Limiting access to a PC on the home network? TIA.

[Lisa]

I have a home network consisting of three desktops, three laptops, my dLink
router and a NAS drive. The computers run XP pro or Vista home. I have one
of these desktops setup downstairs in the basement where my wife runs our
kids home school.

Right now this desktop is connected to the home network and anyone who sits
on it has access to anything that is shared on the network. Many of her
friends and home school parents come over all the time and use that desktop.
I just realized that shared files and folders can still be accessed from the
downstairs desktop even when it is on a different workgroup!

How can I limit that desktop to only share the internet connection? I don't
want it to have anything to do with the home network itself; can I do that?
Please help me out. Thank you very much.

 

[Steve Winograd]

I have a home network consisting of three desktops, three laptops, my dLink
router and a NAS drive. The computers run XP pro or Vista home. I have one
of these desktops setup downstairs in the basement where my wife runs our
kids home school.

Right now this desktop is connected to the home network and anyone who sits
on it has access to anything that is shared on the network. Many of her
friends and home school parents come over all the time and use that desktop.
I just realized that shared files and folders can still be accessed from the
downstairs desktop even when it is on a different workgroup!

How can I limit that desktop to only share the internet connection? I don't
want it to have anything to do with the home network itself; can I do that?
Please help me out. Thank you very much.

As you've discovered, workgroups don't provide any type of access
control. A computer in any workgroup can access a computer in any
workgroup.

There are many ways to do what you want, and some of them are
different between XP and Vista. Here's one that works on both XP and
Vista:

1. Open the Network Connections folder (Start > Run > ncpa.cpl).
2. Right-click the local area network connection.
3. Click Properties.
4. Un-check the boxes for "Client for Microsoft Networks" and "File
and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks".

Created a limited user account for your wife's friends and home school
parents to use. Put a password on her account so that they can't use
it.
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com

 

[Lisa]

Thank you Steve, That will do.

As you've discovered, workgroups don't provide any type of access
control. A computer in any workgroup can access a computer in any
workgroup.

There are many ways to do what you want, and some of them are
different between XP and Vista. Here's one that works on both XP and
Vista:

1. Open the Network Connections folder (Start > Run > ncpa.cpl).
2. Right-click the local area network connection.
3. Click Properties.
4. Un-check the boxes for "Client for Microsoft Networks" and "File
and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks".

Created a limited user account for your wife's friends and home school
parents to use. Put a password on her account so that they can't use
it.
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com

 

[Steve Winograd]

Thank you Steve, That will do.

You're welcome.
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com