Networking with XP Home

[Glasgow]

We are about to buy 4 Dell machines - two with XP Professional and two with XP Home. We have been advised by Dell that XP Home is non-networkable. When my research suggested otherwise, I queried them on this and got the following response from them:

"I have also checked this with our technical department has proved this product does not work reliably on a network through testing on Domain networks. We are advising all customer to purchase Xp Pro for network. "

As we are software developers we would really like to have both operating systems available in our offices but we must be able to communicate with all PC's via the networking and Dell have got us worried!

Any comments? Thanks in advance

 

[RuralGuy]

You might want to check out the MS News Groups on XP. I have both XP Home Edition and XP Pro and they network just fine with each other and my Win98SE machines.

HTH

Rural Guy

 

[Glasgow]

OK thanks.

 

[madhente]

I got a bargain on 8 pc's with XP Home for my company in April. I had a few troubles (XPHome will not log on to a domain, Netbeui is not supported, internal firewall limits access to files) but I have all eight functioning on my network.
XP Home will not log on to a domain, but will join a workgroup. It will access network resources with no problem.
I gave up on my print servers that use Netbeui; not because it could not be done, but because it would require more time and money for old technology.
I was unable to access files on the XP Home pc's until I found a switch in the Network Connection Properties to disable an internal firewall. Now I can access shared files OK.

I won't buy any more XP Home machines for my office, but they are functioning as workstations on a 150 node network.

This is just my personal experience, I hope it helps.

>:-< MADHENTE

 

[Glasgow]

I should have mentioned that the network server will be running Windows 2000 Server. I am no networking expert and probably would have set up a domain by default as that is all I have ever done before! I guess I have to tread pretty carefully?

Thank you.

 

[RuralGuy]

To madhente:

Actually XP HE *does* support NetBEUI, it is just not loaded by default. You'll find it on the CD.

HTH

RuralGuy ;-)

 

[madhente]

To Glasgow:
My network is running Windows 2000 Servers as well.

To RuralGuy:
Yes, I found out that XP Home does support Netbeui, but I bought pc's with the OS installed. This means I don't have an XPH CD, I just have recovery CD's. I called Microsoft and they told me they would not help me and to contact the PC manufacturer. The manufacturer told me they would not give me an XPH CD or any other assistance because Microsoft has &quot;stopped supporting&quot; Netbeui.
My only option is to go out and buy an XPH CD off the shelf. I'm willing to do this, but my CFO says no. He doesn't want to spend any more money supporting old technology.
That's my story and I'm stickin' to it!

>:-< MADHENTE

 

[Glasgow]

Sounds like it's worth a gamble and sticking with the two XP HE machines.

 

[RuralGuy]

To MadHente:

You have a definite complaint with the PC vendor. IMHO they are just too cheap to spend the extra $1.00 to make the CD.

I'm pretty sure you can do anything you need with TCP/IP, just watch what you bind it with for security reasons.

Good talking with you.

RuralGuy

 

[Guest_imported]

Just sticking my own experiences into the discussion. How the heck do you get the XP Home PC to attatch to a 2000 Server during boot up? I can create icons linking to the server but the end user has to log in twice. Once onto their PC and again when they click the short cut.

Unlike you I was told by the vendor that the product networked fine. - Should have known better:{

Or am I being stupid? - Bring back '98 SE2

 

[madhente]

smallpiece;
I found on my own network that as long as the username and password match EXACTLY, then only the local login is needed. That is to say that the username and password in AD on the W2K server must match the username and password created on the XP Home PC.
Also, you have to run the &quot;Set up a home or small office network&quot; wizard. I don't remember the exact steps, but I could check my notes. Let me know if you need them.

I was also told by my vendor that XP Home networks fine. (Anybody want to buy a bridge?)

Kiss '98SE goodbye, it won't be available much longer.

>:-< MADHENTE

 

[RuralGuy]

To Everyone:

In case you were unaware, here's one *fine* networking site. I can't even remember how many times I've gone back here to resolve problems. Steve Winograd really knows his stuff and covers just about everything you'll need to get up and runnung.

http://www.practicallynetworked.com/sharing/troubleshoot/

HTH

RuralGuy