Domain and Workgroup both?

ajmalik

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Sep 3, 2008
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Hey all

I'm going to setup a home network for a friend soon.

All he told me is he wants 4 laptops connected to 1 or 2 wireless routers.. as well as 4 wired printers..

For a 'home' network or whatever; I wanted to setup a Workgroup for him in Win XP - but I have one bind.. what if one of his laptops is already on a corporate Domain and he also wants to use the same laptop at home??

How could I get him on his 'home' network in order to print from one of the 4 printers??? (I'm assuming you cant join both a DOMAIN and a WORKGROUP in win xp)

Also, how am I gonna get all 4 wired printers (on a switch btw) to show up on Win XP when all they are connected to is a switch? I haven't done this forever.


p.s. - I didn't ask him if he has any of the laptops on a Domain or not - Hopefully he doesn't so I can get it done in a breeze with a Workgroup

Thanks for anyone's input in advance..
 

rgeist554

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Oct 15, 2007
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I'm fairly certain you can't be a member of both a domain and a workgroup at the same time. However... you may be able to set up some kinda of VPN connection that will allow communication between the two.

As far as your printing question goes, that shouldn't be hard at all. What you'll do (assuming they're all ethernet printers) is hook each one into the network and assign each of the printers it's IP address (the printer's documentation should run you through setting this up, as it differs on each printer)

After the printers have an IP address, go to each machine on the network and go to Printers / Faxes > Add Printer > Choose 'Local Printer' > Choose 'Create a new port' (Pick TCP/IP) > Hit Next > Type in IP info > Next > and follow the rest of the steps, inserting the driver CD when asked.

Done.
 

ajmalik

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Sep 3, 2008
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I don't need to do both domain and workgroup if I can just get her corporate computers (on XYZ domain) on her home network printers

My impression was I can only do it if they are on her home WORKGROUP

When I went to Add printer > Browse directory, nothing shows up.

I'm not sure if I tried adding by IP address..

ps rgeist - the manner in which you described above to add a printer (TCP/IP) - I did that on 2 of her home machines already, they connect wirelessly to the printers (which are connected on LAN through router)

The problem I ran into is her corporate machines on some random domain :)

Total computers - 4 laptops, 2 on home network, 2 corporates.
 
G

Guest

Guest
Make the Workgroup name the same as the Domain name.

Grumpy
 

sacdan

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May 16, 2008
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Log on locally to the laptop. If you do name the Workgroup the same as the Domain. make sure usernames and passwords match.