why is network so confusing?

Windows XP Network >> why is network so confusing? please unconfuse me on my XP home network (2 computers)
1) what is the difference between Network
Connections window and My Network Places window?
2) Why do I get different items in My Network Places
than I do when I click View workgroup computers
a. I can go up from my workgroup computers thru the
workgroup thru MS Windows Network, thru Entire Network to
the My Network Places list
b. BUT I can't go down thru the same steps from any
item in the My Netwk Places list. I often can't find a
link to my workgroup.
3) This is so counterintuitive, especially after
fifteen years of going up and down thru the same
directories/folders on a hard drive. Why are network
trees so screwed up? or is it just XP?
Thanks
Nate

Windows XP574

Windows XP Network >> why is network so confusing? In article <07eb01c3a3f9$a729bb20$EMail@HideDomain.com>, "nate"
<EMail@HideDomain.com> wrote:
>please unconfuse me on my XP home network (2 computers)

>1) what is the difference between Network
>Connections window and My Network Places window?

Network Connections shows the dial-up and LAN (local area network)
connections available on your computer. You create a dial-up
connection when you get a dial-up account with an Internet service
provider. Windows XP automatically creates a LAN connection for every
network adapter installed on the computer.

My Network Places shows shared disks and folders on other computers on
your LAN.

>2) Why do I get different items in My Network Places
>than I do when I click View workgroup computers

My Network Places shows shared disks and folders on other computers on
the network. "View workgroup computers" shows the names of the other
computers on the network. You can double click a computer to see its
shared disks and folders.

>a. I can go up from my workgroup computers thru the
>workgroup thru MS Windows Network, thru Entire Network to
>the My Network Places list
>b. BUT I can't go down thru the same steps from any
>item in the My Netwk Places list. I often can't find a
>link to my workgroup.

It seems illogical to me, too, that moving up a level from MS Windows
Network gets you to My Network Places. I didn't know that it worked
that way before seeing your message. I've learned something from you.
;-)

In My Network Places, click "View workgroup computers" to get back to
your workgroup.

>3) This is so counterintuitive, especially after
>fifteen years of going up and down thru the same
>directories/folders on a hard drive. Why are network
>trees so screwed up? or is it just XP?

You can set up your own personal, customized version of "My Network
Places" showing exactly, and only, what you want to see: workgroups,
computers, shared disks and folders, etc. Create a new folder on the
desktop and drag/drop the desired items into it. You can even
drag/drop those items onto the desktop for more direct access to them.

>Thanks
>Nate
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

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