Quick question re: password setup.

[Uncle Vinnie]

Hi...


We've got 3 pcs on a home network using XP Home, and one using XP Pro. All
are set up
for sharing, which is fine.. I'd like to add one layer of protection- that
when someone accesses another PC on the network, the password window will
pop up..
One pc is set up that way and I am not sure how it was done. I'd like all to
be.. Not necessary, but nice to have...
hopefully to slow one down that might get through the hardware firewall.

Thanks!

 

[Neo Anderson]

Start | Run | "control userpasswords2" (no quotes) | Advanced Tab |
Manage Passwords.

There is says: "Windows allows applications to store logon information for
network locations and web sites"

 

[Uncle Vinnie]

Thanks, I see it!
But how do I set up my PC to allow others to access my files after signing
on with their name and password?

 

[Hans-Georg Michna]

We've got 3 pcs on a home network using XP Home, and one using XP Pro. All
are set up
for sharing, which is fine.. I'd like to add one layer of protection- that
when someone accesses another PC on the network, the password window will
pop up..
One pc is set up that way and I am not sure how it was done. I'd like all to
be.. Not necessary, but nice to have...
hopefully to slow one down that might get through the hardware firewall.

The password question should pop up when the following two
conditions are both fulfilled:

1. The host (the server being acessed) has the Guest account
disabled (or perhaps also if it has a non-empty password
associated with the Guest account).

2. The host does not have an account with a username and
password that is identical to the credentials of the accessing
user.

It is possible that there are other conditions under which the
user will be asked for a password, but I don't know them
offhand.

First thing I'd try is to disable the Guest accounts.

Hans-Georg

 

[Chuck]

Thanks, I see it!
But how do I set up my PC to allow others to access my files after signing
on with their name and password?

Vinnie,

Here are a few websites with useful tutorials:
http://www.cablesense.com/
http://www.homenethelp.com/
http://www.practicallynetworked.com/
http://www.wown.com/

Remember you can only protect an XP Pro computer with Simple File Sharing
disabled. XP Home uses SFS only. Simple File Sharing uses the Guest account
for authentication, and you can't password Guest on XP Home.

More about file sharing, between all different versions of Windows:
<http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...db-aef8-4bef-925e-7ac9be791028&DisplayLang=en>

Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.

 

[Uncle Vinnie]

That sounds like it... thank you.. Only Pro has the password screen... and
none others..

Thanks again! Solved!

 

[Chuck]

That sounds like it... thank you.. Only Pro has the password screen... and
none others..

Thanks again! Solved!

Kewl, Vinnie. Thanks for the feedback.

Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.

 

[Hans-Georg Michna]

We've got 3 pcs on a home network using XP Home, and one using XP Pro. All
are set up
for sharing, which is fine.. I'd like to add one layer of protection- that
when someone accesses another PC on the network, the password window will
pop up..
One pc is set up that way and I am not sure how it was done. I'd like all to
be.. Not necessary, but nice to have...
hopefully to slow one down that might get through the hardware firewall.

I posted a wrong message, overlooking that only one of your
computers runs Windows XP Professional.

The answer is that it can't be done. It can be done only between
Windows XP Pro computers not using Simple File Sharing. As soon
as at least one of the two communicating computers runs Windows
XP Home, it can't be done.

Hans-Georg

But what do you want to achieve? Are you really worried about
somebody getting through your firewall from the Internet and
accessing your computers?

Windows networking works through the TCP and UDP ports 137, 138,
and 139. Most firewalls block these, but you could do an extra
check on your firewall. You could also go to a security checking
web site and let them scan your outside ports. A good example is
www.speedguide.net, Broadband Tools, SG Security Scan, but there
are several such sites.

Moreover, if your computers have private IP addresses (see
http://www.michna.com/kb/IpAddressesPrivate.htm) with your
router necessarily translating them through NAT (Network Address
Translation), you're pretty safe from such attacks and have to
worry far more about worms and viruses than about such direct
attacks.

Hans-Georg

 

[Uncle Vinnie]

Thanks Hans...

Here's how the XP Pro is set- Simple file sharing is selected, the Guest
account is turned off...so that must be why the password screen comes up...

As for the all else.. I will carefully review the points in your email and
get back to you! Again, thank you!

 

[Uncle Vinnie]

Thanks again.. all looks safe according to these 2 sites...!