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I'm taking all sorts of computer classes online and trying to learn as much as I can. I've been learning all the details about switches and routers and IP addresses, DNSP and subnet masks and default gateways. So my subnetmask allows for 255 clients on my home network, or maybe 254. My question is I don't know how to set this up at home where one computer or device can see and talk to each other, like at work. I want to set up my computers, devices and clients so that they can see and talk to each other on my LAN, on this side of the router. I hope I'm not confusing the terminology. Is there a way to see my android data (if it's turned on) on my windows 10, and vice versa, along with my printer and maybe my fire stick?

I know there are other ways sync files via the WWW, the WAN, but at least part for learning purposes, I'd like to be able to quickly set something up on my LAN.

Also out of curiosity- I pretty much only use the physical ethernet port on my 'router' for my home security console. The rest of my and my roommates devices use the wireless access point. Assuming I don't have that home security, would my switch even perform any function, does the WAP bypass the switch, and is it, itself like a switch or at least a hub?

I want to be able to take advantage of all the theory I'm learning by actually practice setting something I think very basic up and I can't find the simple instructions online. If you could point me to a good article that would be helpful. Also, I only want my devices to be able to connect- not my roommates. They don't even need to know this functionality exists. I assume that's easy with password authentication and so on. I assume this is not difficult to do.

When they teach us everything on these courses about networking, do they have the business environment in mind, primarily? Thanks for your help with my many questions!!

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This would be easier to answer if it was more specific, but in short terms, you already have a home network, assuming all your wired and wireless devices are connected to the same router.

To access data on one networked device from another is mainly a question of configuring the right application, which in turn depends what you want to do.

For example, if you want to access the music directory on your PC from your phone, you might start by creating a network share on the PC. Then, install a client on the phone that can access that share, in the case of music it might be a music app that supports samba/cifs (like VLC.) If instead you want full control of your PC’s desktop, TeamViewer can do that, even from a phone.

There’s no universal all-access protocol but you have plenty of options based on your exact needs. Basically you will need the IP and port of the device you want to access, server and client side apps, and probably authentication of some form, the details of which depend on the app.

If you want to go a step further to shut out others you can limit connections to your server-side devices by only allowing connections from specific (your) IP:s, which can be done in applications themselves (sometimes) or more universally in the system’s software firewall.

Hope that helps somewhat.

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  • Thanks, this was very helpful and actually what I was looking for. I now know that I already have a network, which makes sense from all I've been learning, and I know now that in practice, to access media and files from one client to another or to a server, I need an application installed on both C+S, specific to that type of media as there is no universal all-access protocol. I envisioned a 'file explorer' type interface and if I had a 2nd PC, maybe MS has this feature. I may or may not have the ability to do all you mentioned but I'll try it.
    – link
    Feb 19, 2018 at 4:41
  • @link Consider marking the question as answered if it helped you. That way other people will find it as answered when they search similar terms! Feb 24, 2018 at 20:01

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