Networking with Domain Controller - XP Home and Pro

[Freakish_05]

Ok guys, desparately in need of help here.

I've (finally) got a rig running windows 2000 advanced server with all the bells and whistles, domain controller, gateway server, all working perfectly.

Now, at the moment, me and my brother are the only two clients which is fine because we've both go XP Pro machines. However, my dad likes the way the server works and wants me to set it up as the central point for our home network, which contains XP Home machines. Now we all know that XP Home will never EVER (legally) join an NT Domain. My problems begin.

Is there any client software out there which will let me connect the XP Home machines to the NT Domain? Bearing in mind that two of the machines are Dell Laptops and go out of the house frequently, so a local machine account must be accessible.

Many thanks guys.

 

[Sone]

all the bells and whistles of Advanced Server? your not even fully utilisng standard server there

Don't think there is anyway to connect xp home to the domain, i think most people have given up long ago.

Just don't upgrade the home machines to pro without formatting. From experiance it always bodges something up

 

[stoofa]

No - you need WinXP Pro machines to join the domain, your WinXP Home machines can operate in a Workgroup mode with your Domain Controller but will not be able to take advantage of central security etc.

To be perfectly frank with you - if you're running an OS that costs well over £1000 legally (Win2k Advanced Server) then I'm sure you can afford to spend a couple of hundred or so upgrading your WinXP Home machines to Professional.
If you're not running it legally then why stop at just pirating the server OS?