[sari]

OK I guess its learning curve time again.

As far as email, backups, sharepoint and remote web go, I'll put those on the backburner for a while. One small question I have about remote web though is, whilst you say it is like remote desktop, is this remote desktop without having to tie up a computer in the office? If so that is very interesting and potentially useful.

Unfortunately, no. You connect to the server using RWW, and from there connect to your desktop. It uses the RDP protocol, but you don't connect directly to your desktop; you authenticate to the server first. This gives you full access to the server resources, so that when you get your PC, it looks as it would in the office.

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any updates daz?

[dsenette]

any updates daz?

[Daz3210]

At the moment I have obtained a trial copy of SBS 2003, and bought a book.

I intend to evaluate what I can and can't do with the server.

One thing that still worries me is the Workgroup/domain situation. At home I use workgroups, but as I have got the server installed it is wanting to use a domain.

OK, eventually at the office a domain seems to be the way to go, the server can then dictate the way users computers are configured (if I understand things correctly), but then when I switch to home with the laptop will I have problems with the workgroup situation?

[dsenette]

OK, eventually at the office a domain seems to be the way to go, the server can then dictate the way users computers are configured (if I understand things correctly), but then when I switch to home with the laptop will I have problems with the workgroup situation?

yes and no....it won't be a problem as much as an inconvenience...

if your laptop is joined to the work domain then it will no longer be part of the workgroup at home...which means that it won't connect to the shared resources on the workgroup automatically (as if that ever really happens in a workgroup)...you'll have to manually map and authenticate to the shared resources (like shared drives or printers) when you need them (or write a script to do it for you...which is actually pretty easy)

[Daz3210]

I have at home a printer that is connected to the router. The router acts like a print server also I believe, the computers print to a port at the router IP address. Will this be affected in respect of the laptop?

I also have an external hard drive attached to my desktop at home, that is shared over the network to the laptop. That is mapped to drive x: on the laptop. (I used X: since that was not used on the works networks, so I guessed it would not interfere at any time).

I can VPN into work from home on any computer, would any computer used in this way need to become part of the domain? I could open a permanent VPN tunnel (router to router, I use a similar router at home to the works, purely because I know they are good and work) from home to work, but this would add an extra site, would this complicate matters or make it easier?

[sari]

I can VPN into work from home on any computer, would any computer used in this way need to become part of the domain? I could open a permanent VPN tunnel (router to router, I use a similar router at home to the works, purely because I know they are good and work) from home to work, but this would add an extra site, would this complicate matters or make it easier?

I'm not sure about your first 2 questions - I'll let dsenette answer those. With SBS2003, you can still VPN, but you won't need to. If you use the remote access feature, I think it's more flexible for remote administration. It does not require that any of the computers be on the domain - you authenticate to the domain, but it's your login that's authenticating in this case, not the computer. However, with VPN, you wouldn't have to have the home computer be part of the domain either - again, you're logging into the domain, but the computer isn't being added to the domain. There wouldn't be a need, under this scenario, to add another router or open a permanent VPN tunnel.

[dsenette]

I have at home a printer that is connected to the router. The router acts like a print server also I believe, the computers print to a port at the router IP address. Will this be affected in respect of the laptop?

I also have an external hard drive attached to my desktop at home, that is shared over the network to the laptop. That is mapped to drive x: on the laptop. (I used X: since that was not used on the works networks, so I guessed it would not interfere at any time).

the printer would be no change...you're connecting to a print server that doesn't care about workgroups

the mapped drive will change a little because you'll have to supply some kind of authentication to connect to it...but it's not hard to do

and i agree with sari...no need for a site to site VPN from home to the office...you can keep doing the VPN connections like you already do (i.e. one time VPN connection) or you can use the remote admin deal

[dsenette]

anything new?