Applies to Windows 8, Windows RT

Adding a device or PC to a network

The steps for adding a device or PC to a network can vary, depending on the Windows operating system and the type of networking hardware you have. The following steps apply to PCs running Windows 8 or Windows RT. To add a PC running Windows 7 or earlier Windows operating systems, search Help and Support on that PC for "Adding a device or computer to a network".

Watch a video about adding a PC to a network. (To view captions in your language, tap or click the Closed captioning button Closed Captioning button.)
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Add a wireless PC by pushing a button on your router

If your router supports Windows Connect Now (WCN) or WiFi Protected Setup (WPS), you can add a PC to the network by following these steps:

  1. Turn on the PC.

  2. Connect to a network by swiping in from the right edge of the screen, tapping Settings (or if you're using a mouse, pointing to the upper-right corner of the screen, moving the mouse pointer down, and then clicking Settings), and then tapping or clicking the network icon (Wireless network icon or Wired network icon). Tap or click the network you want to connect to, and then tap or click Connect.

  3. Instead of typing a security key or passphrase, press the WiFi Protected Setup (WPS) button on the router. The router will automatically set up the PC to connect to the network and apply the network's security settings.

    The Windows Connect Now screen Windows Connect Now helps you add a PC to the network.

Add a wireless PC by typing a security key or passphrase

  1. Sign in to the PC.

  2. Connect to a network by swiping in from the right edge of the screen, tapping Settings (or if you're using a mouse, pointing to the upper-right corner of the screen, moving the mouse pointer down, and then clicking Settings), and then tapping or clicking the network icon (Wireless network icon or Wired network icon). Tap or click the network you want to connect to, and then tap or click Connect.

  3. Enter the network security key or passphrase if you're asked to do so, then click OK.

    You'll see a confirmation message when you're connected to the network.

To make sure you added the PC, follow these steps:

  1. Sign in to any PC on the network.

  2. Open Network by swiping in from the right edge of the screen, tapping Search (or if you're using a mouse, pointing to the upper-right corner of the screen, moving the mouse pointer down, and then clicking Search), entering network in the search box, and then tapping or clicking Network.

  3. Make sure that you can see icons for the PC you added and for the other PCs and devices that are part of the network.

Note

Note

  • If you can't see any icons in the Network folder, then network sharing might be turned off. For more information, see Turning sharing on or off.

Adding a wired PC

  • Plug the PC into a hub, switch or router, then turn it on. (If your home has Ethernet wiring and you have a jack in the room where the PC is, you can plug the PC into the Ethernet jack instead.)

To make sure you added the PC, follow these steps:

  1. Sign in to any PC on the network.

  2. Open Network by swiping in from the right edge of the screen, tapping Search (or if you're using a mouse, pointing to the upper-right corner of the screen, moving the mouse pointer down, and then clicking Search), entering network in the search box, and then tapping or clicking Network.

  3. Make sure that you can see icons for the PC you added and for the other PCs and devices that are part of the network.

Note

Note

  • If you can't see any icons in the Network folder, then network sharing might be turned off. For more information, see Turning sharing on or off.

Adding a wireless device

To add a wireless device to your network, such as a wireless printer or print server, follow these steps:

  1. Turn on the device.

  2. Follow the instructions that came with the device to add it to your network.

To make sure you added the device, follow these steps:

  1. Sign in to any PC on the network.

  2. Open Network by swiping in from the right edge of the screen, tapping Search (or if you're using a mouse, pointing to the upper-right corner of the screen, moving the mouse pointer down, and then clicking Search), entering network in the search box, and then tapping or clicking Network.

  3. Make sure you see icons for the device. If the device is a printer, you might need to turn on printer sharing so that other PCs on the network can use it.

Note

Note

  • If you can't see any icons in the Network folder, then network sharing might be turned off. For more information, see Turning sharing on or off.

Adding a wired device

  • Turn on the device and plug it into a hub, switch or router, or into a PC that's plugged into a hub, switch or router. The device should now be connected to the network.

To make sure you added the device, follow these steps:

  1. Sign in to any PC on the network.

  2. Open Network by swiping in from the right edge of the screen, tapping Search (or if you're using a mouse, pointing to the upper-right corner of the screen, moving the mouse pointer down, and then clicking Search), entering network in the search box, and then tapping or clicking Network.

  3. Make sure you see icons for the device. If the device is a printer, you might need to turn on printer sharing so that other PCs on the network can use it.

Note

Note

  • If you can't see any icons in the Network folder, then network sharing might be turned off. For more information, see Turning sharing on or off.

Adding a printer

  • You can add a printer that is connected directly to your PC (called a local printer ), add a printer to the network or connect to a shared printer. For more information, see Installing a printer.