Windows 7: Offline Files Background Sync without domain

I have several windows 7 computers networked on a LAN without a server - just workgroups. I do use one computer to "serve" shared folders though. I use Offline Files to keep files on a wireless laptop synchronised with the "server" and centralise all backup activities on the "server". I want to enable Background Sync and Transparent Caching for a more stable setup although these options appear to only be available to domains. Is there any way I can enable these options without setting up a full server and domain? Thanks

Why not use Windows Live Mesh (without syncing to the cloud storage portion)?

I'll look further into using Windows Live Mesh, although is does seem like the old Briefcase from Win98.

Noting your comment excluding the cloud, I am only really interested in direct access (or VPN when away) without a third party or internet needed.

The key features I want are:
i) centralised storage for backup and multiple user access,
ii) offline replication of, and access to, selected files during trips away from the network, and
iii) continuity of access to open files during intermittent wireless network dropouts, without the network version overwriting the open offline file on reconnection.

"Offline Files" in Win 7 seems excellent (when on a domain), given these new features (background sync and transparent caching) that appear to be designed exactly for this purpose. I just can't figure out a way to do it without having to set up a full server.

Thanks

Live Mesh has cloud storage available to it if you chose to sync files to it. Unless they changed it you can chose who or what gets synced your data. It does everything in the background completely transparent. Change file on computer A it gets put on computer B. All you do is install and mark a folder for Live Mesh to sync.

Live Mesh does sound better than I thought, but unfortunately not for my application.
We have several TB of data that needs to be available, in its structure, and the idea of some unknown people "out there" in the cloud having control and access to our data is not particularly attractive to me.

It would seem to me that these new features of background sync and transparent caching should be available in or out of a domain, or do I not understand Offline Files properly?