One Geek Nation

When administering a Windows home network, one must not only take into account everything that this job entails, but also be comfortable configuring various network settings. It should also be noted that the most important part of any network are the users, and a good administrator keeps their needs in mind when doing his / her job. Another factor that should be considered are the operating systems that are running on the network, as each would need to be configured differently in order to join the network. Of course, backing up important files and  ensuring the security of the network should also be acknowledged.

Users

As previously mentioned, the most important part of any network are its users, because without users there simply would not be a network to administer. Knowing how users will utilize a network and its resources is a fairly simple task when running a home network. Students with laptops or netbooks will need to have to access to a wireless internet connection and the network printer. Online gamers will need a wired connection to the router, which is known to be a faster and more stable connection than wireless connectivity. Other members of the family who are light computer users, doing such things as surfing the Internet. checking emails, and writing documents would need access to the network printer, a wired internet connection, and periodic computer maintenance. The following is a list of computer maintenance tips:

• delete unused programs
• update frequently used programs to the latest version
• disable unneeded startup programs
• defragment the hard drive
• run disk cleanup

Security

Additionally, all computers on the network should be secured from any type of malware and auto-installing files that could infect it. The best malware protection software is currently Microsoft Security Essentials, which is a free cloud-based anti-malware application that is constantly up-to-date with the latest virus definitions. Computers running Windows Vista or later come with an additional layer of security known as the User Account Control (UAC), which is enabled by default. This is a security feature that prompts the user to confirm any changes to the computer, in order to prevent viruses and other malware from installing themselves without the users notice. If the user complains about the UAC, it can be turned off in Windows Vista by clicking:

Start -> Control Panel -> User Accounts and Family Safety -> User Accounts -> Turn User Account Control on or off -> Click Continue on the UAC box -> Uncheck box labelled Use User Account Control (UAC) to help protect your computer -> Click OK

In Windows 7, it is possible to change how often the UAC box appears. To do so, click:

Start -> Control Panel -> User Accounts and Family Safety -> User Accounts -> Change User Account Control settings

In the User Account Settings window, notifications can be set to alert the user:

• whenever any change is being made to the computer
• when a program tries to change settings on the computer
• when a program tries to change settings on the computer, and not dim the desktop
• never alert the user

However, as it is a security feature, it is advisable to avoid turning it off.

Working Together

Once all of the computers on the network have been individually secured, it will be safe to add them to a network so that they may share files and services. The best type of network for home use with Windows machines is a workgroup, since it’s easy to setup and makes file sharing between connected computers simple.  Follow these steps to create and add computers to a workgroup:

For computers running Windows XP:

1. Click Start -> My Network Places
2. Double-click Network Setup Wizard
3. Follow the instructions in the on-screen wizard
4. Restart the computer

For computers running Windows Vista:

1. Click Start -> Control Panel -> Network and Internet -> Network and Sharing Center
2. On the left, under Tasks, click Setup a Connection or Network
3. Select Setup a Wireless router or access point
4. Follow the instructions in the on-screen wizard
5. Restart the computer

For computer running Windows 7:

1. Click Start -> Control Panel -> Network and Internet -> Network and Sharing Center
2. Under Change Your Network Settings, click Set up a new network connection or network
3. Click Set up a new network
4. Follow the instructions in the on-screen wizard
5. Restart the computer

Note that in order to add a computer to the workgroup, the workgroup name entered during the network setup process must be the same on all computers. This includes casing, i.e Family Network will be seen as a different network than family network due to the capital F and N.

This whole process is made a lot simpler with the Homegroup feature in Windows 7. A Homegroup is simply a preconfigured workgroup in which files in specified folders are automatically shared with included computers. Any computer running Windows 7 can be added to a Homegroup by using the following process:

Creating the Homegroup:

1. Open Windows Explorer
2. Click Homegroup
3. Click the Create a Homegroup button
4. Write down the provided password

Adding Computers to the Homegroup:

1. Open Windows Explorer
2. Click Homegroup
3. Click the Join Now button
4. Enter the Homegroup password

Once all the computers are connected to the same workgroup or Homegroup, each user will need to decide which files, folders and devices they would like to share on the network. For example, if a printer is connected to a computer, that printer can be shared on the network. Doing so will allow the printer to render print jobs from all computers within the workgroup. Sharing files, folders, and devices on the network is a two part process:

To share a printer on the network:

• In Windows XP: Click Start -> Printers and Faxes
• In Windows Vista:

1. 1. Click Start -> Control Panel
   2. Under Hardware and Sound, click Printer

• In Windows 7: Click Start -> Devices and Printers

Then

1. Right-click the installed printers icon
2. Click Sharing
3. Click Share this Printer
4. Enter a name for the printer
5. Click Apply
6. Click OK

• To connect to a printer on the network:
  • In Windows XP:

1. 1. Click Start -> Printers and Faxes -> Add a Printer
   2. Follow the instructions in the on-screen wizard
   3. Restart the computer

• • In Windows Vista:

1. 1. Click Start -> Control Panel
   2. Under Hardware and Sound, click Printer
   3. Click the Add a Printer button
   4. Follow the instructions in the on-screen wizard
   5. Restart the computer

• • In Windows 7:

1. 1. Click Start -> Devices and Printers
   2. Click the Add a Printer button
   3. Follow the instruction ins the on-screen wizard
   4. Restart the computer

Backing Up

At this point, the workgroup will be up and running and files, folders, and devices will be accessible from any Windows computer that is part of it. However, these files and folders are not yet protected from internal component failures such as hard drives crashes and corruption. In order to mitigate such an event, all files and folders on each computer must be backed up. This can be done either locally or over the network.

To backup a computer locally, an external hard drive must be attached to the computer and set as the destination for backups during the backup configuration process. When choosing a hard drive for backups, ensure that its storage capacity is equal to or larger than that of the computers internal hard drive. The advantage of backing up locally versus over the network is speed. Since the backup destination is physically connected to the computer, the data transfer rates will be faster. However, the disadvantage here is cost. Using this technique requires an external hard drive to be connected to each computer that is on the network.

A more economical solution would be to centralize the backups of the entire network to a backup server. This can be done in one of many ways. A Network Attached Storage (NAS) device can be connected to the network via the router and serve as the destination for the backups. NAS devices come in the form of external hard drives or external hard drive enclosures with a built in Ethernet port and web administration console. While they are easy to use and setup, the main disadvantage of NAS devices is the slow data transfer rate. Backing up to a NAS device could take up to several hours per computer. An alternative would be to use an HP MediaSmart Server, which is a backup server that runs Microsoft Windows Home Server and has the capability to grow with your storage needs. The HP MediaSmart Server makes it easy to backup all the files on the network and access them from any Internet connected computer. Check out the HP MediaSmart Server’s YouTube page for more info on what it is capable of:

HP MediaSmart Server on Youtube

Unfortunately, hard drives are prone to crash, and often at the most inopportune times, which is why backing them up is so important. On top of that, viruses and other malware can easily find their way onto computers, which is why all computers should be running an up-to-date anti-virus application. When a computer is properly secured from malware, it is safe to add it to a workgroup network to share files, folders, and devices with other computers and users. Having a network that is properly set up and administered will assure them that they all their important files are always accessible and protected.