CompTIA A+ Certification All-in-One Exam Guide

Windows Defender Firewall on or off, then select Turn off Windows Defender
Firewall (not recommended) for each network type you use.
When Microsoft first introduced Windows Firewall, way back in
Windows XP, its biggest shortcoming was that it failed to consider that a
single PC, especially a portable, might connect to multiple networks. You
don’t necessarily want the same firewall settings used for both public and
private networks. Microsoft developed a way for you to separate trustworthy
networks (like the one in your house or at the office) from non-trustworthy
networks (like a public Wi-Fi Internet connection at the airport) by including
three network types: Domain, Private, and Guest or Public.
• A Domain network is a Windows network controlled by a Windows
domain controller that runs Active Directory Domain Services. In this
case, the domain controller itself tells your machine what it can and
cannot share. You don’t need to do anything when your computer joins
a domain.
• A Private network enables you to share resources, discover other
devices, and allow other devices to discover your computer safely.
• A Guest or Public network prevents your computer from sharing and
disables all discovery protocols.
When your computer connects to a network for the first time, Windows
will prompt you to choose the network type. Windows 7 spelled them out:
Home, Work, or Guest or Public location. Windows 10 asks if you want to
allow other devices on the network to discover your PC (see Figure 27-33). It
will mark the network Private if you answer yes; Public if you answer no. In
either case, Windows uses your answer to decide whether to share files and
resources or lock them down tight.