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LAN creation in work group

A workgroup is a peer-to-peer network setup in small offices that allows computers to share resources without a central server. Each computer maintains its own database of usernames and passwords, making it suitable for small networks but inefficient for larger organizations due to challenges in user management and password synchronization. For larger environments, a centralized system like Active Directory is recommended for better security and administration.

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9 views

LAN creation in work group

A workgroup is a peer-to-peer network setup in small offices that allows computers to share resources without a central server. Each computer maintains its own database of usernames and passwords, making it suitable for small networks but inefficient for larger organizations due to challenges in user management and password synchronization. For larger environments, a centralized system like Active Directory is recommended for better security and administration.

Uploaded by

ompatel4624
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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What is a workgroup and how

is it set up?
Authenticating users in a computer network.

Employees in any organization, big or small, need to log in to their computers at the
start of their work day. Logging in gives them access to shared files, folders, printers,
critical applications related to work, as well as the internet. Organizations need to
authenticate and verify the identity of each user before they gain access to these
resources—but how?
The method you use to authenticate and verify users depends on the type of
computer network setup in your work environment.
There are two major types of network setups:

 Workgroup environment: This environment is usually found in small offices and


home offices.
 Active Directory environment: Larger offices (usually with more than 15 unique
users) use Active Directory.

Here we will look at what a workgroup is, how to set one up, and how authentication
is managed in a workgroup.

What is a Windows workgroup?

According to Techopedia, a workgroup is a peer-to-peer network setup using


Microsoft Windows operating system. It’s a group of computers on a local area
network that share common resources and responsibilities. You can easily create a
workgroup by connecting two or more PCs without going through a separate server
computer.

In a workgroup, each computer on the network is physically connected to a router or


switch. Each computer that’s a member of a workgroup can access shared
resources in the network, like files or printers, or share their own resources with the
group. While a workgroup is a group of computers that are connected to a network,
it’s not the same as a network. You can connect a computer to your network without
making it a member of a specific workgroup. You can even have multiple workgroups
in the same network.

How does a workgroup in a small office or home office work?


Let’s take an example of a small three-person office. John, Amy, and Mark are this
small office’s three employees. Every computer on this network will have its own
database of usernames and passwords.
Essentially, a workgroup is “every man for themselves,” and there is no central
control. Every PC in a workgroup is a server and a client at the same time. A PC will
act as a client when it seeks to access a resource in another PC. The PC which
needs to provide the access to its resources will act as a server during the process
of authentication and authorization.

For instance, if Amy wants to use Mark’s computer, her username and password
need to be created on Mark’s computer. And if Mark wants to use Amy’s computer,
his username and password need to be created on her computer. If both Amy and
Mark want to use John’s computer, both of their usernames and passwords need to
be created on John’s computer.

How to set up a Windows 10 workgroup?

Once you’ve set up your network in your small office, you can follow the steps below
to connect all your devices to a single Windows workgroup:

1. Navigate to the Control Panel > All Control Panel Items > System. You will get to
view basic information about your computer screen.
2. Click on Change Settings under Computer name, domain, and workgroup settings
to arrive at the System properties pop-up.
3. Click on Change to rename this computer.
4. Under the Computer Name/Domain Changes pop-up, you’ll have the option to join
the workgroup of your choice. Ensure that all the devices you want in a particular
workgroup are joined to that workgroup. In this case, the workgroup is named My
Workgroup. The following image shows where you can enter the name of the
workgroup you want to join.
Setting up a Workgroup

How do I share files and folders in a workgroup?


Now that you’ve set up a workgroup for your small office, let’s talk about how to
share files and folders among different users in a Windows 10 workgroup. Let’s
assume that you want to share the My Games folder under Documents.

Follow the steps below to share this folder:

1. Right-click My Games.
2. Click Properties.
3. Click the Sharing tab.
4. Click on Share
5. Choose the people you want to share the folder with, and select the permission level.
The following image shows the screen where you can grant access to other users in
the workgroup.
6. While granting access to other users, you’ll need to create their usernames and
passwords on your own computer. This is the only way these users can be
authenticated.
Sharing a folder with your workgroup

Workgroup challenges for large organizations and the need for Active
Directory.
Workgroups are not suitable for larger work environments for two main reasons:

1. They don’t scale well: If the network is small, it’s fairly easy to control a workgroup.
However, imagine a scenario in which there are more than 15 computers. It would be
time-consuming and tedious to create usernames and passwords by visiting each
computer. Now imagine a corporation with more than 5,000 computers. It would be
next to impossible to manage user accounts through a workgroup.
2. Passwords do not sync automatically: If a user has changed their password on
their own computer, the change won’t be reflected in the other computers they may
try to access on the network. When prompted to enter their username and password
when trying to access other computers, they’ll then need to input the old username
and password to gain access.

Workgroups are great for smaller networks, but they aren’t efficient for larger ones.
For large networks, it’s vital to keep all the usernames and passwords in sync with
each other. To do this, you need a centralized database that manages all usernames
and passwords, called Active Directory.
Note: A client PC cannot belong to a workgroup and a domain at the same time. If a
client joins a domain, its workgroup membership will be automatically removed. The
reverse is also true.

Workgroup vs domain

Workgroups are great for small office networks with 15 or less computers. However,
they aren’t ideal for larger companies with hundreds or thousands of users, as it will
become difficult to access files and folders of one computer with another computer.
Simply put, AD workgroups are fine for small offices, but they are not efficient in
scaling to big organizations.

So, for big environments, we need to set up a client-server network environment. In


Windows, this is achieved by setting up domains. The domain set up ensures better
security as we can give varying degrees of permissions for different users or groups
of users. Furthermore, we can deploy company-wide policies for easier
administration in a domain than a workgroup.

How to change workgroup in Windows 10?

To change a workgroup in Windows 10 and make your computer a part of another


workgroup, you can follow these steps:

1. Right-click on Start, and click on System.


2. Under Computer name, domain, and workgroup settings, select Change
Settings
3. Under the Computer Name tab in the System Properties window, click on
the Change button.
4. Under the Member Of tab, change the Workgroup name to the new one.
5. Click on OK to confirm your action.
6. Reboot your device when prompted.

You computer should now be part of the new workgroup.

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