File and printer sharing for microsoft network is an example of which type of network component?

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Internet firewalls can prevent browsing and file sharing

  • Article
  • 04/06/2022
  • 3 minutes to read

In this article

Turning on a firewall may prevent you from searching or sharing files with other computers on a home network.

Applies to:   Windows 10 - all editions, Windows Server 2012 R2
Original KB number:   298804

Symptoms

After you enable an Internet firewall, you may not be able to search, or browse, for other computers on your home or office network. And you may not be able to share files with other computers on your home or office network. For example, when you enable the Internet Connection Firewall (ICF) feature in Windows XP, you find that you can't browse your network by using My Network Places. Also, if you use the net view \\computername command to view shares on a computer on your home or office network, you may receive the following error message:

System error 6118 has occurred. The list of servers for this workgroup is not currently available.

Cause

This behavior may occur if you enable a firewall on the network connection that you use for your home or office network. By default, a firewall closes the ports that are used for file and print sharing. The purpose is to prevent Internet computers from connecting to file and print shares on your computer.

Resolution

To resolve this behavior, use a firewall only for network connections that you use to connect directly to the Internet. For example, use a firewall on a single computer that is connected to the Internet directly through a cable modem, a DSL modem, or a dial-up modem. If you use the same network connection to connect to both the Internet and a home or office network, use a router or firewall that prevents Internet computers from connecting to the shared resources on the home or office computers.

Don't use a firewall on network connections that you use to connect to your home or office network, unless the firewall can be configured to open ports only for your home or office network. If you connect to the Internet by using your home or office network, a firewall can be used only on the computer or the other device, such as a router, that provides the connection to the Internet. For example, if you connect to the Internet through a network that you manage, and that network uses connection sharing to provide Internet access to multiple computers, you can install or enable a firewall only on the shared Internet connection. If you connect to the Internet through a network that you do not manage, verify that your network administrator is using a firewall.

Status

This behavior is by design.

More information

A firewall is software or hardware that creates a protective barrier between your computer and potentially damaging content on the Internet. It helps guard your computer against malicious users and against many computer viruses and worms.

Important

If you set up a firewall to help protect computer ports that are connected to the Internet, we do not recommend that you open these ports because they can be exposed to other computers on the Internet. Additionally, specific computers cannot be granted access to the open ports.

The following ports are associated with file sharing and server message block (SMB) communications:

  • Microsoft file sharing SMB: User Datagram Protocol (UDP) ports from 135 through 139 and Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) ports from 135 through 139.
  • Direct-hosted SMB traffic without a network basic input/output system (NetBIOS): port 445 (TCP and UDP).

Technical support for Windows x64 editions

Your hardware manufacturer provides technical support and assistance for Microsoft Windows x64 editions. Your hardware manufacturer provides support because a Windows x64 edition was included with your hardware. Your hardware manufacturer might have customized the Windows x64 edition installation with unique components. Unique components might include specific device drivers or might include optional settings to maximize the performance of the hardware. Microsoft will provide reasonable-effort assistance if you need technical help with your Windows x64 edition. However, you might have to contact your manufacturer directly. Your manufacturer is best qualified to support the software that your manufacturer installed on the hardware.

For more information, see Protect my PC from viruses.

If this article does not describe your hardware-related issue, please see the following Microsoft Web site to view more articles about hardware:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/w98?sid=460

Summary

When you try to connect to the Internet using Dial-Up Networking, you may receive the following prompt:

File and printer sharing is running on the TCP/IP connection you will use to access the Internet. Other users on the Internet might be able to access your files.

Would you like Windows to disable file and printer sharing on the TCP/IP connection to the Internet?

More Information

This prompt is a security reminder that disabling the File And Printer Sharing network component while you have your Dial-up Networking connection open prevents unauthorized access to your files, printers, and network. If the File And Printer Sharing component is enabled for the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) stack that is bound to your Dial-Up adapter, external users of the Internet may have access to your computer or network.

NOTE: Microsoft strongly recommends not enabling the File And Printer Sharing component with Dial-up Networking.

To disable the File And Printer Sharing component for your Dial-Up adapter:

  1. Click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click Network.

  2. Click TCP/IP->Dial-up Adapter, click Properties, and then click the Bindings tab.

  3. Click to clear the File and Printer Sharing check box, click OK, and then click OK.

  4. Restart your computer.

NOTE

  • This disables the File And Printer Sharing component only for the Dial-Up Networking adapter. Local network file sharing or printer sharing is not affected.

NOTE: In some cases, it may be necessary to share files and printers through the same network adapter that is used to access the Internet. Enabling File and Printer Sharing using the TCP/IP protocol may expose shared files or shared printers to the Internet. A common example of this scenario occurs with cable modem or DSL connections where the broadband device is connected directly into a hub that each computer uses to connect to the home network, as in the following example:

Internet connects to a broadband device connected to a Hub that connects to home computers
To configure a network to safely share files and printers on a network adapter exposed to the Internet, unbind File and Printer sharing to TCP/IP binding to the exposed adapter:

  1. Click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click Network.

  2. Click TCP/IP->Network adapter, click Properties, and then click the Bindings tab.

  3. Click to clear the File and Printer Sharing check box, click OK, and then click OK. Restart your computer.

  4. Install NetBEUI. Click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click Network.

  5. Click Add, click Protocol, under Manufacturers, click Microsoft and then double-click NetBEUI.

  6. Click OK to restart your computer.

These procedures should be repeated on computers that need to share files or obtain access to shared files but whose adapter is exposed to the Internet.

Another solution is to install Internet Connection Sharing if you are running Windows 98 Second Edition which provides protection as documented in the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

241570 Security Features of Internet Connection Sharing
To install Internet Connection Sharing (ICS):

NOTE: ICS should only be installed on the computer that you use to connect to the Internet. This computer is called the host. The other computers on the Local Area Network (LAN) that use the host to connect to the Internet are called clients. The Internet programs on the clients should be configured to connect by using a LAN.

  1. Click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click Add/Remove Programs.

  2. On the Windows Setup tab, click Internet Tools, and then click Details.

  3. Click to select the Internet Connection Sharing check box, click OK, and then click OK.

  4. Follow the instructions on the screen to run the Internet Connection Sharing Wizard.

For additional information about ICS requirements, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

230140 Only One Internet Connection Sharing Host Is Required on a LAN

Need more help?

Which type of networking component is file and printer sharing for Microsoft network?

File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks uses the Server Message Block (SMB) file sharing protocol, and is compatible with clients such as: Computers running Windows 95 and Windows 98 that have Client for Microsoft Networks installed.

Which network component allows computers to communicate on a network without being connected directly to each other?

A Wireless Area Network (WAN) has the same function of connecting computers on a home or office network as a LAN, but it distributes the signal wirelessly. A wireless connection allows compatible desktop computers, laptops, smart phones and tablet devices to connect with one another.

Which part of the network communication process is responsible for sending and receiving data to and from the network media?

The transport layer. The transport layer is responsible for transferring data across a network and provides error-checking mechanisms and data flow controls.

Which of the following is a native Linux printer sharing protocol?

NFS is that native Linux/UNIX file sharing protocol and is supported by Windows and Mac OS X. In Mac OS X, Sharing Only accounts can log on to the local Mac computer and access shared files and printers on other computers.