File sharing (simple vs otherwise)

[Mondal]

Hi,

I am using XP Professional. My computer is on a LAN, where some use
older Windows versions, especially Windows 98.

My problem is that when I uncheck the 'Use simple file sharing'
checkbox in the 'View' tab of 'Folder Options' in 'Control Panel' I am
unable to add users from other computers on the LAN. The sharing tab in
Properties doesnot list other computers.

When I use simple file sharing, I can not restrict access to a limited
number of people, which I am trying to achieve.

Please shed some light.

Thanks in advance

Regards

M S Mondal

 

[Malke]

Hi,

I am using XP Professional. My computer is on a LAN, where some use
older Windows versions, especially Windows 98.

My problem is that when I uncheck the 'Use simple file sharing'
checkbox in the 'View' tab of 'Folder Options' in 'Control Panel' I am
unable to add users from other computers on the LAN. The sharing tab
in Properties doesnot list other computers.

When I use simple file sharing, I can not restrict access to a limited
number of people, which I am trying to achieve.

Please explain exactly what this means:

"I am unable to add users from other computers on the LAN"

The Simple Sharing setting allows computers to connect as "Guest" (a bad
idea for security) and as you have seen disables your ability to set
fine-grained permissions.

Since I don't know what you've done to set up your network, here are
some basic suggestions:

1. Disable Simple Sharing on XP Pro machines.

2. Also on the XP boxen, from the User Accounts applet in Control Panel,
create user accounts with passwords that are identical to other
computers on the network. Have your Win98 machines set to use Client
for MS Networks and set a password. You can always use the Win98
version of TweakUI to do an automatic logon if your users can't handle
logging in.

3. Share out desired resources with required permissions set.

4. Make sure all firewalls are properly configured to allow the lan as
trusted.

Here are some links to help you:

http://www.practicallynetworked.com/sharing/xp_filesharing/index.htm
(Pro)
http://www.practicallynetworked.com/support/troubleshoot_index.htm
http://www.practicallynetworked.com/howto/
http://www.practicallynetworked.com/sharing/xp/addxp.htm - Adding XP to
an existing network

Malke

 

[Guest]

A simpler alternative is to set a password for the Guest user. Then, users
who do not have any specific account on this machine will have to supply the
guest password to gain access to shares. If you just want to add basic
security this may suffice.

 

[Leythos]

A simpler alternative is to set a password for the Guest user. Then, users
who do not have any specific account on this machine will have to supply the
guest password to gain access to shares. If you just want to add basic
security this may suffice.

You should never enable the GUEST account. Created another account for
users to authenticate against.

 

[Guest]

You should never enable the GUEST account. Created another account for
users to authenticate against.

If the machine is using Simple Sharing then it's already enabled. That's how
Simple Sharing works.

Setting a guest-password means that any user can connect, but all must
supply the password.

Incidentally, the computer can only 'know of' accounts on other machines if
it's part of a domain. For a workgroup NOT using Simple Sharing, you just
need to create accounts on the 'server' which match, in name and password,
those on each of the workstations, and then assign rights to the shares for
these users.

 

[Leythos]

If the machine is using Simple Sharing then it's already enabled. That's how
Simple Sharing works.

I always change it from Simple and always ensure that Guest is disabled.

Setting a guest-password means that any user can connect, but all must
supply the password.

Incidentally, the computer can only 'know of' accounts on other machines if
it's part of a domain. For a workgroup NOT using Simple Sharing, you just
need to create accounts on the 'server' which match, in name and password,
those on each of the workstations, and then assign rights to the shares for
these users.

That would be how I do it - create an account on the machine, create a
batch file with the NET USE Drive \\node\share /user:someuser password
for each share they map to.

 

[GTS]

You have to create accounts for the users on the XP Pro machine with a
username and password matching the other machines before they will show up
in the sharing tab.