Enabling and Configuring Windows 11 Network Sharing
Settings such as enabling network sharing in Windows 11 differ in location and UI depending on the version. 22H2 is set, 21H2 is operated from the control panel. Both are detailed settings for network and Internet sharing, and you can make detailed settings such as enabling/disabling sharing and setting passwords.
You can check the version by pressing the “Windows” key, entering “winver”, and clicking “winver” displayed in the search results.This page introduces Windows 11 network sharing settings.
Windows 21H2 Home network sharing settings
Open network sharing settings Ver.21H2
from the start menu To start it from the Start menu, click “All apps”, click “Windows Tools” in the list to open Explorer, and click “Control Panel”.
from search
- Press the Windows key on your keyboard, then press control .
- When the search screen appears, click “Control Panel”.
*This operation is the same as entering “control” in the search.
2. Click Network & Internet.
3. When Network and Internet appears, click Network and Sharing Center.
3. In the Network Sharing Center, click “Change advanced sharing settings” to open the network sharing settings.
Enable network sharing Ver.21H2
Enable private network sharing Ver.21H2
1. Click to expand Private.
2. Click “File and Printer Sharing” to enable sharing.
Network discovery settings
■ Enable network discovery
When network discovery is set to “On”, computers and printers with sharing enabled within the internal network are automatically detected and connected.
■ Enable automatic setup for networked devices
Devices shared on the network will automatically connect when they are connected and detected. This setting cannot be selected unless the above “Network discovery” is enabled.
Enable guest or public network sharing Ver.21H2
When you don’t need public network sharing anymore, turn it off for safety. 1. Click to expand the public network box.
2. Click “File and Printer Sharing” to enable sharing.
When network discovery is set to “On”, computers and printers with public network sharing enabled are automatically detected and connected.
Network shares can be set to be password protected when accessing the share. Password protection is enabled by default. Click to expand all networks.
Enable/disable password for sharing
Click ” Password protected sharing ” and select it to enable/disable it.
Enable sharing without password
When there is an access request from the shared destination, you can access the shared folder without a password .
Disable password protected sharing
When there is an access from the sharing destination, input the “user account name” and “password” that exist in this computer currently set for sharing and approve sharing.
Completion of enabling network sharing Ver.22H2
After enabling sharing of the network, open the network screen for a while, and icons such as PCs that are shared will be displayed.
*If network sharing is not displayed, you may not be able to share unless you enable password protection depending on your environment.
The following situation may occur when you open the network immediately after enabling network sharing, but there is no problem.
- When you open the network of explorer, when “Network discovery is disabled” is displayed, click “OK”.
- When “Network discovery and file sharing are disabled…Click here to change” is displayed, click “Turn on network discovery and file sharing”.
If there is no problem with the sharing settings in Windows 11, but the device icon is not displayed even though it is shared in the network of Explorer, please refer to the following page.
Open network sharing settings Ver.22H2
1. Open Settings from Start.
Click the Start button, then click Settings in Start.
2. Click the item “Network and Internet” and click “Advanced network settings”.
“Network and Internet” can also be opened by right-clicking the network icon on the taskbar. 3. When the advanced network settings are displayed, you can open the network sharing settings by clicking Advanced sharing settings.
Enable network sharing Ver.22H2
Enable private network sharing
1. Click to expand the private network box.
2. Turn the “File and Printer Sharing” switch button “On” to enable sharing.
Description of other settings Ver.22H2
■ Network discovery
When network discovery is set to “On”, computers and printers with sharing enabled within the internal network are automatically detected and connected.
■ Automatically configure network-connected devices
Devices shared on the network will automatically connect when they are connected and detected. This setting cannot be selected unless the above “Network discovery” is enabled.
Enable public network sharing Ver.22H2
When you don’t need public network sharing anymore, turn it off for safety. 1. Click to expand the public network box.
2. Turn on the switch button of “File and printer sharing” on the public network to enable sharing.
When network discovery is set to “On”, computers and printers with public network sharing enabled are automatically detected and connected.
Network share password setting Ver.22H2
Network shares can be set to be password protected when accessing the share. Password protection is enabled by default. Click to expand all networks.
Enable/disable password for sharing
Use the ” Password protected sharing ” switch button to enable/disable.
Share without password “Off”
When there is an access request from the shared destination, you can access the shared folder without a password . When connecting to Wi-Fi, etc. outside, it is safer to turn it on temporarily.
Require Password and Share “On”
When there is an access from the sharing destination, input the “user account name” and “password” that exist in this computer currently set for sharing and approve sharing.
Completion of enabling network sharing Ver.22H2
After enabling sharing of the network, open the network screen for a while, and icons such as PCs that are shared will be displayed.
*If network sharing is not displayed, you may not be able to share unless you enable password protection depending on your environment.
The following situation may occur when you open the network immediately after enabling network sharing, but there is no problem.
- When you open the network of explorer, when “Network discovery is disabled” is displayed, click “OK”.
- When “Network discovery and file sharing are disabled…Click here to change” is displayed, click “Turn on network discovery and file sharing”.
About private and public network shares
The network types used for sharing are divided into the following two types.
- A private network allows connections to shares only on the internal network, but not from the outside. Simply put, a network that does not allow access from the outside beyond the provider’s router.
- Public networks allow sharing of access from outside.