unchecking "simple" file sharing

[Brian Wilder]

I have a peer-to-peer network with five PCs, soon to expand to seven,
all running XP and all but two running XP Pro.

I was thinking of unchecking "simple" file sharing on the XP Pro
machines. It would be a good thing to increase security on this little
network and to keep certain prying eyes from documents that they should
not see.

Does every username have to have a password? (Can a password remain blank?)

If I enable "Guest" access on a shared folder, will the XP Home PCs be
able to access it?

Can I/Should I put all of the usernames/passwords on one or two PCs, so
that I can select the appropriate "users and groups" from a single
"location" when sharing a folder and setting its permissions? If I do
that, what happens when that "location" PC is shutdown?

[I don't know if that last paragraph of questions is clear. "Simple
file sharing is ticked "off." I want user1 on PC1 to be able to access
a shared folder on PC2. When I share the PC2 folder, I select the users
from a "location" on PC3, including "user1". PC3 is now shut off,
temporarily. Is user1 on PC1 still able to access the shared folder on
PC2?]

If anyone knows a good reference on turning "simple file sharing" off on
a non-domain controlled network, I would appreciate it.

I know this network will probably graduate from peer-to-peer status, but
not soon, and the increased security will probably save a lot of grief.

 

[Steve Winograd [MVP]]

I have a peer-to-peer network with five PCs, soon to expand to seven,
all running XP and all but two running XP Pro.

I was thinking of unchecking "simple" file sharing on the XP Pro
machines. It would be a good thing to increase security on this little
network and to keep certain prying eyes from documents that they should
not see.

Does every username have to have a password? (Can a password remain blank?)

If I enable "Guest" access on a shared folder, will the XP Home PCs be
able to access it?

Can I/Should I put all of the usernames/passwords on one or two PCs, so
that I can select the appropriate "users and groups" from a single
"location" when sharing a folder and setting its permissions? If I do
that, what happens when that "location" PC is shutdown?

[I don't know if that last paragraph of questions is clear. "Simple
file sharing is ticked "off." I want user1 on PC1 to be able to access
a shared folder on PC2. When I share the PC2 folder, I select the users
from a "location" on PC3, including "user1". PC3 is now shut off,
temporarily. Is user1 on PC1 still able to access the shared folder on
PC2?]

If anyone knows a good reference on turning "simple file sharing" off on
a non-domain controlled network, I would appreciate it.

I know this network will probably graduate from peer-to-peer status, but
not soon, and the increased security will probably save a lot of grief.

Ron Lowe and I have written a web page that should answer your
questions, Brian:

Windows XP Professional File Sharing
http://www.practicallynetworked.com/sharing/xp_filesharing/index.htm

Please take a look at it. If anything isn't clear, please post a news
group reply with further questions.
--
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

 

[Chuck]

I have a peer-to-peer network with five PCs, soon to expand to seven,
all running XP and all but two running XP Pro.

I was thinking of unchecking "simple" file sharing on the XP Pro
machines. It would be a good thing to increase security on this little
network and to keep certain prying eyes from documents that they should
not see.

Does every username have to have a password? (Can a password remain blank?)

If I enable "Guest" access on a shared folder, will the XP Home PCs be
able to access it?

Can I/Should I put all of the usernames/passwords on one or two PCs, so
that I can select the appropriate "users and groups" from a single
"location" when sharing a folder and setting its permissions? If I do
that, what happens when that "location" PC is shutdown?

[I don't know if that last paragraph of questions is clear. "Simple
file sharing is ticked "off." I want user1 on PC1 to be able to access
a shared folder on PC2. When I share the PC2 folder, I select the users
from a "location" on PC3, including "user1". PC3 is now shut off,
temporarily. Is user1 on PC1 still able to access the shared folder on
PC2?]

If anyone knows a good reference on turning "simple file sharing" off on
a non-domain controlled network, I would appreciate it.

I know this network will probably graduate from peer-to-peer status, but
not soon, and the increased security will probably save a lot of grief.

Brian,

1) Every account used for accessing resources on a network share, in a
peer-to-peer network, has to be present on both on the computer with the share,
and the computer accessing the share, and have identical, non-blank passwords on
each.

2) The Guest account is the only one used for Simple File Sharing. SFS is
required on XP Home, and is selectable on XP Pro.

3) With workgroup authentication, you have to have each account on each
computer with shared resources, and each computer accessing the shared
resources. In order for you to locate the authentication (put usernames /
passwords) on one or two PCs, you have to setup a domain.

4) The last paragraph was clear. You are describing a domain (client-server
authentication), not a workgroup (peer-to-peer authentication), environment.

Here is the Microsoft definitive article on file sharing:
<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.