Setting up a windows home network question

[555]

Hello,

I am new to the networking / LAN setup stuff and need some help. Right now I have 2 routers and 3 PC's that I want to network all together. I would like to be the admin of my homes network, possibly make it where any user in the house can use their id on any computer to login. So i could goto any of the 3 pc's and login and my desktop would have all my apps, all my settings , music , pictures, videos, favorite links, ect..

and being the admin I would like to be able to put settings on the user accounts, like say one user can not access certain sites, or make it so that each user has 60GB of space to play with when they login, ect.. I would also be cool to be able to "msg or net send user messages" from command prompt so they get the little pop up box with the message.

Currently my set up is My main router / cable box -------> PC 1 (Vista) , PC 2 (XP) and then one of the ethernet cables goes to the router in my room which is connected to PC 3 (Win 7)

I set all the computers workgroup names the same and can see them all in the network screen from all of the computers, i can remote desktop from PC 1 to PC 3, but not PC 3 to PC 1.. it gives me an error and I have them both set to be allowed to remote. When I googled for a while and checked the remote settings again I noticed the Vista PC (PC1) does not have a second box at the bottom like on my Windows 7 (PC3) where I can select users to be allowed to remote desktop into it and where it asks if i would like to "Allow connections from computers running remote desktop with network level auth).. also when I goto CMD and type "Net users" it only shows my pc's users, not all the users that are logged onto the network at the moment.

I would REALLY APPRICIATE any information, tutorial links, any kind of help at all to get this to work kind of like a small business office. I need to learn how to do this networking stuff better. THANKS! :)

[VaKo]

Hello,

I am new to the networking / LAN setup stuff and need some help. Right now I have 2 routers and 3 PC's that I want to network all together. I would like to be the admin of my homes network, possibly make it where any user in the house can use their id on any computer to login. So i could goto any of the 3 pc's and login and my desktop would have all my apps, all my settings , music , pictures, videos, favorite links, ect..

and being the admin I would like to be able to put settings on the user accounts, like say one user can not access certain sites, or make it so that each user has 60GB of space to play with when they login, ect.. I would also be cool to be able to "msg or net send user messages" from command prompt so they get the little pop up box with the message.

Currently my set up is My main router / cable box -------> PC 1 (Vista) , PC 2 (XP) and then one of the ethernet cables goes to the router in my room which is connected to PC 3 (Win 7)

I set all the computers workgroup names the same and can see them all in the network screen from all of the computers, i can remote desktop from PC 1 to PC 3, but not PC 3 to PC 1.. it gives me an error and I have them both set to be allowed to remote. When I googled for a while and checked the remote settings again I noticed the Vista PC (PC1) does not have a second box at the bottom like on my Windows 7 (PC3) where I can select users to be allowed to remote desktop into it and where it asks if i would like to "Allow connections from computers running remote desktop with network level auth).. also when I goto CMD and type "Net users" it only shows my pc's users, not all the users that are logged onto the network at the moment.

I would REALLY APPRICIATE any information, tutorial links, any kind of help at all to get this to work kind of like a small business office. I need to learn how to do this networking stuff better. THANKS! :)

What you basically want here is an Active Directory domain, which requires a Windows server OS running as a domain controller. Using this you can manage individual users with account rights, security groups and group policy. This is a *very* in depth subject though, so you will need to read up on it.

[Sparda]

What you basically want here is an Active Directory domain, which requires a Windows server OS running as a domain controller. Using this you can manage individual users with account rights, security groups and group policy. This is a *very* in depth subject though, so you will need to read up on it.

Or you could have a single really powerful computer and have all the rest as thin client. XDMCP is pretty easy to setup, the main 'drawback' been that you'll have to run Linux, also laptops are not going to work with this at all.

[555]

I guess I have alot more reading to do then. Im trying to stay with Windows right now because no one else in my house knows how to use Linux besides me, and I am no where near a linux expert. Plus most business here use Windows networks, so it makes more sen$e for me to learn windows networking first since it is prob easier also and more biz use it.

Vako is on target with what i want to do i think so far, "Active Domains" I remember some of that stuff from a couple years ago in a windows admin class when we set up client and server machines.. so the problem is probuly that I dont have a PC set up with a windows server OS to administrate user permissions to the client PC's.. I have 3 pc's on the network, so My PC should be setup as a server and set the other 2 as the clients? then setup users, ect..?

So If i have a Windows 7 Ultimate, Win Vista home primiem, and Win xp home, they can not all link together as a network, where we can all net send or msg each other?? thanks for any help

[chaser48]

In a workgroup this would be possible. Looks like you already have this set-up. Only thing that will prevent you from going with a Active directory is that Vista home premium (correct me if i'm wrong) and xp Home will not connect or rather benefit from an Active Dir domain controller. Much of what your asking about will require some money to accomplish. Buy hardware and license for MS Server 200X. Then buy license for XP pro, Vista Business, Win7 ???, etc... unless you become a student and join https://www.dreamspark.com which you could Win Server 2003/2008 for free. Or get into a IT/CIS degree program at a college that is part of the student technet (i think). This is were they will give you temp licenses for learning stuff in computers

[555]

Ok I figured out the remote desktop problem. The PC with the Vista home premium on it can only get rdp controlled if it accept a invitation since it is the home edition. They have to goto start > maintenance > windows remote assitance, then create some kind of file with a password they email or send to me somehow, then I have to get that file enter PW and then wait for them to accept the invite from my machine.. (just incase anyone else wondered or cared about how to fix that or the outcome), The PC with Win XP pro works great connected rdp from win 7, im guessing they have to all be business edition or higher win OS to do the RDP without the invite bullcr@p

Still though with all users online in my home network / workgroup when I goto CMD and type Net users, I dont see them, do I need to type their PC name first then user like \\pcnumber2\\user2 or IP to do a net send message? Do i have to goto each PC and run Net start first so all users are visable to send a net send msg to? (Win 7 I guess it is just "Msg" instead of "Net send theMessage" ) thanks guys im learning alot about windows home networking and RDP

[VaKo]

Only the pro/business/enterprise/ultimate versions of Windows can join a domain or host a remotely initiated rdp session.

As for net users, it will only work if you specify a machine and credentials for that machine. A good thing to do would be to enable the administrator accounts on each machine and use the same password, which will give you a degree of control.

Do you by chance have access to a technet or msdn account?

[555]

Thanks Vako, I was just looking at TechNet and Msdn they look like great resources for a student. (even though software is only valid for 90 days or so) As for the net users, how do I specify a machine and credentials for that machine? I just want to be able to send net pop up msg's to people on my network. :) for example .. send my sister a pop up message on her screen that says "Let the dogs out" or something without having to walk over to her room, knock on the door and bother her, or send a net msg to my moms pc asking a question , and she can send a net msg back without having to install any type of messenger system and do it off the local network via CMD Msg or net send command. I guess my question is how to get it to where i type in "net users" in CMD it has all of our accounts on there, im guessing I have to install a Windows server to do this correct? or would a group or all Windows XP Pro pc's be able to do this without a server, with a correct configuration? any information helps, thanks

[SomethingToChatWith]

They have disabled/removed the message service in Vista.