Windows networking: workgroup vs domain, mapped drives and shares, firewall exceptions, static vs DHCP addressing, VPN and proxy settings, public vs private network profiles, metered connections

Windows networking questions ask how computers are organized, how users reach shared files, and why one PC cannot connect when others can. The concepts are simple once you see what each setting controls. Windows computers can be organized in two ways. In a workgroup, every computer is a peer that keeps its own local user accounts, so a user needs an account on each machine they want to access. Workgroups suit small offices with a handful of computers and no server. In a domain, a server running Active Directory Domain Services (a domain controller) holds a central database of users, computers and policies. Users sign in once with a domain account from any joined computer, and administrators apply Group Policy to everyone. Joining a domain needs Windows Pro or higher. HomeGroup was an older home-sharing feature and is no longer present in current Windows.