The one thing that has improved with the last few generations of Windows operating systems over the last couple of years is the ease of set up of the home networking system. This has not changed with the introduction of Windows 7. As a matter of fact, Windows 7 has stepped it up a notch when it comes to both setting up and maintaining a home networking environment. You will see that several problems that you had in the past are now gone.Before we go into the configuration settings that will be in the operating system, we want to make sure that you have your hardware all set up and secured. Depending on the router you bought in the store, they will either offer you the option of a set up wizard or will give you detailed instructions on how to set your username, password and SSID name. They will also want you to set up what kind of security encryption that you would like people to connect to your network with. Windows 7 supports hardware that will use the latest in encryption methods. As of right now this is WPA 2. This would be the best option for you to use.
After you have set up the hardware that you will need and set it to the proper encryption method, you now want to make sure that your network can share files and folders. You do this in Windows 7 by creating Homegroups. A homegroup is a private set up on your home network that allows you to share files and folders with a specified set of computers. Having it set up in this way allows you to be safe and secured so that you know everyone who is accessing your computer over the network. Others over the network in your house can also set their computers into the same homegroup and allow you to share their files with them also. You can create a homegroup by going into the control panel, then click on network and internet, next click homegroup and then you will see the option "create a homegroup". After that a set up wizard will pop up, helping you to create your first homegroup. Once you create the homegroup and set a password, everybody that is part of that same homegroup will be able to share.
You can also specify files and folder to users even if they are not part of your homegroup. You have to go into windows explorer and right click on the file. Once you have right clicked on the file, you will see the option "to share with". This will give you the option to share this particular file with others in a different homegroup or make it public for everybody to be able to consume. There are several other ways to share files in Windows 7 but these two are the easiest and most likely the safest way to achieve this goal.
Home networking has become so easy that there is not much too it in Windows 7. If you want to set the network configurations or any other problems that you might have involving the network then you can go to the Network and sharing center section of the control panel. This will give you a network map of all the computers that are connected to your network as well as give you in depth configuration about each of the computers and the network itself. If you get to the point where you are more experienced, you can make all kinds of neat network adjustment yourself until you are satisfied with arraignments.
We have discussed setting up your home network as it pertains to Windows 7. To set up the actual router, you can get directions from your actual vendor or read the instruction manual. Windows 7 will help keep your files and folders safe as well as let them have the access that you want to give them.