Networking peer to per with XP

[Kevin Billings]

What we have:

11 computers networked via. a 10/100 switch, peer to peer, all running XP.
We are using one computer as the 'file server' and accessing all our data
files
from this computer (files include Word, Excell and AutoCAD).

The problem:

Anywhere from 1 to 6 times a day we are all 'locked' out of the 'file
server'.
We cannot save our drawings back to the 'file server' and sometime lose the
data
from our last 'save'.

We must reboot the 'file server' computer, then we can all have access to
the files.
I believe there is a limit as to how many computers can be 'peer to peer'
linked
but not sure. I have tried but cannot find documentation confirming a10
user limit.

I feel we need a server (looking at MS SBS), but the boss says he will not
upgrade
to a 'more complex' software until we get this problem fixed. I'm in a
'catch 22'
position I believe. When were all running MS 98 on all the computers the
network worked great.
We upgrade to a 'better' OS (XP), and things work worse. He is not happy
and I have
a splitting headache. Not to mention the engineers who's computer we have
to reboot
many times a day.

Answers needed:

Is there a limit to the number of users on a 'peer to peer' network, all
running XP?
Is there a fix or a 'work around' so that all 11 users can access the 'file
server?
Is there MS documentation about peer to peer limits that I can show my boss
and
convince him what we have will not work and I can finally get a server that
I know will work?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Kevin

 

[shah]

From my understanding and knowledge you can have upto 10 computers on the
P2P networking , so that would be the issue , Anything over 10 you need to
hve a CLIENT / SERVER network .

 

[Kevin Billings]

Thank you for the reply. I thought so, but could not be for certain. Any
chance you know where that is documented?
Kevin

 

[Cari \(MS-MVP\)]

There is a 10 simultaneous connection limit on XP Pro, 5 on XP Home. There
is currently a free preview of the 2003 Small Business Server...

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/sbs/default.mspx

Seeing it in action might just be the turning point for the Boss to upgrade!

Cari
www.coribright.com

 

[Barbara Halsall]

I had a similar problem and installed Netbeui on all computers and disabled
TCP/IP because we dont use internet access on any of the networked
computers. The Internet can only be browsed on a single stand alone PC.
There are lots of sites giving information on how to overcome this problem.
Go to Microsoft Knowledge Base Article - 301041 and
www.practicallynetworked.com for information about Windows XP network
protocols. XP pro will only support up to 10 users in a workgroup.

I kept thinking that it was my database that was at fault but it was always
the network settings. When you get those right the rest seems to fall into
place. My headache is just starting to go away
Good luck

 

[Steve Winograd [MVP]]

From my understanding and knowledge you can have upto 10 computers on the
P2P networking , so that would be the issue , Anything over 10 you need to
hve a CLIENT / SERVER network .

Not exactly. There's no limit to the number of computers on a
peer-to-peer network.

The 10-computer limit is the maximum number of computers that can
connect to an XP Pro computer's shared resources simultaneously.
Computers that aren't actively connected to its shared resources don't
count against the limit.

So, for example, you could have a peer-to-peer network with 25
computers, and up to 10 of them could connect to a single XP Pro
computer's shared resources at the same time.
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

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