Making a network as basic as can be

[Retro Techy]

I've setup a network at work sometime ago, 6 machines in total. 5 workstations and 1 PC acting as a server sharing the database with everyone else.

I tried to set it up as basic as possible, I setup the whole thing as a Homegroup so that everyone could access the folder where the database is stored, but unfortunately 2 of the PC's have been unreliably on whether they can connect to the server. They pop up asking for credentials, normally a restart sorts this out, but today 1 of the PC's will not play ball at all, I've tried taking it off the homegroup and rejoining, but now it's just stuck on the joining screen.
I've just gave everyone a fixed IP address on the router to see if that helps but the fault remains.

Is there an easier way to setup this network without a homegroup, just so that people can login with a password?

 

[DragonQ]

For a start if you're using fixed IPs you should set them on the PCs' network adapters as well as on the router. This has the added benefit of all the machines being able to communicate regardless of whether or not the router is on. Secondly, how are you trying to access the shared folders? Using mapped network drives or SMB addresses?

Without a domain the easiest way to do this is to have a user account on the server called "blah_db" or something (I'm assuming these are all Windows machines btw) and have every client machine access the SMB share or network drive using this login. No need for homegroups at all, you just need to set the shared folder on the server such that the "blah_db" user has access.

 

[Caged]

What's "the database"?

 

[Retro Techy]

For a start if you're using fixed IPs you should set them on the PCs' network adapters as well as on the router. This has the added benefit of all the machines being able to communicate regardless of whether or not the router is on. Secondly, how are you trying to access the shared folders? Using mapped network drives or SMB addresses?

Without a domain the easiest way to do this is to have a user account on the server called "blah_db" or something (I'm assuming these are all Windows machines btw) and have every client machine access the SMB share or network drive using this login. No need for homegroups at all, you just need to set the shared folder on the server such that the "blah_db" user has access.

Thanks for the reply, I'll go around and assign the IP's on the network addresses as well.
I've set up the machine to access the database folder using a mapped network drive.
Also thanks for the suggestion of adding a new user, won't have time today, but all going well, I'll be onto it tomorrow.

What's "the database"?

It's a Microsoft Access Database.

 

[bremen1874]

I'd disagree about assigning static IPs for all of the PCs, you're just creating work for yourself.

Use IP reservations if the machines need fixed IPs (and apart from the 'server' they probably don't).

 

[Quartz]

Thanks for the reply, I'll go around and assign the IP's on the network addresses as well.

When you do this, do it on the secondary IP address page, not the primary.

Without a domain the easiest way to do this is to have a user account on the server called "blah_db" or something

This. But Windows Server Essentials 2016 is not expensive.

 

[K.C. Leblanc]

This. But Windows Server Essentials 2016 is not expensive.

Assuming the op is using a business grade version of windows on his workstations.

 

[Caged]

It's a Microsoft Access Database.

What does it do?

 

[Retro Techy]

Got it all going, but not without a few bowel loosening moments.

Put a new user on the server and gave it permission to access the database folder, was all looking good till other people on the network noticed that while they could access the database, they couldn't edit it. I tried taking the server off the homegroup and putting it back on, but then it just gave me the constant joining screen that the troublesome laptop gave me.
A little bit of wee started to leak out at this point.

In the end I removed all sharing for the folder and took everyone off the homegroup, shared the folder again with the new user and got everyone to connect up through him. This finally got everything working. Not quite sure why it went **** up, but all I care right now is that the damn things working.

 

[DragonQ]

Got it all going, but not without a few bowel loosening moments.

Put a new user on the server and gave it permission to access the database folder, was all looking good till other people on the network noticed that while they could access the database, they couldn't edit it. I tried taking the server off the homegroup and putting it back on, but then it just gave me the constant joining screen that the troublesome laptop gave me.
A little bit of wee started to leak out at this point.

In the end I removed all sharing for the folder and took everyone off the homegroup, shared the folder again with the new user and got everyone to connect up through him. This finally got everything working. Not quite sure why it went **** up, but all I care right now is that the damn things working.

Sounds pretty typical of folder sharing in Windows to be honest. Glad you got it sorted. Homegroups are definitely more hassle than they're worth, either go full domain or share stuff manually.

 

[Retro Techy]

Got another small problem, nothing major but wondering if people can point me in the right direction.
We are using Lan messenger from Sourceforge to send messages to each, but since my network "incident" last night, most people can see each other on the messenger.
Any ideas on how to solve this? Or another piece of software that would do a similar job?

 

[bremen1874]

Solve what? You don't want your users to be able to see each other?