Switching and/or moving PC's around in an existing home network

[CompleteNewb]

Thanks to Jack and Mr. Harper, I feel a little more confident about my
presumptions regarding a simple home network and adding a PC. Now, moving
to the next step, I want to see if anyone has any advice/warnings about my
actions.

This post is regarding a home network where all PC's use either Windows XP
Pro or XP Home, all updates/service packs applied.

We have (what I assume to be, and I think I was right based on answers to my
previous post) a simple home network with a Comcast modem connected to a
Linksys router, several PC's hooked up to the router and to a switch (the
switch was added to the setup due to running out of ports on the router, so
the switch is crossed-over to the router, with other PC's connected to the
switch). So, adding a PC seemed to work OK; I just plugged it into the last
remaining open port on the switch, and the shared folders, etc. seem to
update and change appropriately as seen through Windows explorer, etc.

Now what we want to do is change which PC's do what (ie. we want the new
faster PC to house the majority of shared files, but still be a workstation;
we don't have a dedicated server per se, just the best PC happens to also
have the shared folder with the most files), make the 2nd fastest one the
house of a shared DB application (the back end tables) that other PCs look
at using the Front End GUI, etc. So we're kind of playing musical chairs a
little bit.

So, before I begin with the musical chairs, we have (and everything works):

- PC1: has the 70Gb SharedDocs folder shared out to all valid internal
network users in the workgroup; is also a workstation that shares Internet
access. This is a faster/better PC than PC2, PC3, and PC4
- PC2: has the SharedDB folder with the back end database tables used by
the FrontEnd GUI on all other PCs; is also a worksation that shares Internet
access, and can see and change files on PC1. This is a faster/better PC
than PC3 and PC4
- PC3: A workstation that shares Internet access and can see and change
files on PC1. This is a faster/better PC than PC4
- PC4: A workstation that shares Internet access and can see and change
files on PC1. This is the runt of the litter
- PC5: The new PC which is faster than all the others; have added it
successfully just to make sure I was able to successfully add a PC to the
existing bunch and see the shares, printers, etc.

So, based on what seems to be the case after answers answers to my previous
post, can I assume that the steps involved are as follows:

1) Copy (technically, after everything is proven to work, this would be a
MOVE, not copy) the contents of the big Shared folder on PC1 to a big Shared
folder on PC5
2) Copy the Back End database files from PC2 to a similar Back End folder
on PC1 (again, a MOVE if everything works OK)
3) Unplug the Cat5 cable from the back of PC1 and plug it into the back of
PC5
4) Unplug the Cat5 cable from the back of PC2 and plug into the back of PC1
5) Unplug the Cat5 cable from the back of PC3 and plug into the back of PC2
6) Unplug the Cat5 cable from the back of PC4 and plug into the back of PC3
7) Run a new Cat5 from the switch to PC4
8) Change all shortcut/NetworkPlaces references on all PC's that used to go
to the Big Shared folder on PC1 to go to the new Big Shared folder on PC5
9) On all Pc's, change the Front End GUI references to the database Back
End on PC2 to point instead to the new Back End folder on PC1

....and that should be it, right? Please let me know if I'm wrong.

Some potentially complicating factors (and this only because I'm changing
what was there already, I'm close to being convinced that this was all set
up very haphazardly to begin with):

- Currently PC1 is NOT using SIMPLE file sharing (ie. user/group permissions
are assigned to the Big Shared folder, but not for any particular reason as
far as I can see, because it's set to allow all users full permissions),
even though Simple File sharing is used on all other PC's. Does this
indicate to you, the helpful reader, that I should do the same thing, like
set up NON-Simple file sharing on the new PC5, just to duplicate what was
done before? I didn't see any particular reason for this, but I'm a newb
- On all Pc's currently, the shared printers all have UNC paths set, which I
THINK means the printers are plugged into the router/switch, not just
plugged into their respective PC's (I am under the impression that when you
use "browse for network printers" when adding a printer, you don't
immediately see the UNC path to the printers if they are actually plugged
into the PC's themselves; the UNC path indicates that they are plugged
directly into the router/switch. I could be horribly wrong about that)

Thanks for your help/advice/warnings. I'm a tech support guy, but haven't
had any experience screwing with an existing (and not necessarily well-done)
network. I have found that my assumptions are usually pretty close to being
correct (like how I don't think there was any great reason to not use simple
file sharing on that one Big Share PC, but to use simple on all other PC's),
but I'm under a lot of pressure to make sure that this musical chairs thing
works and doesn't screw with anything. For instance, I suggested that I
should make users and groups and set applicable permissions, but the owner
of the home doesn't want me "re-inventing" what was done before I showed up.

Thanks again for any help, and for reading. I apologize for the
lengthiness, but all the responses I've seen to other posts seem to indicate
a lack of information on the part of the poster, so I try to put as much as
possible out there.

 

[GTS]

There is no need to change the cables. In a peer network like yours with
one subnet it makes no difference at all which physical ports are used.
Otherwise your plan sounds reasonable. If you have no need for access
restrictions on PC1, I see no reason not to use Simple File Sharing there
also.
You have it backward re. the printers. UNC paths would tend to indicate
they are shared through workstations. Ethernet connected printers (if
using LPR) are not visible by browsing and are set to an IP address. (This
is a little oversimplified as there are several possible configurations..)
Why is there any question about this? Can't you see where the printers are
connected? In any case, moving the shared folders shouldn't affect the
printers as you describe the situation.
-

 

[CompleteNewb]

Thanks for taking the time to respond, GTS, I know these are fantastically
newbish questions. I just wanted to triple check that I wasn't missing
anything or making rash assumptions.

Regarding the printers, I can see them , I just wanted to make sure that the
switching of boxes around the room (we have to do this, since people sit at
their accustomed locations, but we are shifting the boxes around. Also, the
cables ar ealready run and cut to length) wouldn't interfere with shared
printing, etc.

Even if the computer names are different as related to the printers, I
imagine I'll be bale to browse through the new names and re-locate the
printers.

Thanks again.

 

[GTS]

You're welcome.
re. the printers - If they were connected to computers you're moving and
will be attached to relocated ones, remember to unshare the driver on the
originally attached PC, and share it on the newly attached. Then, as you
say, you should be able to delete the old connections, browse for them and
make a new connections.