[Question] - XP Pro as a Server

[damann]

I have a question for the xp guru's out there.

hardware :

1 xp pro ( used as a file server ) computer

10 seperate workstations ( that will retrive files for display from server to work station & save xls files from work staion to file server).

1 extended range wifi hub.

server to be hard wired to hub. all hubs to access via wireless ( usb nic's)

1 printer connected to server for all work sations to print to as default printer.

there will be no internet access.

only file retriving and file saving.

authentation not required.

Login based soley on work station it self not user.

the question is is it possible to connect and use 10 workstations accessing the xp server to share and save files.

can someone point me in the right direction on how to set up the server and a work station ( as i would assume the other 9 work stations would be the same.

thank you.

Title Edited - Please follow new posting rules from now on.

--Zxian

Edited December 7, 2005 by Zxian

[-I-]

hmmz, - im still thinking about the quistion, because its not completely clear.

if im correct, you have got,

10 workstations (xp pro),

1 (woerkstation setup als host for some network share's ???

1 printer,

and a bunch of, wireless hubs...

<no shared internet conection>.

so what exactly is your question, and what kind of help do you nead...

[pugwash2004]

I actually have this sort of setup in operation right now.

There are few ways to get the network shares to operate

i) Make the Guest account active on the XP machine acting as server (I think that it is by default in XP anyway), share the folders with the Guest account having access rights. (The least secure and is not appropriate for wireless connections)

ii) Create an account on each workstation and server that has a common username and password and then give it sufficient access rights to the share.

iii) Recreate the user account and password of each workstation on the XP machine acting as server and then give them access rights to the share, keeping in mind to enable the option 'password never expires'

As for the printer, install it on the machine acting as the server and then share it. In enabling the share it will allow the creation of an executable that when run on another workstation installs the printer for you.

[InTheWayBoy]

You're gonna be skating on a line with that setup...while XP has the ability to host connections for up to 10 computers, I bet you'll still have issues with people not getting access to the server. I think that it may intepret access to resources differently...meaning, if one computer is trying to access a file and print at the same time, it might count that as two connections. I don't know if that's how it really works, but it's something to check out.

As for how to configure it, I agree with section II of the post above...give each computer the same user/pass as is on the 'server' and all should be well. Opening up Guest is just too dangerous in my opinion, and the last option is just too painful if users decide they want to change names and passwords.

Have you thought about a linux solution? It should be able to handle everything you need, with the exception of the printer. It can share printers, but some printer drivers are too windows-centric to work on a linux machine.

A simple solution would be something like ClarkConnect.

[Blade_yaj]

I was wondering if you are trying to share the same file or different ones? I mean if their different files you could probly just set up a shared folder on the server and map the folder to the other computers. Keeping them connected at all times even when It restarts. As for printer it does have an option of sharing it. Which I was planning to get to until my brother p***ed me off and I said Forget it. but I know that it's possible to share printers and has that option to chose from, when you install the printer driver.