Using Network Neighborhood

When you use Network Neighborhood, you can access shared resources on a server without having to map a network drive. Browsing and connecting to the resource consists of a single step: clicking an icon.

For information about what happens internally when Network Neighborhood is used to browse multiple networks, see the description of the Multiple Provider Router in Chapter 32, "Windows 95 Network Architecture."

Using Workgroups in Windows 95

On Microsoft networks, computers are logically grouped in workgroups for convenient browsing of network resources. If share-level security is used, each computer in the workgroup maintains its own security system for validating local user logon and access to local resources.

NetWare networks do not use the workgroup concept, so computers running Windows 95 with VLM or NETX clients cannot be members of workgroups. However, computers running File and Printer Sharing for NetWare Networks with Workgroup Advertising enabled can appear in workgroups.

To set the workgroup for a computer, click the Identification tab in the Network option in Control Panel and type a name.

For more information about using Network Neighborhood, see online Help.

To browse a server quickly without mapping a drive

1. From the Start menu, click Run, and then type the server name. For example:

• \\nwsrv1

2. To browse any shared directory in the window that appears, double-click its icon.
3. To browse this server's workgroup, press BACKSPACE. This is the equivalent of clicking the Up One Level button on the toolbar.

To create a shortcut on the desktop to a network resource

1. In Network Neighborhood, find the network resource for which you want to create a shortcut.
2. Using the right mouse button, drag the icon for that resource onto the desktop.
3. In the context menu, click Create Shortcut Here.
4. Double-click the shortcut icon to view the contents of the network directory in a new window. This shortcut is available every time you start Windows 95.

As the network administrator, you can use system policies to create a custom Network Neighborhood for individuals or multiple users. You can create shortcuts using UNC names for any network connections, including Dial-Up Networking connections, as part of the custom Network Neighborhood provided when using system policies. However, do not place directories in the custom Network Neighborhood. Windows 95 does not support this feature, and unpredictable results can occur. In System Policy Editor, enable the policy named Custom Network Neighborhood:

• Use Registry mode to enable this option on a local or a remote computer
• Use Policy mode to create or modify a policy file for one or more users

You can also set the following system policies to control users' access to built-in Windows 95 browsing features:

• Hide Network Neighborhood, to prevent access to Network Neighborhood
• No Entire Network In Network Neighborhood, to prevent access to the Entire Network icon in Network Neighborhood
• No Workgroup Contents In Network Neighborhood, to prevent workgroup contents from being displayed in Network Neighborhood

For more information about specific policies and about using System Policy Editor, see Chapter 15, "User Profiles and System Policies."