How to network Win2003 Standard Edition as server & 7 WinXP Home Edition PCs ?

Correction :::

Server Addressis : 192.168.0.1 (255.255.255.0)

Client 1 : 192.168.0.11 (255.255.255.0)
Client 2 : 192.168.0.12 (255.255.255.0)
Client 3 : 192.168.0.13 (255.255.255.0)
Client 4 : 192.168.0.14 (255.255.255.0)
Client 5 : 192.168.0.15 (255.255.255.0)
Client 6 : 192.168.0.16 (255.255.255.0)
Client 7 : 192.168.0.17 (255.255.255.0)

Dear Jay_Jay70

Oh my god. So what is the alternative for this.

Is this impossible for computers (Win XP Home Editions to koin domain). Please explain.


What is the alternative or I need to but any 3rd party software..please tell me if you know something like this....please.

well you have two options,

you can demote your server back to just a server and set up a workgroup environment - just basic P2P sharing, buggy and frustrating yet workable and common

OR

you can upgrade your XP home machines to PRO and join the domain, gaining you as an administrator full control over user accounts group policies, terminal services connections and security etc etc etc

can you confirm you set up a Domain Controller or did you just name a workgroup?

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/howtobuy/choosing2.mspx

We have bought computers through a well established company named "HCL Pvt. Ltd."

Are You sure that:
1. MS WinXP Home Edition can not join Domain.
2. MS WinXP Home Edition does not support "terminal Services".

Then how can we...
1...share internet connection.
2...provide usernames/passwords that users can't change.
3...what about system security (from it users not virous)
4... i want to control user rights. but how...


>>> What is the alternative. We can't change or upgrade out OS. Wehave just bought and we have to do what we want to do on these machines only... no hardware/software/os update is possibel.


Plz help...

1) yes positive
2) Terminal Services goes hand in hand with Active Directory for authentication purposes and security

I'm afraid that you have a long road ahead in setting up the securty that you want, you will never get as strong or close to the abilities of Active Directory in the Domain Environment

here is a link to P2P networking from Fatal_Exception and a couple of other also that you may want to read, xp home really is a bad idea my friend

http://65.24.134.81/KipSolutions/P2PNetworks/TroubleshootingP2P.htm

http://compnetworking.about.com/od/homenetworking/

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/deploy/p2pintro.mspx

are you sure you cant talk to the company and explain your situation - still waiting on my first Q, have promoted your server and created a Domain or Not?

Well Dear,

This equipment/lab is for a small school_bracnch. These computers with same servers but different in numbers and provided to many other school_branches by the company. We are just the one very small_point_site from these.

It is contract and it cant be alter.
My main purpose is...
1. Students can't do wrong things to computers.
2. I can control their access to computers.
3. I can show them how networking works.
4. Make them able to use Internet by shairing.
5. To assign NTFS rights.

What we can do is we, on our side, can bought a new 3rd party software to provide such above siad facitilies to students.

Mr. Expert,

pleas give your valuable adive what is good/bad and feasible now.

can't we control computers by 3rd party softwares which provide security like AD.

you still havent answered my question my friend - have you or have you not promoted your server to a domain controller

i can and will help you but i need to know what you have currently setup in regards to your server

then we can go from there

you will be able to use internet as long as you have broadband connection attached to the same switch and that your gateway is set to the routers IP address.....

Well Mr. Expert

The domain was pre-installed. What we are given just Admin UName & Pwd.

We have assgined Static IP address to those machines manually. So I havenot access to them right now as today is holiday in school.

I cant tel you more than this. Every computer is connected to a switch and then further through a switch in-between to server. Internet connection is given to server.

This is all what I know.
I can confirm whatever you want me to do but tomorrow.

If these serviuces are not supported by Home editions then whay they have spuppllied... Win Server 2003 Standard Edition. Whats the use of this.

ah k i see where your at

do my a favour - on the server, right click on my computer and click properties - under the computer name TAB can you tell me th full computer name and tell me if it is configured as a domain or workgroup

I'm more than happy to help you mate, i just needed to know this bit of info first

plus if you have been given a preinstalled domain which i doubt very highly and have been supplied with xp home as clients, you have a case against that company.....

Dear Expert,

Wait for tomorrow, I will give you all the details.
But in instructions we are told to join every computer into workgroup not domain.

ahhh thats ok then    with a workgroup you can do P2P sharing as mentioned and ill show you a few tools for security

post back tomorrow when your free

and my name is James :)

Mr. James (...why "Bond" is missing)

Give me the links where I can find tools and articlas/tutorials/how_to_guides for Netwroking...

Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition 7 Windows XP Home Edition.

Thanks.... I am waiting for your post.

Well i posted some good ones above - especially the one from FE - that will set you up and running with connectivity and sharing between all your machines

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/sharedaccess/default.mspx
that is a tool which will help you lock down the machines

you will be able to share the internet through your swtich

i reccomend reading the above links, then we can create shares etc on your server as you need them later on   important thing is getting the machines seeing each other and sharing

Thanks ... talk to you tomorrow.

no worries just post here when your free

If your ultimate plan is to completely control users enviroments, you can do it with XP home, as long as you make the local logon policy VERY strict.  Computer will exist only to connect to terminal server environment.  Of course you will have to purchase terminal server licenses on the server.  Easy to control everything on the sessions the users connect to and lock them down.

XP home can connect to terminal server without difficulty or other limitation.
XP home cannot ever connect to a domain for the traditional purposes, but can connect to domain servers for file and print sharing./

We have bought computers through a well established company named "HCL Pvt. Ltd."
>>you kill me with this line<<

Then how can we...
1...share internet connection.  Cheap linksys router?
2...provide usernames/passwords that users can't change.  Yup easiy
3...what about system security (from it users not virous)  Antivirus on server, workstation and in TS session.
4... i want to control user rights. but how...  Time to buy Windows 2003 server pocket consultant, US$50

hello Jay_Jay70

I am abck.

I have downloaded the softwares from microsoft website that you have mentioned.

Now give me more tools/links/how-to guide_links so that I can restrict users, their rights and can make my systems safe from any unauthorised access and wrong_doings.

I want that....
1. No "normal_user" can alter system configuration.
2.  No "normal_user" can install/remove softwares or any application.
3.  No "normal_user" can alter harddisk_partitions/format or system files.
4. no user can alter/change system settings.
5. No user can acess floppydisk drive/cdrom drive/printer etc.

Administrator can have full access and right s to above mentionedconditions. he will be allowed to do anything and assign rights to users.

ifyou know some 3rd party software then plz provide detalis about tnem...

Thanks.