Looking for some advice/experience with XP Networking

Hello
I have this project and am looking for the/any experiences of others
before and while I start and researching the subject.

Following is the project with goals and assumptions:

1) Six 'users',five with XP Home, one with XP Pro and one 'server'
type box with XP Pro.

2) We would like these users to have their own data repositories on
the XP Server Machine.

3) The 'Server' would provide no other functions

4) One of the networked machines would accomplish the nightly backup
of each user's data files(Word, Excel and Quick Books data) and store
the backup files on it's local storage drive.

5) Three of the machines would have printers attached and they would
be netword shared


I believe these needs are relatively simple and this can all be done
by using a peer to peer networking system. We would have each user
store their data on separate folders on the 'Server' system and not
have the need for true server login(s).

All of these machines are currently running and have been set up using
a Linux server that is providing some unecessary grief and I have
suggested moving to the Windows environment.

I know the above tasks can be accomplished in the peer to peer
environment but am looking to fiind out if we would be being
shortchanged by not using a true client/server relationship.

Currently each user has their own Linux login(each knows each others
password, which the owner wants to be the case) which provides them
access to their own data on the Linux server via networked drives.

I would replace this with the Windows scheme noted above and just
password the data files, which would also be accessed via networked
drives.

I would also like one more thing and that is not allowing the 'server'
to have internet access while remaining accessible through the
network, which consists of a DLink Router with an accompanying DLink
switch. I am assuming I could give the server a fixed IP address and
then block Internet access in the router.



Any replies, suggestions, comments or other types of posts will be
appreciated.

Thank You
Bob
I believe I have seen this done but did not notice/do not remember if
or how and am looking for some advice--either how to or a site that
may explain.

Thanks in Advance
Bob
** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **

On Sun, 27 Apr 2008 14:41:13 -0400, Bob Bob <needhelp@payingbills.com>
wrote:

> Hello
> I have this project and am looking for the/any experiences of others
> before and while I start and researching the subject.
>
> Following is the project with goals and assumptions:
>
> 1) Six 'users',five with XP Home, one with XP Pro and one 'server'
> type box with XP Pro.


Based on the other needs you express below, I would suggest that you
strongly consider installing Windows Home Server on that "server type
box" instead of XP Professional. I think it would come much closer to
meeting your needs.

Read here:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/pro...r/default.mspx

or http://tinyurl.com/34a7vl


> 2) We would like these users to have their own data repositories on
> the XP Server Machine.
>
> 3) The 'Server' would provide no other functions
>
> 4) One of the networked machines would accomplish the nightly backup
> of each user's data files(Word, Excel and Quick Books data) and store
> the backup files on it's local storage drive.
>
> 5) Three of the machines would have printers attached and they would
> be netword shared
>
>
> I believe these needs are relatively simple and this can all be done
> by using a peer to peer networking system. We would have each user
> store their data on separate folders on the 'Server' system and not
> have the need for true server login(s).
>
> All of these machines are currently running and have been set up using
> a Linux server that is providing some unecessary grief and I have
> suggested moving to the Windows environment.
>
> I know the above tasks can be accomplished in the peer to peer
> environment but am looking to fiind out if we would be being
> shortchanged by not using a true client/server relationship.
>
> Currently each user has their own Linux login(each knows each others
> password, which the owner wants to be the case) which provides them
> access to their own data on the Linux server via networked drives.
>
> I would replace this with the Windows scheme noted above and just
> password the data files, which would also be accessed via networked
> drives.
>
> I would also like one more thing and that is not allowing the 'server'
> to have internet access while remaining accessible through the
> network, which consists of a DLink Router with an accompanying DLink
> switch. I am assuming I could give the server a fixed IP address and
> then block Internet access in the router.
>
>
>
> Any replies, suggestions, comments or other types of posts will be
> appreciated.
>
> Thank You
> Bob
> I believe I have seen this done but did not notice/do not remember if
> or how and am looking for some advice--either how to or a site that
> may explain.
>
> Thanks in Advance
> Bob
> ** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **

--
Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience
Please Reply to the Newsgroup

I would go for a system requiring users to logon, otherwise security is
near-zero. Normally this requires Pro workstations and a 'real' server, but
If you want to keep costs down, then MyLogon will provide you with an
alternative which also works for XP Home clients and an XP Pro 'server.'

http://mylogon.net

Backup: copying to a workstation is better than nothing, however you really
need a rotational backup with multiple copies to provide proper data
security. This is where tape scores. Disk only provides you with a single
backup copy, and if that turns out to be corrupted too... Well, you get my
point. If you want to go the disk-copy route then Lazy Mirror might be of
use:

http://www.xs4all.nl/~wstudios/LazyMirror/index.html

Printers: Sharing via workstations is at best clunky. I would look to share
them by way of IP-based printserver-boxes by preference. Removes the
dependence on computers being left on, and avoids the scenario where a user
changing their password knocks-out the shared printer.

As for Home Server it's pretty-much an unknown to me, lot would depend on
what it costs in your part of the world, and whether it's more economic than
the standard Server 2003.

"Bob Bob" wrote:

>
> 1) Six 'users',five with XP Home, one with XP Pro and one 'server'
> type box with XP Pro.
>
> 2) We would like these users to have their own data repositories on
> the XP Server Machine.
>
> 3) The 'Server' would provide no other functions
>
> 4) One of the networked machines would accomplish the nightly backup
> of each user's data files(Word, Excel and Quick Books data) and store
> the backup files on it's local storage drive.
>
> 5) Three of the machines would have printers attached and they would
> be netword shared