In this video we show you how to add a Network icon to the Desktop of Windows 10. As the Network icon will allow you to browse for devices connected to your home network, you will need to enable Windows Network Discovery. For more information on enabling network discovery please see our video: How to setup a Synology NAS Part 13: Connecting to a Shared Folder From Windows 10
Note: The main reason why Windows Network Discovery is disabled by default, is that Network Discovery will send more data through your home network. This is because it will constantly scan to see what device are connected or disconnected.
If you have a slow network, you might be better off simply mapping your network drives to File Explorer rather than allowing a user to browse your network. For information on how to map a network drive, please see our video: How to auto-mount your network shares at login from Windows 10
Quick reference notes:
- Place the mouse point on the Windows Desktop
- Right click the mouse or trackpad to display a quick menu
- From the quick menu select Personalise
- Choose Themes from the Sidebar, then select Desktop icon settings
- From the Window that opens tick the Network option
- Click Apply
To enable Network Discovery on Windows 10
- Open Settings and select Network & Internet
- In the side panel select Change Advanced Sharing Settings
- Expand the network profile that your network is currently using
- Under Network Discovery select “Turn on network discover” and check the box “Turn on automatic setup for network connected devices“
- Select Save Changes
- Close the Settings window
Reference materials:
- Wikipedia article – My Network Places
