How to Check the Network Type on Your PC

PCs & Laptops For Dummies

One of the most important things you do when first connecting to a network is to set the network type. This step is about security. Obviously, you want more network security when connecting to the car mechanic’s Wi-Fi than you do when connecting to your home network.

In Windows 10, the two network types are: Public and Private. The Public setting offers more security, which you need when accessing a public network. The Private setting is best for home or the office.

To review the current network type, follow these steps:

Open the Control Panel.

In Windows 10, right-click the Start button and choose Control Panel from the super-secret pop-up menu. In Windows 7, choose Control Panel from the Start menu.
Below the Network and Internet heading, click the link View Network Status and Tasks.

The currently connected network is shown in the Network and Sharing Center window. The current network type is displayed beneath the network name, such as Private Network.
Close the Control Panel window when you’re done.

The network connection type revealed.

In Windows 7, the network types are Home, Work, and Public. The Windows 7 Home type is the same as the Windows 10 Private type. The Windows 7 Work and Public types are the same as Public in Windows 10.

About This Article

About the book author:

Dan Gookin has been writing about technology for 20 years. He has contributed articles to numerous high-tech magazines and written more than 90 books about personal computing technology, many of them accurate.
He combines his love of writing with his interest in technology to create books that are informative and entertaining, but not boring. Having sold more than 14 million titles translated into more than 30 languages, Dan can attest that his method of crafting computer tomes does seem to work.
Perhaps Dan’s most famous title is the original DOS For Dummies, published in 1991. It became the world’s fastest-selling computer book, at one time moving more copies per week than the New York Times number-one best seller (although, because it’s a reference book, it could not be listed on the NYT best seller list). That book spawned the entire line of For Dummies books, which remains a publishing phenomenon to this day.
Dan’s most recent titles include PCs For Dummies, 9th Edition; Buying a Computer For Dummies, 2005 Edition; Troubleshooting Your PC For Dummies; Dan Gookin’s Naked Windows XP; and Dan Gookin’s Naked Office. He publishes a free weekly computer newsletter, “Weekly Wambooli Salad,” and also maintains the vast and helpful Web site www.wambooli.com.