With Windows Vista Starter, your computer can be part of a wired or wireless network and can connect to the Internet. You can also use devices that are connected to a network, such as a network printer, as long as your computer is connected to the same network. However, certain network features are not available:
Internet Connection Sharing. A computer running Windows Vista Starter cannot use Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) to share its Internet connection with other network computers. With Windows Vista Starter, you must use a router to share an Internet connection among several computers. For more information, see Setting up a home network.
File sharing. With Windows Vista Starter, you cannot share your files or folders with others on a network. This means that someone using another computer on that network cannot open or view files that are stored on your computer. You can, however, access another computer's files on a network if file sharing is available on that computer.
If you need to share your files, consider sending them by e‑mail (see Send an attachment in a Windows Mail message). You could also copy your files to a website that allows file storage, and then send others a link to the stored files. A third option is to copy the files to a writeable CD or DVD and then give the disc to another person. See Burn a CD or DVD.
Printer sharing. A printer attached by cable to a computer running Windows Vista Starter cannot be shared with other computers on a network. However, you can share one printer among several computers by connecting it directly to your router, or by using a wireless printer. See Install a printer on a home network.
Connecting to a domain. Computers running Windows Vista Starter cannot connect to a domain. Computers on your home network should be part of a workgroup instead. See Join or create a workgroup.
Ad hoc networking. A computer running Windows Vista Starter cannot be part of an ad hoc network (also called a computer-to-computer network). An ad hoc network is a temporary network of computers and devices used for a specific purpose, such as playing a multiplayer computer game.
Network bridging. If your computer is running Windows Vista Starter, you cannot create a network bridge to join two or more networks together. However, a computer running Windows Vista Starter can communicate with computers on a different network if someone on another computer has created a bridge between the networks.