Windows 10: Unsure about setting up a network: Making PC discoverable

Hey everyone. I'm completely dumb to setting up a network. After my father passed, I got a tablet and a cellphone. I have to take notes and photos often and would like to be able to just access these devices right on my computer. I'd also like them to easily share my internet.

I think I have most things figured out, but I'm stuck on whether or not I want to make my computer discoverable, and whether or not my network is secure from neighbors.

Making my computer discoverable -seems- to be the one step I'm reluctant on. How do I know if it's secure from others, how do I know it's password protected, etc. I'd like to be able to have full access to my things even though I live around a lot of people. Thank you very much.

:)

 

Turn on Network Discovery on and make PC discoverable off


After my tablet had been updated by the Creator update it ceased to be visible on my laptop in File Explorer under Network. I checked under "Advanced sharing settings" that Network Discovery was turned on, and it was, but I subsequently found that "Make this PC discoverable" was set to "off". When I turned that on, the tablet became visible again. I would have thought that turning on Network Discovery and making the PC discoverable would have been the same thing, but in that case how could one be on and the other off? I'm probably missing something very obvious here but I'd be grateful for any explanation. Thanks.

 

interaction of UAC, discoverability, and network profile


After my last clean reinstallation of Win10 I had trouble access my NAS drives. I have everything working now, but I don't really understand what I did and how it works. And I know my future holds more clean installs so I want to understand what I did.

Some background:

1. I'm paranoid so have my UAC set to it's highest value.
2. Accessing my NASs seems to require using the "Private" network profile and setting "Make this PC discoverable".
3. #1 prevents #2 so I lowered the UAC long enough to change the network settings and then set it back up.

1st question: Was the high UAC setting just preventing changing the network setting, or is it preventing something else in network discovery that will bite me in the future? I'm having trouble believing that lowering the UAC just long enough to change the network settings is actually all that was required.

2nd question: I'm not aware of doing anything other than setting "Make this PC discoverable", but suddenly I was using the "Private" network profile. Are these just two ways of saying the same thing, or did I have to do something more to switch to the "Private" profile?

3rd question: If "Make this PC discoverable" and using the Private network profile are not the same thing, which was needed to get network discovery of my NASs working. (Prior to changing the setting, Windows10 could see the devices on my LAN bu no SMB connection could be established.)

 

Make This PC Discoverable is Missing Entirely


Windows 10 / Settings / Network.... / Ethernet
Double click on network
Shows properties but NOT the "Make This PC Discoverable". That's missing.

The network has been set to Private.
Control Panel Advanced Settings shows that "Turn on network discovery" is CHECKED and it appears to be working.

?????