resources, you open a network folder or the Network and Sharing Center, as shown in Figure 10.2. However,

a Windows 7 computer is not visible on the network map, and it is not able to map other hardware devices on the network until you enable Network Discovery service. To see the full map, you click the View full map link in the Network and Sharing Center.

FIGURE 10.2 A sample of a network map.