> Hello Everyone: I am trying to implement file sharing in a Windows/XP Peer
> to Peer Network. I have 10 Windows/XP computers networked together -some
> of them are allocated to Staff, others are Guest machines. I need the
> Staff machines to be able to share files and I need those shared files to
> be inaccessible (and preferably not visible) to the Guest machines.
>
> My starting point was to disable Simple File Sharing so that I could use
> the user level permissions. (Simple File Sharing does work in this
> configuration, but I would like more access control at a user or machine
> or workgroup level.) When I try to set permissions, the Shared Document
> Properties shows me local objects only, not other machines/users on the
> network i.e. in Permissions/Add/Select Users or Groups, I am not able to
> select anything other than the local machine.
>
> Can someone oint me in the right direction?

>Hello Everyone: I am trying to implement file sharing in a Windows/XP Peer to
>Peer Network. I have 10 Windows/XP computers networked together -some of them
>are allocated to Staff, others are Guest machines. I need the Staff machines
>to be able to share files and I need those shared files to be inaccessible
>(and preferably not visible) to the Guest machines.
>
>My starting point was to disable Simple File Sharing so that I could use the
>user level permissions. (Simple File Sharing does work in this configuration,
>but I would like more access control at a user or machine or workgroup
>level.) When I try to set permissions, the Shared Document Properties shows
>me local objects only, not other machines/users on the network i.e. in
>Permissions/Add/Select Users or Groups, I am not able to select anything
>other than the local machine.
>
>Can someone oint me in the right direction?
>
>Thanks. . .
>
>Tony N.

"Steve Winograd [MS-MVP]" wrote:

> On Wed, 8 Jul 2009 08:29:01 -0700, TonyN
> <To***@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
>
> >Hello Everyone: I am trying to implement file sharing in a Windows/XP Peer to
> >Peer Network. I have 10 Windows/XP computers networked together -some of them
> >are allocated to Staff, others are Guest machines. I need the Staff machines
> >to be able to share files and I need those shared files to be inaccessible
> >(and preferably not visible) to the Guest machines.
> >
> >My starting point was to disable Simple File Sharing so that I could use the
> >user level permissions. (Simple File Sharing does work in this configuration,
> >but I would like more access control at a user or machine or workgroup
> >level.) When I try to set permissions, the Shared Document Properties shows
> >me local objects only, not other machines/users on the network i.e. in
> >Permissions/Add/Select Users or Groups, I am not able to select anything
> >other than the local machine.
> >
> >Can someone oint me in the right direction?
> >
> >Thanks. . .
> >
> >Tony N.
>
> In a workgroup network, you can only specify permissions for a  user
> account that exists on the local computer.  That's OK, because those
> permissions apply to matching user accounts that exist on other
> computers.  So by defining account(s) with the same user name(s) and
> password(s) on all of the staff computers, you can do what you want.
> Ron Lowe and I have written a web page with details:
>
> Windows XP Professional File Sharing
> http://www.practicallynetworked.com/sharing/xp_filesharing/index.htm
> --
> Best Wishes,
> Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Desktop Experience)
>
> Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
> http://mvp.support.microsoft.com
>

"Malke" wrote:

> TonyN wrote:
>
> > Malke and Steve: Many thanks for your replies to my question about file
> > sharing. Would either of you be able to give me a quick tutorial about the
> > difference between Workgroups and Domains, and any related considerations
> > in a configuration of this size (10 workstations).
>
> Very quickly (because domains are a complicated subject):
>
> A domain is created when you have a machine running a server operating
> system which you have made the domain controller and are using Active
> Directory. All permissions/restrictions on the users and workstations are
> set on the server. The advantage is that you can manage all your users and
> workstations from one central location instead of having to go to each
> workstation individually. You can set very fine-grained permissions and
> restrictions on users and groups of users, push out updates, virus
> definitions, host programs, have the data in one location for easy backup
> (no data should be on the workstations). Domains are very cool. The
> downside of having a domain is that you have to learn something new. ;-)
> With such a small network, it isn't that complicated though. Here are a few
> links to get you started:
>
> Great resource - http://www.petri.co.il/
>
> Windows Essential Business Server for small companies (I haven't tried this
> yet, it's pretty new) http://www.microsoft.com/ebs/en/us/default.aspx
>
> Windows Small Business Server
> http://www.microsoft.com/sbs/en/us/default.aspx
>
> A Workgroup is a collection of networked computers. They are all equal,
> hence the term "peer-to-peer". They can share resources but each
> workstation is managed individually. One thing I should also point out is
> that there is a limitation on inbound concurrent connections with Windows
> XP/Vista that you may bump into if one of the workstations is acting as a
> "pseudo-server", acting as a file/application server. The limitations is on
> the number of connections, not the number of computers and one computer can
> (and usually does) make more than one connection to the pseudo-server. XP
> Home has a 5-connection limitation and XP Pro has a 10-connection
> limitation.
>
> Inbound connections limit in XP - http://support.microsoft.com/?id=314882
>
>   5 - XP Home/Vista Home Basic
> 10 - Vista Home Premium/Vista Ultimate/XP Pro
> 74 - SBS 2003 (I don't know if this has changed in SBS 2008)
> Unlimited for full Server OSes
>
> A good rule of thumb is that if you have a pseudo-server and 7 or more
> workstations, it's time to consider a server - not just because of the
> inbound connections limitation but because of the time needed to administer
> all those workstations individually.
>
> Malke
> --
> MS-MVP
> Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!
> http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/#FAQ
>
>