Windows Forum

Ask something
Discussion Locked

Laptop on 2 networks

0 helpful
9 replies

by pricepd 2 views

Closed to new repliesThis discussion is closed. It stays readable, but it takes no new replies.

We have 2 sites with 2 seperate networks. One is an NT network and the other is a Win2K network. Our accountants travel between the 2 sites with their laptops, and need to be a able to logon to both networks.

Is there a way to set up the laptopsto be able to logon to more than 1 network or domain? (I have tried using hardware profiles but that doesn't seem to work.)

The laptops are running Win2K.

Any suggestions?

Preston

9 replies

by pricepd

I got the netswitcher software, but it doesn't seem to work. I have typed in both configurations and saved them. When I try to use netswitcher to logon to the domain2, windows retains the the settings from domain1 (even though I have applied the setting for domain2). I can't find any help information at www.netswithcer.com.

Can you help?

by qsr

Right-click on the network-symbol on your desktop. Select new connection, select LAN-connection, start with your settings.

Make sure if you run the computers to activate the correctly LAN-cconnection for the domain.

This way you can only get aLAN-connection - it?s not a domain-login.

by shanghai sam

Lan-Connections is not an option. Since I already have a Lan for Domain1. I only get dial-up, VPN, Incoming connections, and direct connect to another computer.

by Member 26122104

Actually, your running Win2K and the logon prompt asks which domain. Simply type DOMAIN1 or DOMAIN2 at the logon prompt. No other config changes should be needed (if your using DHCP) the IP, DNS and WINS info will be received automagically.

by billyhow

Something to consider:
(from Brian Livingston's column)
IF A LAPTOP periodically joins your local-area network, it may create an unnecessary amount of delays for everyone concerned. The problem occurs when the laptop is running Windows NT or Windows 2000 and the LAN consists of Windows 95/98/Me machines in a peer-to-peer network. Everything seems to run fine, and co-workers can share files and printers -- until that roamin' laptop plugs into the network.

In that case, the portable can assert itself as a "master browser" on the network. This has nothing to do with "browsing the Internet." Instead, the master browser on a Microsoft peer network is responsible for maintaining a list of resources -- servers, file shares, shared printers,and so on -- across a workgroup. A Windows NT or Windows 2000 machine has a higher priority than Windows 9x when it joins such a network. So it becomes the "master browser," but it initially has no information about all the other resources on the LAN. The traffic created by the resulting data-collection process can slow the network down for several minutes.

The solution is to change Registry values that are at Hkey_Local_Machine\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Browser\Parameter.
To keep a machine from becoming a master, change the value of MaintainServerList to false for Windows NT or no for Windows 2000. To encourage a singlehomed computer to become the master, change the value of IsDomainMaster to yes.

See Microsoft articles atsearch.support.microsoft.com/kb/c.asp and search for
article ID numbers Q191611, Q188001, and Q188305. A scenario for Windows 9x machines is at
http://www.help.com/cat/1/106/hto/3311/3.html

This discussion is closed to new replies.