Re: what can be done for uses who need different network settings
Anteaus <Anteaus@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
> I would be inclined to use fixed IPs for desktops,
But why? It's not going to give you any real security benefit (beyond a
minor verisimilitude) and and is an administrative nightmare.
> but DHCP (with a
> separate scope in the same network range) for laptops. This is
> generally better as it allows the laptop to be used on other sites as
> well as at home. If you make all computers DHCP-dependent then you
> really need a backup DHCP server, otherwise it becomes a SPOF.
Sure, two DHCP servers with non-overlapping scopes is easy to set
up....although in a small office with a single server, the loss of DHCP
would be the least of your worries, I'd think. If you've got a well-built
and managed single server built on good hardware, this is rarely a concern.
>
> The other issue of course is that domain-member laptops cannot fully
> take part in a workgroup, or another domain for that matter. There
> are no easy workarounds for that, though I generally don't make
> laptops domain-members for this reason.
I think that is a bad idea. If you have company-owned and managed laptops,
they should be part of the domain, participate in the security policies and
so forth. There's nothing stopping a user with a domain-member laptop from
connecting to resources on any other network (whether a domain or a
workgroup).
The only time I don't join computers to the domain is if they'll never
actually be connected directly to the company network and are for use on
remote networks only.
>
>> Kelvin Beaton wrote:
>>> I have a site that is running static IP addresses so when the
>>> mobile/laptop users go home or travel then have to change their IP
>>> setting to Auto and then keep track of what their work network
>>> settings are and reenter them.
>>> What kind of solution does XP Pro have for this?
