windows xp file sharing on a workgroup

[Firoze]

Hi

I have run into a rather weird situation, it is a s follows:

I have a windows xp pro computer which functions as a file server to a
workgroup of about 18 computers.

When all the pc are then the network the following occurs:

10 of the pcs can connect to the files server (group A)
8 of the pcs cannot (group B)

The interesting thing is that although these Pcs are on the same
workgroup:

Group A cannot connect to Group B and vice versa.

I have tried adding a windows 2003 (trial version -- to act as file
server) server to the network with the same result.

Is there something i am missing?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance
Firoze

 

[Malke]

Hi

I have run into a rather weird situation, it is a s follows:

I have a windows xp pro computer which functions as a file server to a
workgroup of about 18 computers.

When all the pc are then the network the following occurs:

10 of the pcs can connect to the files server (group A)
8 of the pcs cannot (group B)

The interesting thing is that although these Pcs are on the same
workgroup:

Group A cannot connect to Group B and vice versa.

I have tried adding a windows 2003 (trial version -- to act as file
server) server to the network with the same result.

Is there something i am missing?

Yes, you are missing that there are inbound concurrent connection
limitations in Microsoft operating systems and you are running into
them. Please note that the limitations are on *connections* and not
*computers*; one computer can make multiple connections to a server.

http://support.microsoft.com/?id=314882

5 for XP Home
10 for XP Pro/Tablet/MCE
49 for SBS 2000
74 for SBS 2003
Unlimited for full Server O/Ses

I'm not sure what "tried adding a windows 2003...server" means or how
you did it. The simple answer is that you need to:

1. Replace XP Pro on your pseudo-server with either MS Small Business
Server 2003 and turn it into a real server; or
2. Replace XP Pro on your pseudo-server with a Linux distro; or
3. Replace the pseudo-server with Mac OS X server machine.

Items #2 and #3 work best if you are only using the server as a file
server and it doesn't need to run Windows programs.

With 18 machines, if you want to stay with Microsoft operating systems I
would definitely use SBS 2003 and create a domain. Management of the
workstations will be far easier and efficient if you do this. Even if
you don't create the domain and use Active Directory, you must have a
server operating system on the file server if you want to stay with MS
on that box.


Malke

 

[Chuck]

Hi

I have run into a rather weird situation, it is a s follows:

I have a windows xp pro computer which functions as a file server to a
workgroup of about 18 computers.

When all the pc are then the network the following occurs:

10 of the pcs can connect to the files server (group A)
8 of the pcs cannot (group B)

The interesting thing is that although these Pcs are on the same
workgroup:

Group A cannot connect to Group B and vice versa.

I have tried adding a windows 2003 (trial version -- to act as file
server) server to the network with the same result.

Is there something i am missing?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance
Firoze

Firoze,

Please define "cannot connect". What error do you get, or what problem do you
observe?
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/06/background-information-useful-in.html>
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/06/background-information-useful-in.html

Is group A and group B the same computers, consistently?

You do know that 10 clients is the limit for a computer running XP Pro, and
serving files?
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/07/server-availability-affected-by.html>
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/07/server-availability-affected-by.html