November 17th, 2008
A deep dive into Windows 7 (build 6801)
Networking
The Network and Sharing Center that debuted in Windows Vista was Microsoft’s attempt to make network setup and configuration easier by consolidating everything into a single starting point. To call the critical reaction “mixed” is to be charitable. So the Windows 7 designers have revisited the original concept, with an eye to keeping the basic organization but streamlining it still further.
Gone are the long lists of settings under the Sharing and Discovery heading. They’ve been replaced with four links to common tasks. In addition, the previously cluttered task pane on the left now contains only two links, which offer one-click access to adapter settings and advanced sharing details.
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For a closer look at all the changes in Windows 7, see the image gallery that accompanies this post. |
At least one major networking task has been yanked completely out of the Network and Sharing Center. The new interface for connecting to wireless networks borrows from the Mac OS X approach, with a tray icon that glows to indicate the presence of wireless networks. Clicking that icon in turn pops up a list of available networks, where you can connect using a security key, a device password, or a web-based interface (for public hotspots and the like).
The other major change in networking is an innovation called the homegroup, which allows you to set up password-protecting sharing on a home network without having to hassle with user accounts. The details involve a hidden user account and a HomeUsers security group, all managed via a simple console. It will be interesting to see whether this latest incarnation in the keep-it-simple school of networking succeeds with its target audience of non-techies.
Next page: Improved performance monitors –>
Ed Bott is an award-winning technology writer with more than two decades' experience writing for mainstream media outlets and online publications. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
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| 11/18/08
