Don't want to keep changing Workgroups

[PapaBear]

I have a Vista laptop that I use at Home and then in my Shop. I need to be
able to connect to different computers and printers on each respective
Workgroup when I am @ Home or at the Shop. Right now to do this I have to
change my Workgroup every day as I go from Home to the Shop and then back
Home. This is CRAZY. I know that there is not a specific setting to have
two (2) Workgroups, but is there any sort of work-around for being able to
access resources on two (2) different Workgroups without having to constantly
change your settings? Or is this just a bug with Microsoft? I know a lot of
different business folks that run into the same problem!

 

[Malke]

I have a Vista laptop that I use at Home and then in my Shop. I need to be
able to connect to different computers and printers on each respective
Workgroup when I am @ Home or at the Shop. Right now to do this I have to
change my Workgroup every day as I go from Home to the Shop and then back
Home. This is CRAZY. I know that there is not a specific setting to have
two (2) Workgroups, but is there any sort of work-around for being able to
access resources on two (2) different Workgroups without having to constantly
change your settings? Or is this just a bug with Microsoft? I know a lot of
different business folks that run into the same problem!

Are they really Workgroups? The office one isn't a domain? If both are
just Workgroups and no domain, there is absolutely no reason to keep
changing the name. If the TCP/IP settings are different, that's another
story but you'd have to supply more details for that.


Malke

 

[Not Me]

Unless they are Domains instead of workgroups, Windows shoulkd detect which
devices/shares are on each network shortly after connecting to the network.
I haven't had to mess with any settings to get my laptop to work on my home
wireless or the corporate wireless.
The printers and shares are all available on either one when connected.
The stuff on the other LAN may show, but as unavailable or not found.

You might be able to set a different username for each location, but I am
not sure that will allow a different workgroup name.
The workgroup name seems to be tied to the entire system not a specific user
profile.
Possibly using a different network connection on each profile.

 

[PapaBear]

Yes, both are Workgroups, not Domains. The problem is that the Workgroups
are different names (and I would assume different SIDs) and in the Properties
for My Computer I can only set one Workgroup to belong to. So when I go
from one location to the other, I have to rejoin that location's Workgroup
each time to get access to the resources associated with that Workgroup (such
as accessing files on a Server we have in the Workgroup or Printers on the
two different Workgroups).

 

[David Trimboli]

Yes, both are Workgroups, not Domains. The problem is that the Workgroups
are different names (and I would assume different SIDs) and in the Properties
for My Computer I can only set one Workgroup to belong to. So when I go
from one location to the other, I have to rejoin that location's Workgroup
each time to get access to the resources associated with that Workgroup (such
as accessing files on a Server we have in the Workgroup or Printers on the
two different Workgroups).

You might not be able to easily browse a different workgroup, but this
won't stop you from getting to the resources on it. Typing in the UNC
path, \\server\share (or \\server\printer), in Search, Run, or any
Windows Explorer address bar should get you to where you want to go. You
can create a shortcut there, or map a drive letter to specify a
different user.

A workgroup is mostly just a convenience for browsing associated network
computers; it has little impact on the actual use of network resources.

David
Stardate 7967.4

 

[Malke]

Yes, both are Workgroups, not Domains. The problem is that the Workgroups
are different names (and I would assume different SIDs) and in the Properties
for My Computer I can only set one Workgroup to belong to. So when I go
from one location to the other, I have to rejoin that location's Workgroup
each time to get access to the resources associated with that Workgroup (such
as accessing files on a Server we have in the Workgroup or Printers on the
two different Workgroups).

No, you don't need to do this. Belonging to a Workgroup doesn't give you
access to anything. It's just an organizational/cosmetic device. If you
aren't getting access to network resources at one place or another,
something else is wrong or different. Perhaps at work you have a static
IP address on a different subnet than you have at home. That sort of
thing. The SID has nothing to do with getting network resources. You
just need a matching user account/password for authentication and to be
on the same subnet.

Examples:

Office - account: OfficeBoy; password: 1234, static IP address 192.168.1.45
Home - account: HomeBoy; password: 4567, dynamic IP address on 192.168.2.1xx

Solution:

Create both user accounts and passwords on all machines with shared
resources at home. Use the Alternate Configuration for the IP address issue.

http://www.lockergnome.com/windows/2007/10/30/alternate-configuration-in-vista/

Provide exact details of your home and office network if you want more
help. But it isn't the Workgroup name.


Malke