It sounds easy, but it's actually not. In most cases, when you first plan to transfer files among computers connected to your home network, you think it’s a cakewalk. However, that is not the case. Actually, computer users often get the idea that it is an easy task due to the way they manage to share files at work using the corporate network. A reality check is that organizations have IT departments that develop a network drive that enables anyone with a computer connected to the company network to drop or exchange files via the network. Unfortunately, there is no IT department to make things easy for you as an individual on your home network. That doesn’t mean you have to worry, though, as there are multiple ways of sharing files over your home network. In this article, we will cover only 5 among many, but they are the safest, easiest and most secure to use.
Windows 10 Nearby Sharing
Before April 2018, to be able to share files over a home network, you had to initially create what was called “homegroup”, which would be a group of your home computers connected to your home network. That setup would then allow the connected PCs to share files over the network. However, the tricky part was that the whole process was a bit complicated for some users. Moreover, the service didn’t quite work efficiently all the time due to security barriers and firewalls.
Microsoft realized the problem and came with a much better option that made it easier for users to share files via a network. The new feature is called Nearby Sharing. For this feature to function, you need to activate it on all participating devices. You can activate the feature by following these steps:
- Access Settings and click on System.
- Choose Shared experiences.
- Hover down to Nearby Sharing and then turn the switch ON.
- Under the I can share or receive content from title right underneath the switch, select Everyone nearby.
Once you have activated the Nearby Sharing feature on all computers in play, you will then be able to transfer files between the computers connected to your home network. You can share a file with other computers on the network using this feature by accessing File Explorer, right-clicking on the file you wish to share, and choosing Sharing. From this point, all the computers on the same network with the Nearby Sharing feature activated will appear under the Find more people section.
When you find the computer you wish to transfer your file to and select it, a notification on the receiving PC will pop up stating there is a file that is being shared with it. The other user will then have to choose Save & Open, Save, or Decline.
As you can see, the process is quite easy and doesn’t require any technical skills to execute.
Email File Sharing
Yes, you can actually use email to share files between computers connected to your home network. The process is somewhat similar to Nearby Sharing. All you need to do is right-click on the file you wish to share and choose Transfer on the dropdown menu. There will be your email contacts on the top of the Share window. Open your email contacts by selecting Find more people and select the contact you wish to share the file with. If this is your first time using this service, you may need to provide permission for the system to send the email on your behalf.
Cloud Transfer
You can transfer files from your Windows 10 PC to other devices through a cloud service anytime as long as you are connected to the internet. You can achieve this by making use of cloud apps or online platforms, such as FileWhopper, OneDrive, or Google Drive.
Depending on the service you are using, there are various ways of sharing files via the cloud. Let’s take, for instance, FileWhopper, which is less complicated, faster and more secure compared to other services. To share a file or folder, you will need to access FileWhopper’s website and select the file or folder you wish to share by clicking on the CHOOSE button. Before going any further, you need to be aware of the cool feature that activates when you hover your mouse cursor over the CHOOSE button. The button will fade and divide into two parts, giving you the option to indicate whether you want to share a file or folder. Once you select the file or folder you wish to share, you will then receive a quote based on its size.
You can now download and install the small FileWhopper app to upload what you wish to share. Copy the link to the uploaded file or folder and share it with the recipient(s). By default, you can send the link to one person. That said, you can easily add extra downloads and share your data with up to 6 recipients.
FileWhopper allows users to send extremely large files or folders. There are no size limits at all! For safety reasons, the service encrypts uploaded files and folders to ensure they stay protected and provides you with a special password. So, make sure to share the password with the recipient(s) so that they can decrypt the shared content.
FileWhopper offers a 14-day period of storage, which can be easily extended to up to 90 days, before deleting your data permanently from its servers.
LAN File Sharing
This method goes beyond just sharing files as it gives you full access to the other computer. It lets you browse files stored on the other computer and select the ones you wish to copy. There are a lot of LAN file sharing tools compatible with Windows 10. Among the trusted applications is D-LAN, which is free, user-friendly and easy to set up for first-timers. All you need to use this app is to install it on all computers in play and that’s all.
To get the ball rolling, add a new folder on the other computer using the D-LAN application. You will then be able to see the newly added folder using the app on the other computer. You can then add or remove folders just as you would on File Explorer.
FTP
Last but not least is FTP. This is a great way of sharing files between computers over a LAN. The FTP client requires the user to run an FTP server on the other computer, which lets you get connected to it via Port 21.
Although this service is a great solution, it is a bit complicated compared to other methods listed here. Despite that, there are some FTP server apps that are easy to set up and friendly to use, such as BabyFTP.
It is pretty straightforward to install and use BabyFTP. The app launches an anonymous server on the computer you want to send data from. You can then configure the folder you wish to transfer files from and to and how your data will be transferred and modified using the Settings menu.
An Overview of File Sharing Between Windows 10 Computers
As you can see, sharing files among computers is easy with the help of third-party software. Transferring files without involving a third-party tool can be hectic and require technical skills. Luckily, with the right app or platform, transferring files between Windows 10 computers is an easy task.
Loading...