Wireless Networking - XP Pro v.s XP Media Center 2005

27 Dec 2006 6:19 AM

Bud

I will be purchasing a laptop for my daughter for use at University. The
laptop will be used on the school's wireless network.
The laptop comes with XP Media Center 2005, but the manufacturer recommends
upgrading to XP Pro due to possible networking issues that may arise.
Should I spend the extra money for XP Pro or should XP Media Center 2005
connect up just fine onto their network.
If both will connect to the network, are there any differences with the 2
OS's regarding networking, keeping in mind my daughter knows "very little"
about networking if any setup is required.

TIA

27 Dec 2006 6:45 AM

Noozer

"Bud" <B**@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:6A3581A7-3865-4485-BD1C-2E7BDF15BE55@microsoft.com...
>I will be purchasing a laptop for my daughter for use at University. The
> laptop will be used on the school's wireless network.
> The laptop comes with XP Media Center 2005, but the manufacturer
> recommends
> upgrading to XP Pro due to possible networking issues that may arise.
> Should I spend the extra money for XP Pro or should XP Media Center 2005
> connect up just fine onto their network.

Uhm... MCE is just XP Pro with extra stuff. If you go to XP Pro you should
be paying LESS!

> If both will connect to the network, are there any differences with the 2
> OS's regarding networking, keeping in mind my daughter knows "very little"
> about networking if any setup is required.

Get MCE... it should do the job fine.

27 Dec 2006 6:47 AM

Chuck

On Tue, 26 Dec 2006 22:19:01 -0800, Bud <B**@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

>I will be purchasing a laptop for my daughter for use at University. The
>laptop will be used on the school's wireless network.
>The laptop comes with XP Media Center 2005, but the manufacturer recommends
>upgrading to XP Pro due to possible networking issues that may arise.
>Should I spend the extra money for XP Pro or should XP Media Center 2005
>connect up just fine onto their network.
>If both will connect to the network, are there any differences with the 2
>OS's regarding networking, keeping in mind my daughter knows "very little"
>about networking if any setup is required.
>
>TIA

Bud,

If the University LAN is domain based, she will need XP Pro. Other than that,
XP MCE is the same as XP Pro.
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/11/windows-xp-which-edition-should-i.html>
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/11/windows-xp-which-edition-should-i.html

--
Cheers,
Chuck, MS-MVP [Windows - Networking]
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/
Paranoia is not a problem, when it's a normal response from experience.
My email is AT DOT
actual address pchuck mvps org.

27 Dec 2006 6:56 AM

Noozer

>
> If the University LAN is domain based, she will need XP Pro. Other than
> that,
> XP MCE is the same as XP Pro.
> <http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/11/windows-xp-which-edition-should-i.html>
> http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/11/windows-xp-which-edition-should-i.html

MCE can be hacked to join a domain. Haven't had the need to do it though, so
not sure if a n00b could do it.

27 Dec 2006 3:49 PM

Chuck

On Tue, 26 Dec 2006 23:56:36 -0700, "Noozer" <dont.spam@me.here> wrote:

>>
>> If the University LAN is domain based, she will need XP Pro. Other than
>> that,
>> XP MCE is the same as XP Pro.
>> <http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/11/windows-xp-which-edition-should-i.html>
>> http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/11/windows-xp-which-edition-should-i.html
>
>MCE can be hacked to join a domain. Haven't had the need to do it though, so
>not sure if a n00b could do it.

Well, that's kewl. But we don't provide haxxors solutions here, we try to
provide real solutions.

>>> keeping in mind my daughter knows "very little" about networking if any setup
>>> is required.

So if you know any real solutions, why not provide them.

--
Cheers,
Chuck, MS-MVP [Windows - Networking]
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/
Paranoia is not a problem, when it's a normal response from experience.
My email is AT DOT
actual address pchuck mvps org.

28 Dec 2006 3:19 AM

Bud

Being bit of a noob myself, let me explain what she tells me she see's at the
school. When a wireless network is obtained on a laptop, an wireless icon
appears in the system tray. Clicking on this icon provides her with the
available network / domain / server ??? names that are available to login to.
Whe one is selected she must provide a userid/password to continue.
Can you tell from this, if the available names to login to are domains or
network names or server names?? (and if MCE will work if they are not
domains) ?
Hope this makes sense...

Show quoteHide quote

"Chuck" wrote:

> On Tue, 26 Dec 2006 23:56:36 -0700, "Noozer" <dont.spam@me.here> wrote:
>
> >>
> >> If the University LAN is domain based, she will need XP Pro. Other than
> >> that,
> >> XP MCE is the same as XP Pro.
> >> <http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/11/windows-xp-which-edition-should-i.html>
> >> http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/11/windows-xp-which-edition-should-i.html
> >
> >MCE can be hacked to join a domain. Haven't had the need to do it though, so
> >not sure if a n00b could do it.
>
> Well, that's kewl. But we don't provide haxxors solutions here, we try to
> provide real solutions.
> >>> keeping in mind my daughter knows "very little" about networking if any setup
> >>> is required.
>
> So if you know any real solutions, why not provide them.
>
> --
> Cheers,
> Chuck, MS-MVP [Windows - Networking]
> http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/
> Paranoia is not a problem, when it's a normal response from experience.
> My email is AT DOT
> actual address pchuck mvps org.
>

28 Dec 2006 7:45 AM

Chuck

On Wed, 27 Dec 2006 19:19:00 -0800, Bud <B**@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

Show quoteHide quote

>"Chuck" wrote:
>
>> On Tue, 26 Dec 2006 23:56:36 -0700, "Noozer" <dont.spam@me.here> wrote:
>>
>> >>
>> >> If the University LAN is domain based, she will need XP Pro. Other than
>> >> that,
>> >> XP MCE is the same as XP Pro.
>> >> <http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/11/windows-xp-which-edition-should-i.html>
>> >> http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/11/windows-xp-which-edition-should-i.html
>> >
>> >MCE can be hacked to join a domain. Haven't had the need to do it though, so
>> >not sure if a n00b could do it.
>>
>> Well, that's kewl. But we don't provide haxxors solutions here, we try to
>> provide real solutions.
>> >>> keeping in mind my daughter knows "very little" about networking if any setup
>> >>> is required.
>>
>> So if you know any real solutions, why not provide them.

>Being bit of a noob myself, let me explain what she tells me she see's at the
>school. When a wireless network is obtained on a laptop, an wireless icon
>appears in the system tray. Clicking on this icon provides her with the
>available network / domain / server ??? names that are available to login to.
>Whe one is selected she must provide a userid/password to continue.
>Can you tell from this, if the available names to login to are domains or
>network names or server names?? (and if MCE will work if they are not
>domains) ?
>Hope this makes sense...

This is simply the WiFi connection process. The wireless icon in the system
tray is the WiFi client, and it's telling you what WiFi networks it sees. You
select a WiFi Access Point to connect to, then you have to enter the WEP
encryption key (weak security) or the WPA authentication / encryption key
(stronger). IF you get that right, then you attach to the AP, and THEN you get
an IP address.

And AFTER you get an IP address, you still have to login to the domain or
workgroup resource.

And what you have described could be either a domain, or a workgroup. Your
daughter should probably find out from the network admin, at school, what she
needs.

If it's a large network, though, and it uses any authentication to access
servers, I'd bet it will be a domain. Workgroups aren't scalable.
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2006/01/proper-network-design.html#Domain>
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2006/01/proper-network-design.html#Domain

Will you be able to use XP MCE on a domain? It depends.
<http://support.microsoft.com/kb/887212>
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/887212
Note: You may still be able to use Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 to
access domain resources that are shared on the network. You can do this if the
shared resource does not require that your computer is a member of the domain.

--
Cheers,
Chuck, MS-MVP [Windows - Networking]
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/
Paranoia is not a problem, when it's a normal response from experience.
My email is AT DOT
actual address pchuck mvps org.