EXPERIMENT-1

AIM : To study sharing of files and folders on LAN. REQUIREMENT: Computer running the Windows operating system(Window Xp,Vista or Seven) Files are needed for sharing. A proper connectivity of local area network(LAN)

THEORY: File sharing is the public or private sharing of computer data or space in a network with various levels of access privilege. While files can easily be shared outside a network (for example, simply by handing or mailing someone your file on a diskette), the term file sharing almost always means sharing files in a network, even if in a small local area network. File sharing allows a number of people to use the same file or file by some combination of being able to read or view it, write to or modify it, copy it, or print it. Typically, a file sharing system has one or more administrators. File sharing is the practice of distributing or providing access to digitally stored information, such as computer programs, multimedia (audio, images, and video), documents, or electronic books. It may be implemented through a variety of ways. Storage, transmission, and distribution models are common methods of file sharing that incorporate manual sharing using removable media, centralized computer file server installations on computer networks, World Wide Webbased hyperlinked documents, and the use of distributed peer-to-peer networking . File sharing has been a feature of mainframe and multi-user computer systems for many years. With the advent of the Internet, a file transfer system called the File Transfer Protocol (FTP) has become widely-used. FTP can be used to access (read and possibly write to) files shared among a particular set of users with a password to gain access to files shared from an FTP server site.

PROCEDURE: WINDOW XP Follow these steps on any Windows XP computer to share file resources across a local network. Individual files, an entire folder, or an entire Windows drive can be shared with Windows XP network configuration. 1. Ensure Windows XP Simple File Sharing is enabled. 2. Open Windows Explorer (or My Computer). 3. Navigate to the file, folder or drive folder to be shared, and click once on its icon to select it. 4. From either the File menu or the right-click menu, choose the "Sharing and Security..." option. A new Properties window appears. If this option did not appear on the menu, ensure that a valid file or folder was selected in the previous step. 5. Click the Network tab in the Properties window. If no Network tab appears in the window, but a Sharing tab appears instead, close this window and ensure the Simple File Sharing option was enabled in the earlier step before proceeding. 6. Click the Share This Folder option in the Properties window to enable sharing of this resource. This allows all other computers on the local network to access file(s) but not modify them. To grant others permission to modify these files, click the "Allow Network Users to Change My Files" checkbox to enable this option.

Alternatively, if the Network tab is not enabled, make required settings in the Sharing tab to configure the equivalent sharing. Choose "Share this folder" to enable sharing. 7. Click Apply or OK to save these settings.

WINDOW 7
Windows 7 provides an easiest way to establish a network connection for mutual file and folders sharing. If you have been using Microsoft OS platform and are acquaint with the procedure

of sharing files and folders on previous Microsoft operating systems, then it would be very easy for you to share files and folders in Windows 7. For novices it would still be a challenge to pull off. In this post we will guiding you through the step-by-step procedure of establishing network connection with others PCs, which eventually lets you share files and folders instantly. We have divided the post into two sections

Connecting via WiFi Router Connecting without WiFi Router(Ad-Hoc Connection)

Connecting via WiFi Router

To start off with, all computers need to be connected with the same WiFi router. Once connected from system tray, click the Network Icon and click Open Networking and Sharing Center.

Be certain that every one in your vicinity with whom you need to share files are connected to the same wireless network connection. Under wireless connection name, click Unidentified or Public Network.It will bring up Set Network Location dialog, select Home Network HomeGroup.

If you want to configure advance sharing settings, click View or change HomeGroup Settings. It will lead you to HomeGroup setting dialog, form here you can configure numerous sharing options. Click Save Changes.

Now your computer will be discoverable under the hood of HomeGroup. All the computers who have joined this Home Network HomeGroup can view & share your computers public files and folders.When any HomeGroup user will try to view or share files with you, he will be prompted for username and password credentials.

Apparently they are not authorized to access your public files and folders yet. To get it over with and allow HomeGroup users to freely access your public folders, go to Network and Sharing Center and from left sidebar, click Change advance Sharing Settings.

Apparently they are not authorized to access your public files and folders yet. To get it over with and allow HomeGroup users to freely access your public folders, go to Network and Sharing Center and from left sidebar, click Change advance Sharing Settings.

It will lead you to Advance Sharing settings, now scroll-down to find Password protected sharing section, enable Turn Off password protected sharing option and click Save Changes

Now on opening your public folder from other end would not prompt that user for any account credentials. In laymans term, your public folder will become accessible to anyone who has joined the Home Network Homegroup.

In Network and Sharing Center, click WiFi network name to view the computers connected to the sameHomeGroup. For viewing others public files and folders, just double-click the desired computer name.

Without Router (Ad-Hoc Connection) Windows 7, with Adhoc connection, brings the easiest way around to connect with other computers when there is no wireless router around. It provides seamless connectivity with other computers having Wifi support. In this procedure we will be connecting our two notebooks (PC1 and PC2) with each other (both having WiFi capability). To start off with, first turn On your WiFi and from Network system tray button, click open Network and Sharing Center.

Network and Sharing Center window will appear, click Setup up a new connection network. It will bring up a new dialog, scroll down and click Set up a wireless ad hoc network and click Next.

In this step enter an appropriate name of an ad-hoc network. If you want to create securityenabled network with password protection, then choose desired option from Security type and enter security key. Click Save this network to save this ad-hoc connection. Click Next to continue

The ad-hoc connection is now successfully created.

To connect it with second notebook, first turn on its wifi and from system tray network menu, under specified network name, click Connect.

Upon click, both notebooks (PC1 and PC2) will be connected. From Network and Sharing center of both PCs, change the network group to HomeGroup. If file sharing needs username/password credentials, then turn-off the Password protected sharing (as mentioned above). Open Network and Sharing Center, double-click network connection, it will open Network window showing the connected computers. Now the connection is established and you can freely access files and folders from each other.

Apart from sharing public files and folders, you can also enable sharing of personal folders by going to their respective Properties and clicking Share under the Sharing tab.