- Re: What's the Purpose of a Network Workgroup?
- Posted by Lem on November 30th, 2007
jim evans wrote:
In Windows XP, not much. You can, as you've discovered, you can access
resources of networked XP computers *as long as they're in the same
subnet* whether or not they're in the same workgroup. This has nothing
to do with security -- resource sharing is controlled by mechanisms such
as firewalls and NTFS permissions. One can also, of course, uninstall
the "File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks" service for the
NIC that connects a computer to the LAN.
AFAIK, in XP, a "workgroup" is only a convenience feature used in
connection with the "My Network Places" display. I've also seen
comments to the effect that MNP is a somewhat flakey and unreliable
method of accessing network computers; I never use it, so I have no
comment on that.
OTOH, in Vista, computers apparently *must* be in the same workgroup in
order to be properly networked with each other and share resources.
--
Lem -- MS-MVP - Networking
To the moon and back with 2K words of RAM and 36K words of ROM.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Guidance_Computer
http://history.nasa.gov/afj/compessay.htm
- Posted by jim evans on November 30th, 2007
On Fri, 30 Nov 2007 17:20:51 -0500, Lem <lemp40@hotmail.com> wrote:
- Posted by jim evans on November 30th, 2007
On Fri, 30 Nov 2007 17:20:51 -0500, Lem <lemp40@hotmail.com> wrote:
- Posted by jim evans on November 30th, 2007
On Fri, 30 Nov 2007 17:20:51 -0500, Lem <lemp40@hotmail.com> wrote:
Thanks.
- Posted by jim evans on November 30th, 2007
On Fri, 30 Nov 2007 17:20:51 -0500, Lem <lemp40@hotmail.com> wrote:
Thanks.
- Posted by smlunatick on December 1st, 2007
On Nov 30, 5:36 pm, jim evans <jimsTAKEOUTne...@houston.rr.com> wrote:
Expanded inof: Workgroup is a "feature" which will group together PCs/
other hardwarefor easy "listing" and access. It is for us "humans" to
be able to see mostly every "locally" access PCs/hardware. In a large
corporate "entity," it is possible to have more than one work group
lien:
Accounting
Marketing
Sales
but as previously stated, not very secure.
- Posted by smlunatick on December 1st, 2007
On Nov 30, 5:36 pm, jim evans <jimsTAKEOUTne...@houston.rr.com> wrote:
Expanded inof: Workgroup is a "feature" which will group together PCs/
other hardwarefor easy "listing" and access. It is for us "humans" to
be able to see mostly every "locally" access PCs/hardware. In a large
corporate "entity," it is possible to have more than one work group
lien:
Accounting
Marketing
Sales
but as previously stated, not very secure.
- Posted by Steve Winograd [MVP] on December 1st, 2007
In article <uNB2E95MIHA.4196@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl>, Lem
<lemp40@hotmail.com> wrote:
I agree that workgroups serve no real purpose in Windows XP. In
Windows 95/98/Me, clicking "Network Neighborhood" shows the computers
in a computer's workgroup. Computers in other workgroups are
accessible in all versions of Windows. Workgroups have never provided
any type of security or access control.
I, too, recommend not using XP's "My Network Places", which I've found
to be quite unreliable.
I've had no difficulty sharing resources between Vista computers in
different workgroups. It works fine in my tests.
--
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
- Posted by Steve Winograd [MVP] on December 1st, 2007
In article <uNB2E95MIHA.4196@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl>, Lem
<lemp40@hotmail.com> wrote:
I agree that workgroups serve no real purpose in Windows XP. In
Windows 95/98/Me, clicking "Network Neighborhood" shows the computers
in a computer's workgroup. Computers in other workgroups are
accessible in all versions of Windows. Workgroups have never provided
any type of security or access control.
I, too, recommend not using XP's "My Network Places", which I've found
to be quite unreliable.
I've had no difficulty sharing resources between Vista computers in
different workgroups. It works fine in my tests.
--
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
- Posted by GTS on December 4th, 2007
That's a widespread misimpression. Some MS documentation on Vista
incorrectly implies a need to be in the same workgroup. It actually works
the same as XP and is not required. This is correctly explained in
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/l...7037.aspx#EEAA (For easier
and faster discovery of computers on your home network, it is highly
recommended that all computers on a home network be configured for the same
workgroup name. If computers are in multiple workgroups, it can take
additional time and effort to discover all of the computers on the network.)
but misstated elsewhere.
--
- Posted by GTS on December 4th, 2007
That's a widespread misimpression. Some MS documentation on Vista
incorrectly implies a need to be in the same workgroup. It actually works
the same as XP and is not required. This is correctly explained in
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/l...7037.aspx#EEAA (For easier
and faster discovery of computers on your home network, it is highly
recommended that all computers on a home network be configured for the same
workgroup name. If computers are in multiple workgroups, it can take
additional time and effort to discover all of the computers on the network.)
but misstated elsewhere.
--
