Best practice for AD remote client update?

[Guest]

I am looking for advice and best practices on upgrading a batch of Windows XP
clients to use Active Directory. We have 300+ remote users (laptop and home
workers), who connect to the corporate LAN via an AT&T Global Network VPN
client.

What is the best way to get these clients updated? They are all Windows XP
SP2, and most have broadband connections, but some do have dail-up.

Thanks.

 

[Adam Leinss]

I am looking for advice and best practices on upgrading a batch of
Windows XP clients to use Active Directory. We have 300+ remote
users (laptop and home workers), who connect to the corporate LAN
via an AT&T Global Network VPN client.

What is the best way to get these clients updated? They are all
Windows XP SP2, and most have broadband connections, but some do
have dail-up.

We only have 20 remote guys with laptops, but we plan to ship out a
laptop to them and have them send theirs in. Joining a laptop to a
domain via VPN = IT nightware.

Just my experience.

Adam

 

[Guest]

You are lucky ... 20 remote users is nothing, and if you can switch their
laptop out then good for you... Can't really do that with 300+ users.

Anyone else got more suggestions?

 

[Beemer Biker]

You are lucky ... 20 remote users is nothing, and if you can switch their
laptop out then good for you... Can't really do that with 300+ users.

Anyone else got more suggestions?

just do it one at a time, either the laptop itself or just the drive unless
the systems are too diverse.

So you are upgrading remote users to Active Directory? I assume they will
be added to the corporate domain since AD is on the server. A remote user
with the right permissions should be able to add computers, add users and
set policy from home. Nice.... Say, do you work for the Veterans
Department or the Social Security Administration? You also might want to
encrypt the drives of you home workers in case they are stolen. I would
think you will be losing quite a bit of control configureing AD for home
users especially if they are put on the domain.