User accounts on home network?

[MisterX]

I have a few questions that hopefully some of you can answer or (even better) point me to a guide/tutorial.

I have a small home network, 2 PC's and one laptop. One PC and the laptop have wireless network cards and one PC does not.

I currently have my cable internet come into my Linkysys Wireless router and then into my wired PC. Then the wireless PC and wireless laptop both connect to the network wirelessly. I have no problem sharing the internet connection or sharing files or printers. Fine, so far.

However, I would like more structure...similar to what one would have at a business or university.

Specifically, I would like users to come to a computer and be faced with a log in screen. Logging in with their account would automatically connect them to the network regardless of what machine they go to. I would also like my (wired) PC to be where I control all of the accounts (creation, access, privelage, etc).

Currently, everyone just uses his/her individual computer and uses the network to print or grab files from others. Nobody needs or has restrictions on their accounts. I would like users to be able to sit at any computer and log into their account and access their files on say a drive in my wired PC.

I hope I'm explaining this clearly enough for others to point me towards a solution. I consider myself a power user, but don't have much networking experience and I'm looking to set my network up like those at school or work.

Thanks in advance.

 

[fartbag]

You need a server OS like 2003 standard to be a domain controller. Then join the other machines to the domain. Careful though, if you screw up the DC users will not be able to authenticate. You will still have local acounts users can login to.

 

[pulsedrive]

Yeah, if you want the whole localized setup like that you will have to have a server. Really no other way around it. Any particular reason you want it like this at home, it is really more trouble than it is worth.

 

[JackMDS]

Option 1. You can get in a thrift shop an old computer for less then $100 and use it as a Home File Server.

You connect this computer to the Network and build on it a Directory system under which every one has his own directory with categorical subdirectories (you can save space and use remoter control program to maintain this computer and forgo a Keyboard and a monitor: http://www.ezlan.net/vnc.html )

As long as people are disciplined and make it their business to save and synchronize their files to the File server they would be able to do their work from any computer.

2. You can buy a NAS and do the same (NAS might be able to provide local user authentication): http://www.ezlan.net/nas.html

The above two options would not include Fancy Log On and Authentication.

For Fancy Log On and Authentication you need a system as describe in the above posts.

Option 3. Windows 2003 server which includes IAS (RADIUS) for Authentication.

If money does not deter you can start by getting a trial version of the software and try it for few months and then make you mind: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/evaluation/trial/default.mspx

:sun:

 

[nweaver]

Samba can do domain stuff, and it's a hell of a lot less then Windows server + cals

 

[MisterX]

Thanks guys.

Yes, browsing the web I see that I need to set up a "domain network" with Win2K Server or something of the like. Does anyone know of a good tutorial or guide for doing so? I'm pretty good with computers and technology and I'm no dummie (PhD), but I'm inexperienced with any networking beyond just simple workgroups with file and print sharing...is there a good guide online, or is it necessary to read and read and read to train myself as a netword admin...LOL I hope not!

To the question of why...well, one reason is that I'd just like to learn. Second, I'd like to have more centralized control over what my son and his friends, etc are able to do and when they're able to do it...either on my own computers here, or if they bring they're laptops over.

I actually think I have a full copy of either NT Server or Win2K Server from when I was in grad school (our school sold all MS software for $5 each) that I never used.