We have many options to share files between teams. We can do it wirelessly, with cloud storage for example, as well as wired, through external hard drives, USB sticks, etc. However, we can also share files between computers connected by LAN to the same network. It is a simple process and it is also useful when we have several computers in a house and we want to transfer files from one to another. In this article we are going to talk about it. We will explain how to share files between computers connected by LAN in Windows 10.
How to share files over LAN in Windows
Windows 10 is nowadays the operating system most used by users. This means that when we write a tutorial like this it can be useful for many people. In this case we are going to explain how we can share folders and files between two computers that are connected by LAN.
The first thing we want to mention is that we will not need to install any third-party tool. The Windows 10 operating system itself has its own functions that allow file sharing over LAN in a simple and fast way. You just have to follow a series of steps that we are going to mention to have everything ready.
Enable network sharing
The main and basic point that we must take into account is that both computers must be connected to the same network. It doesn’t matter if it’s a home network or we’re at work. Both computers must be connected by cable. The ideal is to have cables with Gigabit capacity , since in this way the data transfer speed will be up to 1 Gbps.
* Note: we can also configure our equipment to share data through WLAN and thus avoid cables, but in this article we are going to focus on how to share files through LAN.
Therefore, once we have the two computers correctly connected by Ethernet cable , as we have indicated, we will simply have to carry out a series of configurations at the software level. Of course, we must also ensure that the cables work correctly and are in good condition, mainly to take full advantage of the transfer speed.
After this we must enable the use of shared networks on both computers. To do this in Windows 10 we have to go to the Network and Sharing Center. We can go to Start, enter Settings, Network and Internet and there, within Advanced network settings, click on the Network and shared resources Center section.
Within this section we have to go to the left area and click on Change advanced sharing settings . In the Private section we must configure it as seen in the image below. Network discovery and file and printer sharing must be enabled.
If our network is configured as public we would have to do exactly the same but in the Guest or public section, which is just below.
In addition, in the All networks section we must ensure that the Use 128-bit encryption box is checked.
Configure LAN connection
Once we have done the previous steps, the next thing to do is configure the LAN connection. It basically consists of configuring both computers to obtain an IP automatically .
To do this we have to go to Start, go to Settings, Network and Internet and once here we go back to Network and Sharing Center. Now we have to click on Change adapter settings . Later we click with the right button of the mouse over the network in which we are connected and in Properties.
We have to click on Internet Protocol version 4 (TCP / IPv4) and make sure that the option to obtain IP automatically is checked. We have to do this on both teams.
Share files
When we have done all this we can share files. We simply have to create a folder where we will store everything we want to share. Then we right-click on that folder, click on “Grant access to” and select “Specific users” .
You have to select the user that interests us and we can give you read or write permissions.
In short, by following these steps we can easily share files via LAN with other users on our network.