We are getting close to the 10 connection limit on our xp pro acting as a file & print server in a workgroup environment. I am trying to think of options and came up with these. Can you tell me if they are valid and which is the best:
First, according to this:
http://support.microsoft.com/search/preview.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q314882even if you map to shared drives and shared printers, the 'connection' to the xp pro terminates after 15 min? So you could have 15+ users on the lan, all mapped to the server and if they go to the server infrequently, the connections keep terminating and you are playing the odds that no more than 10 will have connected within the 15 minutes (I'd shorten that to 10?)!
But they do have some accounging packages that people are in most of the day and a bunch in the office use them. so as a file server, they would likely go over 10 at some point... so.....
1) install a snap server for file sharing. Still use the xp pro as a print server? (the chance that 10 people out of 12 - 13 need to print all at the same time, is RARE... that assumes, again, taht they all have the printer mapped, but that 15 min after mapping the printer, the connection times out untill they go to print? is that a valid statement?!).
2) upgrade to 2000 server with 15 CAL?
Surprisingly, both options - the snap and the 2000 server upgrade (is xp pro to 2000 server an upgrade for software purchase purposes?) seem to come in comparably priced... makes the decision harder.
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