A method and system for connecting to, browsing, and accessing computer
network resources are provided. In a network in which the preferred
embodiment of the present invention operates, a client video display
includes a container called "Network Neighborhood." The Network
Neighborhood provides a constrained view of the network in a
NOS-independent manner. The Network Neighborhood provides a constrained
view of the network by displaying only those network resources that are
determined to be interesting to the user. Further, the Network
Neighborhood provides this view in a NOS-independent manner by displaying
all of the network resources in a consistent manner, regardless of the
type of client software that was used to enumerate or discover the network
resources. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, each type
of client software installed on a client determines a list of network
resources that are interesting to the user. The combination of these lists
of network resources is initially included in the Network Neighborhood.
The user (or the user's administrator) can then determine that additional
network resources are interesting to the user and can add these resources
to the Network Neighborhood. Once the network resources that have been
determined to be interesting to the user have been included in the Network
Neighborhood, the user can browse and access these resources through the
Network Neighborhood.