Client Server Setup

[Scott Viney]

Good morning All,

Iam in an office that has a server with windows server 2000. But I have
this gut feeling that it is all setup peer to peer not client/server. With
the server computer just being used as a normal computer. Is there any way
to check to see how it is setup?

Networking newbie,
Scott

 

[Yves Leclerc]

Good morning All,

Iam in an office that has a server with windows server 2000. But I have
this gut feeling that it is all setup peer to peer not client/server. With
the server computer just being used as a normal computer. Is there any way
to check to see how it is setup?

Networking newbie,
Scott

Right Click on "My Computer" and check in Properties. This will tell you is
you have Windows 2000 Server or Windows 2000 Professional.

2000 Professional is just a standard "client" version of Windows


Check to see if you have various "mappings" to drives/directories/printer off
the server.

 

[Guest]

Scott,

I don't think Yves understood you right. Or maybe it is I who isn't
understanding correctly but in either case here is how you can see if the
client computers are in a domain or not. Go to a client computer right Click
on My Computer or go to control panel > system(same thing) click on the
computer name tab and it should say full computer name and domain right
there. You can also click on change and it will have a bullet selection of
domain or workgroup and if it is on domain then they are using the client
server domain if its on workgroup then they are only using a peer to peer
network. Good Luck

Joe

Kemco IT Pro

 

[Scott Viney]

Heya Kemco,

Thanks for your help. This confirms what a friend told me to check
yesterday. I have done that on a client computer and it confirms its a
workgroup. IE Peer to peer.

The reason for all of this is that Iam working out of my partners office.
They have this setup done by their engineer, the problem I have its a
spanish speaking country and my language skills and knowledge of networks
dont go very far. He has replied to an email from my partner that its ok
the way it is. That it should be up to the professionalism of the users to
not mess with things. Well, I have to disagree when he gives them all
access to the intenet. With no firewall, or protection. Of course there is
no policy in the office other than ppl should only use it for work. Well
already there have been ppl chatting on msn messenger. At the moment there
would be 7 computers and 2 laptops, and a server if it was taken away from
the user now. He has also stated that he works in a company of 237 users in
the building and 185 remote users. I cannot believe he has a set up peer to
peer for such an organisation. And also states that he doenst have problems
with those users at his company. Probably because its all locked down.

From the systems I have worked with before its been client server setup.
That way the users were given certain rights to particular data and
priveledges. Am I getting in over my head or do I have reason?

Cheers,
Scott V

 

[Guest]

Hey Scott,

WOW! That company has no clue of the risks that they are taking. First of
all to my knowlege there is only 1 way you can have a network of that size in
a workgroup, and that is to have everyone with the exact same logon
screenname and password so that they can still share files. Otherwise every
single computer would have to have 500 or so entries in their user accounts
so that everyone would have permissions and there is no way that is
happening. So tell those people to get their network set up in a domain or
they will be S K rewed!!! Also, tell the company that they need a new
engineer! Good Luck

Joe

Kemco IT Pro

 

[Scott Viney]

Kemco,

One other thing that has me a bit confused at the moment. If I go to the
computer with windows server 2000 installed and check the name of this
computer. It has a domain name. Am I missing something here or can you
explain this?

Cheers,
Scott

 

[Guest]

Scott,

The Server should have a domain set up on it. That is normal. Most likely
what is happening is that none of the clients are logging into the server
they are set up on their workgroup and sharing has been allowed for their
workgroup with the server. They could also be using this server for the DHCP
only. Good Luck

Joe

Kemco IT Pro