Share Files Wirelessly

You can sharing files wirelessly between two computers without an Internet connection. Sharing wirelessly allows multiple users to access files without downloading them separately; e.g.: a shared music folder allowing more than one person to listen to the same files. To set up wireless sharing, find the file you'd like to share, right-click on it and select the proper permissions.

Steps

macOS

1. Click the Apple Icon. The icon is at the top-left of your screen.
2. Click “System Preferences.” You’ll see a new window with four categories, including “Internet & Wireless.” This section has a “Sharing” Folder.
   • If you don’t see these categories, click the button with 12 dots located at the top of the window. This button will take you to the main “System Preferences” page on macOS.
3. Click “Sharing”. The icon displays as a blue folder with a person walking inside a yellow sign. You’ll see a new window with several options at the left, including “File Sharing.”
4. Check the “File Sharing” box.
5. Click the “+ button” under “Shared Folders:”. You’ll see a new window allowing you to find a folder to share.
6. Click the folder you’d like to share. Find it by navigating the “Places” option on the left, which includes a “Desktop” folder, “Documents” folder, etc.
7. Click “Add.” You should see the folder you added under the “Shared Folders:”. Now you can exit.
8. Exit the window. Your folder has been shared and is available to other computers on your wireless network. Shared files and folders can be found under “Shared” in the Finder window sidebar.

Windows 8 and 10

1. Click the File Explorer. The File Explorer looks like a folder and is located on the right side of the taskbar.
2. Locate the file you want to share. Your files are on the left side of File Explorer.
   • To find a file from your Desktop, click on the “Desktop” folder on the left.
   • You can also type the name of the file you’re looking for into the search box in the upper-right corner of the screen and click the magnifying glass for search results.
3. Right-click on the file. You will see a pop-up menu with “Properties” at the bottom.
4. Click “Properties.” A window will open with several tabs at the top, including “Share.”
5. Click “Share.” When you open the Share tab, you’ll see another set of options, including “Advanced Sharing” near the bottom.
6. Click “Advanced Sharing.” You should see an option at the top for “Share this folder.”
7. Check the “Share this folder” box. You’ve set the folder up for sharing.
8. Click “OK.” Your file is available to other computers on your wireless network. Shared files and folders can be found under “Network” in File Explorer.

Windows 7

1. Click the Windows Explorer. The Windows Explorer looks like a folder and is located at the bottom left of the taskbar.
2. Locate the file or folder you want to share. Your files are on the left side of Windows Explorer.
   • To find a file from your Desktop, click on the “Desktop” folder on the left.
   • You can also type the name of the file you’re looking for into the search box in the upper-right corner of the screen and click the magnifying glass for search results.
3. Right-click on the file. You will see a pop-up menu with “Properties” at the bottom.
4. Click “Properties.” A window will open with several tabs at the top, including “Share.”
5. Click “Share.” When you open the Share tab, you’ll see another set of options, including “Advanced Sharing” near the bottom.
6. Click “Advanced Sharing.” You should see an option at the top for “Share this folder.”
7. Check the box next to “Share this folder.” You’ve set the folder up for sharing.
8. Click “OK.” Your file is available to other computers on your wireless network. Shared files and folders can be found under “Network” in Windows Explorer.

Tips

• The above Windows instructions are for “read-only” sharing permissions, meaning other users can’t modify shared files. For more in-depth instructions on granting these permissions on Windows 7, 8 or 10, visit http://www.geeksquad.co.uk/articles/how-to-set-up-file-sharing-on-windows-10
• You’ll need to follow additional steps to share files between Mac and PC. For those instructions, visit http://blog.dlink.com/how-to-share-files-across-a-wireless-network/.

Sources and Citations

See also

• Share a File or Folder in Copy in Windows
• Find the File Size of an iOS Photo
• Enable File Sharing
• Download Photos from Your iPhone to a Computer
• Share a Google Drive File
• Send Large Files to Another Computer Using the Internet
• Transfer Files Between FTP and Google Drive Using Backup Box
• Transfer Files to iPad from a Computer
• Use FTP
• Upload Files to an Ftp Server

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