How to join wrokgroup without losing SBS domain settings

[jon.lewis]

I have an XP pro laptop configured on an SBS 2000 network in my office.
At the moment I join my home wireless network (workgroup) by manually
(<System Properties>, <Computer Name>) changing from Domain to my home
Workgroup. Domain settings are lost so when back at the office the
laptop has to be reconfigured to join the sbs domain. Is there any way
to have a choice of logging into the doamin or the workgroup at login
or an accepted best practice for this?

TIA

 

[Javier Gomez [SBS MVP]]

Why you need to change the laptop to "workgroup" to use it on your home
network??? Its probably unnecesary.

You shouldn't be switching the laptop from doman<=>workgroup like that. If
you really need to do it regularly you should buy a product like:

Multi Network Manager
http://www.globesoft.com/

 

[GTS]

You don't need to "join the workgroup" to access shared resources. The
laptop should login under the domain user (with some delay) using cached
credentials. To access shares on another computer run \\compnetname (or
start \\compnetname in a command prompt).

 

[Jon Lewis]

Thanks GTS.

I'll try it later but what's the point of a workgroup then?

 

[Jon Lewis]

From what I gather the shared resources won't appear in Network Neighborhood
if there's no Workgroup.

 

[Chuck]

From what I gather the shared resources won't appear in Network Neighborhood
if there's no Workgroup.

Jon,

The laptop, if it's still a domain member when connected to your LAN, won't
appear in Network Neighborhood since there's likely no browser for your domain
there. You should be able to see the workgroup from the laptop, in Network
Neighborhood - Entire Network - Microsoft Windows Network.

 

[GTS]

That's basically right. A workgroup is largely a convenience for grouping
network resources into one browsing view. It doesn't confer any security,
and Windows can access multiple workgroups. As Chuck notes, you should see
other computers in your workgroup under Entire Network ... (Sometimes, for
several reasons, they may not appear but can still be accessed. I won't
comment on that unless necessary.)
--

 

[Ron Lowe]

Thanks GTS.

I'll try it later but what's the point of a workgroup then?

A workgroup is just a way to divide up a browse list, so that people
initially see the machines which may be relevant to them.

Each machine announces itself to the master browser for it's workgroup,
so it appears in the browse list for other members of that workgroup.

When you browse, you get the lost of servers in the
workgroup rather than the entire network.

A workgroup has no function outwith the browsing system.
It has no security associated with it.
Machines are accessible by \\name , regardless of which workgroup they are
in.

The entire browsing system is rather fragile, and it is not even necessary
for
browsing to be functioning for other network functions to work.

 

[Doug Sherman [MVP]]

A sort of in-between solution:

1. When you are at home, log onto the laptop local machine (click the
triangle at the end of the domain name line at the login screen) instead of
the domain - you need to use a local machine account to do this.

2. Change the name of your home workgroup to the NetBIOS name of your work
domain - eg. NetBIOS name of domain.com = domain.

This should give you more or less seamless browsing on your home network and
make connecting to shares easier.

Doug Sherman
MCSE, MCSA, MCP+I, MVP

 

[Jon Lewis]

NT

A workgroup is just a way to divide up a browse list, so that people
initially see the machines which may be relevant to them.

Each machine announces itself to the master browser for it's workgroup,
so it appears in the browse list for other members of that workgroup.

When you browse, you get the lost of servers in the
workgroup rather than the entire network.

A workgroup has no function outwith the browsing system.
It has no security associated with it.
Machines are accessible by \\name , regardless of which workgroup they are
in.

The entire browsing system is rather fragile, and it is not even necessary
for
browsing to be functioning for other network functions to work.