Question Accessing storage on another computer w/o It being connecting to the internet

[User4224]

Hello, I’m requesting some How-To Advice. Networking level of experience, Low but I manage somehow.

Looking for a very simple solution without NAS, etc.

What I want to Do:

Computer 1 – My primary Windows 10 Computer.

Computer 2 – Use for Storage Device but not connected to the Internet.

I want to access files located on Computer 2 from Computer 1 without Computer 2 being connecting to the Internet.

Currently I have Computer 2 connected to a switch and that switch has a port connected to the Internet. So currently Computer 2 is connected to the Internet.

TL😀R

I want to scale down the number of computers that I have because of Windows 11. Currently all of my Computers are Windows 10 that MS says does not meet requirements: TPM compatible for Windows 11. Don’t want to buy more than one Window 11 compatible computer.

Thanks in advance for your assistance and expertise.

 

[USAFRet]

These systems are on the same LAN? Connected to the same router?

Look up File sharing
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us...-windows-b58704b2-f53a-4b82-7bc1-80f9994725bf

 

[evermorex76]

Very simple. On the machine you want to not have Internet access, manually configure the IP settings with a static IP that is not within the DHCP range handed out by the router (which you might need to modify to make it smaller) and just don't put a gateway IP address in. Then obviously plug it into the router/switch. It will be able to see all the other PCs on the network but have no access outside.

 

[User4224]

These systems are on the same LAN? Connected to the same router?

Look up File sharing
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us...-windows-b58704b2-f53a-4b82-7bc1-80f9994725bf

Yes & Yes, Thank you,

 

[User4224]

Very simple. On the machine you want to not have Internet access, manually configure the IP settings with a static IP that is not within the DHCP range handed out by the router (which you might need to modify to make it smaller) and just don't put a gateway IP address in. Then obviously plug it into the router/switch. It will be able to see all the other PCs on the network but have no access outside.

Going to give a go. Thanks

 

[User4224]

I have been unsuccessful in implementing your suggestion. Message under IP4: "Can't save IP Settings. Check one or more settings and try again."
I would like to share a couple of .PNG files but I can't seem to do it as it asks me for a URL Link. Can you suggest how to do it? Thanks.

 

[User4224]

Providing Screen Prints for assistance - Thanks:

https://imgur.com/a/I6Vt5RH

View: https://imgur.com/a/I6Vt5RH

Please let me know if you can access them as it's my first time using imgur.

 

[Lutfij]

Give this guide a whirl;

Image posting via Imgur

go here - https://imgur.com/ you might need to set up a user. click on New Post which will display next screen where you can select image(s) - hold Ctrl while selecting images in explorer to get multiple Once uploaded, images will show on the next page right clicking an image (once its shown...

forums.tomshardware.com

and please stick to one thread.

 

[User4224]

Give this guide a whirl;

Image posting via Imgur

go here - https://imgur.com/ you might need to set up a user. click on New Post which will display next screen where you can select image(s) - hold Ctrl while selecting images in explorer to get multiple Once uploaded, images will show on the next page right clicking an image (once its shown...

forums.tomshardware.com

and please stick to one thread.

Thanks for the quick response! I will give it a go.

 

[evermorex76]

I have been unsuccessful in implementing your suggestion. Message under IP4: "Can't save IP Settings. Check one or more settings and try again."
I would like to share a couple of .PNG files but I can't seem to do it as it asks me for a URL Link. Can you suggest how to do it? Thanks.

You need to put in the IP address and a subnet address, but you don't need a gateway. You can put in the DNS which may help with devices finding the storage PC when browsing the network. If you need help, provide the IP details for an existing PC.

 

[User4224]

Closed: I found a solution buried in my Modem under Parental Control to block access to that particular device.

 

[evermorex76]

Just FYI: you can't use 0.255 as an IP address. That's the broadcast address for your subnet. That's why you got the error. In your router, you would have wanted to set the DHCP range to be something like 0.100 to 0.124 (depending on how many devices you expect to use on your network), and then use 0.250 as the IP for that machine. Parental Controls is a good enough hack for it, but it means that machine is still making attempts to access the Internet and the router has to do the work of dropping the packets. Not giving the PC a gateway prevents it from even making the attempts.

The preferred DNS also needs to be pointing to your router, not the provider's DNS server you were using. All your computers SHOULD be using the router for their DNS instead of the public one, so that all their requests aren't having to make the round trip out to the provider. The local router caches DNS lookups so the response times are faster. It also allows your PCs to register their names with the DNS server so that they can easily identify each other, which can't be done when you're using the provider DNS.

 

[User4224]

Thanks very much.

 

[Misgar]

Don’t want to buy more than one Window 11 compatible computer.

Although Microsoft would prefer that you buy a new Windows 11 computer, you can install Windows 11 on older hardware which lacks TPM, Secure Boot and a CPU released after 2017/2018.

If you download Rufus and use the appropriate settings, it modifies the Windows 11 ISO to make it install on older hardware. You'll be missing out on increased security provided by Secure Boot and TPM, but you can continue using your old hardware with the latest OS and receive security updates on Patch Tuesday.
https://www.makeuseof.com/rufus-bypass-tpm-secure-boot-requirements-windows-11/

There's no guarantee that Microsoft will continue to supply security updates every month for "modified" versions of Windows 11 with Secure Boot and TPM disabled, but for the time being it's a fix.