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Installing VSC (Visual Studio Code) on Windows 10 at home. Believe private should be checked as I'm at home and private network is more secure than public. Why public is checked by default not the other way? How does Windows know the network is Public or Private? For example a coffee shop's wifi may not flag itself as Public, nor a hacker's wifi hotspot at the airport, and my own home network does not broadcast itself as Private.

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How does Windows know the network is Public or Private?

When you first connect to a new network, Windows asks you "Do you allow your PC to be discoverable by other PCs and devices". If you press No or ignore it, the network will stay as Public. If you select Yes, the network will be marked as Private. By default all networks are Public

You can change the type from Private to Public and vice versa for your current connection in: Win + X > Settings > Network & Internet > [Properties] button

You can check settings differences for Private and Public networks in: Win + X > Search > Control Panel > All Control Panel Items > Network and Sharing Center > Advanced sharing settings

Domain network type is set automatically if your computer is joined to Active Directory domain and connected to the corporate network.

Why public is checked by default not the other way?

By default all networks are Public. So the default would work most of the times.

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  • Good answer, and how does it know if the network is private or public?
    – Jeb50
    Commented Sep 28, 2021 at 15:11
  • @Jeb50 I have updated my answer to clarify how Windows knows if it is Public or Private. In short, user marks a network as Private by answering a prompt. Otherwise, all networks are considered Public.
    – J-M
    Commented Sep 29, 2021 at 8:21

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