In Windows, when you lot connect to a wireless network, it will either register it as a Public network or a Individual network. Private networks are basically home and piece of work whereas public networks are anywhere else, which you don't trust.

Sometimes Windows detects a private network as a public one and vice versa. You tin manually make some changes to ensure that you lot are not accidentally sharing either too much on a public network or blocking all sharing on a private network.

In this commodity, I walk you through the steps for Windows ten, Windows 8.one, Windows 8 and Windows 7.

Windows 10

In Windows ten, go alee and click on the Ethernet or wireless icon in the organization tray of your taskbar. The Ethernet icon is like a niggling figurer and the wireless icon is, well, pretty well-known. Once you do that, click on theNetwork & Cyberspace Settings link.

This volition bring you to the PC settings dialog with the Condition tab selected. If you are connected to a WiFi network, click on WiFi in the left-paw pane, otherwise click on Ethernet.

Go ahead and click on the name of the WiFi network or Ethernet network that has the Connected status. When you click on the network, you will at present be able to select Public or Individual.

For WiFi networks, you'll also have the option to connect automatically when in range of the WiFi network.

Windows 8.1

In Windows 8.1, to alter the network contour, nosotros take to go into the PC Settings screen. To exercise that, open the Charms bar and click on Change PC Settings at the bottom.

change pc settngs

Now click on Network and you'll see the list of connections, i.e Ethernet, Wireless, etc.

network connections

At present all yous accept to exercise is plow on the Find devices and content choice. It's automatically turned off for public networks, so when you turn it on, it changes the network to a private network.

find devices and content

Windows 8

For Windows 8, follow the following procedure. First, right-click on the network icon in the Windows 8 system tray and click on Open Network and Sharing Centre.

network sharing

Here you will see the network you are connected to and what type of network Windows 8 has identified information technology as.

private network

Every bit you can encounter in a higher place, my network is considered a Individual network, which is correct since I'm at home and connected via Ethernet. If this is wrong, there are a couple of things y'all can do. Kickoff, you tin click on Change advanced sharing settings in the left-paw pane.

change sharing settings

Click on Individual so make sure you have these options enabled:

– Plough on network discovery

– Turn on file and printer sharing

– Allow Windows to manage homegroup connections

network sharing

And so collapse Private and aggrandize Guest or Public and brand sure you lot take these options gear up:

– Turn off network discovery

– Turn off file and printer sharing

public network

Once you have done this, you and so need to go to the Windows 8 desktop and open the Charms bar. Click on Settings and then click on the Network icon.

network settings

You'll see Network and and so Continued. Become ahead and right-click on that and choose Turn sharing on or off.

turn sharing on

Now choose Yes if y'all desire your network to be treated like a private network and No if yous want it to be treated similar a public network. Note that the label Private or Public may remain the same in Network and Sharing Center, but once you choose the sharing settings manually, the network volition take the appropriate settings practical.

turn sharing off

Windows seven

In Windows 7, the process is a bit different. You lot still have to click on the network icon in your taskbar, but this time click on the Open up Network & Sharing Center link.

Hither, you will see an overview of your network connection. Under View your active networks, you'll meet the name of the Ethernet or WiFi network and information technology should have a link underneath called Dwelling network, Work network or Public network.

Click on that link and you'll be able to change between the three different network types.

There is also an pick in Windows 7 to treat all time to come networks every bit public networks automatically, though I don't recollect nearly people would find that useful.

Manually Forcefulness a Network Location

As a last resort, if y'all can't alter the network location using the methods higher up, you can manually change the network location using a tool called secpol.msc. This will not piece of work on the Abode, Student or Starter editions of Windows. In Windows, press the Windows Key + R, which will bring up the Run dialog box. Type in secpol.msc into the run dialog box.

run dialog

And so click on Network List Manager Policies at the left and on the right-paw side you should see a couple of items with descriptions and then something called Network, which is the current network you are connected to. It may also be called something else, but it doesn't have a description. If yous are connected to a WiFi network, it will be the proper name of your WiFi network.

network list manager policies

Double-click on it and click on the Network Location tab. Here you can manually change the network location from Private to Public and vice versa.

network location

That's most it! Not the easiest thing in the world, just it'south Microsoft! If you are having bug with changing network locations in Windows, post a comment here and nosotros'll help. Bask!