Networks

- All users must logon with a "username" and a "password"
- Write these "accounts" on a paper
- On WinXP machine/s you must add these "accounts" (except the local user)
- On WinXP machine, create share/s with full access for "everyone" (you can't have more than 10 connections at a time) and on Security tab add what user accounts you wish.

The easy way/manage is to use a Server with a configured domain.

Ok as told you can restrict access to the admin PCs via user accounts and ploicies, you can also do this on a file by file basis. But why not just set up two subnetworks, one for the training and one for the admin. Thus the pcs can only talk to those in their sub net, would need another network card set up on the Internet sharing to allow it easy access to both networks.

Best way would be to replace the usb router with a multiport router that will manage your Internet connection and provide Network Address Translation services, thus giving the Internet shgaring. Then have have the training machines on the hub and the admin PC can be all direct to the router or another hub. This gives better security and quicker access.

I think you need to implement a windows 2K server, but If you don't have the money to implement a windows 2K server that's ok. A good and fast solution is to create a SAMBA file server with Linux is free to download the source but you will need to know Linux well enough to create a file server and add users.

Finally a peer to peer network is only good if you have less than 10 PCs, also if you have that many computers don't use hubs, use a switch is relatively cheap. To conclude you need a w2k server, not matter what. It is the best thing to do, ok.

Pedro Nunez Bautista
CCNA, Linux +
pnunez@nensinc.com

Hi

XP pro peer-to-peer networking connects all computers physicaly to have Workgroup
networking which is not like domain networking (where a server will have a database of
users and password for authantication of users to connect them and gives permissions and
rights). In XP pro peer-to-peer networking one of the workstation PCs in the network is
made superior to the others PCs which is in your case the one that is designated to host
the Internet, the sharing-level permissions and the Basic Internet firewall which prevents
shared resources from being visible on the Internet. All PCs could share folders and printers.

More info :

Introduction to Windows Peer-to-Peer Networking
http://tinyurl.com/xhzo

Description of File Sharing and Permissions in Windows XP

http://tinyurl.com/cjok

Good luck

Mohamed