Question Simple home lab network app needed...

[kreemerz]

Anyone know of any software/application which can be installed on a small home network (5 PC’s) that will allow me to control services/settings on all of them from one place… No need for server. The following things I’d like to control would be the following:

• custom windows login legal message/disclaimer
• install apps
• control settings
• apply some level of group policy

Any ideas? Preferably free/open source… If pay ware is the only option then perhaps I’d buy it if it was under $100?

I've heard Endpoint Manager & Windows Admin Center but not sure if that's the way to go....

 

[mxnerd]

Unfortunately, without a server running Active Directory and with WIndows Home Edition clients, it's very hard to manage home PCs.

Windows Server set you back $500 and Windows Admin Center s just a "free" GUI tools for managing multiple Windows servers, not clients.

Endpoint Manager pricing.

https://www.trustradius.com/products/microsoft-endpoint-manager/pricing

==

control settings / group policy both actually are controlled by registry settinngs.

If you want to manage Windows home edition computers, now there is a tool from RedHat called Ansibe. Ansible is suposed to run on Linux, but now it has WIndows modules that can be used to manage Windows clients. The Windows machines need to have powershell and WinRM enabled and configured. One of them also need to have Linux subsystem and a distro installed to run Ansible.

There are many tutorials on Youtube.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=ansible+windows+

Using Ansible on Windows and BSD — Ansible Community Documentation

docs.ansible.com

==

If you just want simple application remote installation, try Emco Remote Installer (free for 5 PCs)

 

[kreemerz]

Unfortunately, without a server running Active Directory and with WIndows Home Edition clients, it's very hard to manage home PCs.

Windows Server set you back $500 and Windows Admin Center s just a "free" GUI tools for managing multiple Windows servers, not clients.

Endpoint Manager pricing.

https://www.trustradius.com/products/microsoft-endpoint-manager/pricing

==

control settings / group policy both actually are controlled by registry settinngs.

If you want to manage Windows home edition computers, now there is a tool from RedHat called Ansibe. Ansible is suposed to run on Linux, but now it has WIndows modules that can be used to manage Windows clients. The Windows machines need to have powershell and WinRM enabled and configured. One of them also need to have Linux subsystem and a distro installed to run Ansible.

There are many tutorials on Youtube.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=ansible+windows+

Using Ansible on Windows and BSD — Ansible Community Documentation

docs.ansible.com

==

If you just want simple application remote installation, try Emco Remote Installer (free for 5 PCs)

All the machines are Windows 10 Pro.

 

[mxnerd]

All the machines are Windows 10 Pro.

The problem is you don't have a domain controller server running Active Direcrtory (a database storing computers/users/group policies objects access permissions, etc)

Windows Pro/Enterprise PCs have to join a domain controller to be managed/controlled by the server. You can't use a pro/ent PC to contoll/manage another pro/ent PC.

See if you can grab something cheap at eBay. And install the server software on one of your PC or you need to buy another PC and install the server software on it.

Using server software is not easy either, you have to learn a lot and probably have to erase it and start over many times before you get farmilar with it. That's why MS have MCSE/MCSA exam for professionals, well, in the past.

Setting up a domain controller and manage it properly is a hard / complex job. Enabling Essentials role feature on a server will make life a bit (I may have to say a lot) easier, however.

There are many tutorials on Youtube though. 2016 seems is the last Server version that has Essentials Edition. Starting since 2019, the Essentials becomes a server feature, there is no longer a Essentials Edition.

 

[kreemerz]

The problem is you don't have a domain controller server running Active Direcrtory (a database storing computers/users/group policies objects access permissions, etc)

Windows Pro/Enterprise PCs have to join a domain controller to be managed/controlled by the server. You can't use a pro/ent PC to contoll/manage another pro/ent PC.

See if you can grab something cheap at eBay. And install the server software on one of your PC or you need to buy another PC and install the server software on it.

Using server software is not easy either, you have to learn a lot and probably have to erase it and start over many times before you get farmilar with it. That's why MS have MCSE/MCSA exam for professionals, well, in the past.

Setting up a domain controller and manage it properly is a hard / complex job. Enabling Essentials role feature on a server will make life a bit (I may have to say a lot) easier, however.

There are many tutorials on Youtube though. 2016 seems is the last Server version that has Essentials Edition. Starting since 2019, the Essentials becomes a server feature, there is no longer a Essentials Edition.

Thanks for your insight.

Yeah, I've been posting in different forums... some of what you have said is consistent with others; I also have chatted with others who say that a server and AD are not required. And they are running a home network without a server and without running Windows Server.

Thanks again. And I welcome additional comments.

 

[mxnerd]

Yeah, I've been posting in different forums... some of what you have said is consistent with others; I also have chatted with others who say that a server and AD are not required. And they are running a home network without a server and without running Windows Server.

So what do they use?

==

Found Jumcloud, see if it fits your bill. Free for 10 devices. No personal experience.

https://www.youtube.com/c/Jumpcloud/videos

Since it's cloud based, you probably won't be able to access your devices if the internet is down.

My suggestion: create 2 admin accounts for each PC. One for local admin and one for Jumpcloud admin.

==

There are alternatives, you have to investigate yourself.

Best Access Management Reviews 2024 | Gartner Peer Insights

Find the top Access Management Tools with Gartner. Compare and filter by verified product reviews and choose the software that’s right for your organization.

www.gartner.com

 

[mxnerd]

Or maybe Active Directory feature from some NAS vendors? Which I don't have experience either. Also have no idea which model or DSM is supported.

You definitely will have to purchase an NAS system, which probably is not a bad thing.

Synology Inc.

Centralize data storage and backup, streamline file collaboration, optimize video management, and secure network deployment to facilitate data management.

www.synology.com

Synology Directory Server Technical Specifications | Synology Inc.

Synology Directory Server provides Active Directory (AD) domain service powered by Samba. It supports commonly used Active Directory features such as user accounts, group memberships, domain-joining Windows, Linux and Synology DSM, Kerberos-based authentication, and group policies. This makes it...

www.synology.com

 

[kreemerz]

So what do they use?

==

Found Jumcloud, see if it fits your bill. Free for 10 devices. No personal experience.

https://www.youtube.com/c/Jumpcloud/videos

Since it's cloud based, you probably won't be able to access your devices if the internet is down.

My suggestion: create 2 admin accounts for each PC. One for local admin and one for Jumpcloud admin.

==

There are alternatives, you have to investigate yourself.

Best Access Management Reviews 2024 | Gartner Peer Insights

Find the top Access Management Tools with Gartner. Compare and filter by verified product reviews and choose the software that’s right for your organization.

www.gartner.com

We were discussing WAC (Windows Admin Center ).

That jump cloud looks interesting though... looks very interesting.

 

[mxnerd]

We were discussing WAC (Windows Admin Center ).

Actually I'm not in the field for many years now.

I'm still very interested in all computer tech though.

So maybe it's true. Google & Youtube is your best friend.

==

OK, found this. But it's completly different from a domain computer managed by a server, has nothing to do with group policy, application deployment, etc.

Windows Admin Center - Centrally manage all your Windows 10 PCs

How to use Windows Admin Center for centralized Windows 10 computer management

www.tenforums.com

Not really much better than just using remote desktop/remore control and remote monitoring.

 

[kreemerz]

So maybe it's true. Google & Youtube is your best friend.

Not sure if you're from the US or not... but yes we do have access to Google and Youtube. They're headquartered in my state.

I didn't think people still said that. "Google & Youtube is your best friend"... Lol.

Google and Youtube are not people and cannot be my friends.

I prefer to actually connect with people and users to have a human-to-human discourse. It's usually more rewarding and useful to me.

That's why I visit forums.

 

[mxnerd]

English is not my mother language. Replies with grammer errors are the norm.

 

[kreemerz]

English is not my mother language. Replies with grammer errors are the norm.

No worries. Understood.