Homegroup and Remote Desktop

[FreakyFerret]

Didn't try that, but I would imagine it would work just fine since the Administrator is an actual account.

 

[johngalt]

H wants to RDP as the Homegroup user so as to have access to the homegroup shared files only.

 

[enTRAPAG]

I fixed this myself, same situation.

Just add AlphaUser$ to the Remote Desktop group on each PC.

 

[Digger]

I just got to thinking about this again since enTRAPAG's post.

Of course if you had both freaky and ferret accounts on all pc's this wouldnt be a problem. Saying that... your problem kinda co-exists along with my problem i've been complaining about with HG's. If you "share with" ferret on the local pc, be it a library or shared folder of any kind imo, it should then share with all and any "ferret" accounts on the network. Just like if locally on your ferret account, by default you can RDP in by ferret account only. So if you are on freaky on pc2, you cant, but if on ferret on pc2, you can. My complaint is that 7 wont allow you to add PC2\\freaky as a user, if freaky doesnt have an account on the local pc. Just like yourself. Only my problem goes a bit further as even if i add the same users to the "storage pc" as the accounts show up on the other pcs on the lan, it still doesnt work thru Homegroup, Locally it does, but not via HG by other remote pcs. Only shares a remote pc will see, thru the Homegroup, has to be shared with "Homegroup". So obviously with this it seems to be due to permission flags, just like when trying out your problem. The local pc you are remoting into doesnt have the ferret/pass credentials stored locally. If on a domain, this may very well be a different story. But like you probly, i'm not keen on going to domain at home for a few pcs. I shall fool around with the HomegroupUser$ and alphaUser$ for both instances.

 

[FreakyFerret]

Let me know if you figure anything out on this, Digger. I'm willing to experiment with a few things here if you need help. For the most part, I've just given up on HomeGroup until the service pack or something. It's just not ready.

I don't want to go domain at home, but I may actually wind up doing that. As part of our emergency preparedness at work, we're configuring a server to act as a remote site duplication server. Basically, the network will duplicate all data and domain configuration information to the remote domain controller in real time. The connection here at the office will be 50 megabits. The remote site will get a 30 megabits connection. (Fiber) When the two link up, they'll actually be at full duplex 100 megabits due to the way the ISP will have things setup. Rather than make the company pay for a second storage site and ISP, I'll probably just host the backup domain controller at home.

 

[Digger]

Yea, I've all but given up on HG, ferret. When the swelling on my brain goes down is when i decide to dive back into this thing. The other option is to look at/install/test the Windows Home Server, there is some different/alternate configurability with who see what users Library shares. Atleast thats what it looks like. I dont think however its the silver bullet. I think its the revolver shooting movie blanks, but it looks and sounds real One of these days when i put back together this other old rig, i plan on throwing WHS on it and see how things go. Until then.... i'm at a loss

 

[FreakyFerret]

Home Server is pretty cool. It's pretty much a stripped down version of regular Windows Server with a few "usability" options tossed in. If you're a tech, just go with Windows Server. The 2008 R2 has an RC available to the public right now.

 

[Digger]

yea i just picked up the RC2 a few days ago, hope to get to test, not installed yet. I primarily like the fuction of WHS for adding disks/volumes. I'm not really looking for a network backup feature, or a domain controller. Makes the home feel like an office or library imo. But i'm still up in the air about what and which way to go.

All this could be seemingly fixed easily by just adding the simple network/HG user account limits and privs while still working on the HG/libraries.

The only way i have thought up of doing so lately would be to go ahead and add the share/library to HG, and the included libraries (that would have to be on different disks in this case), then restrict user disk access to the disks that have the included shares that you dont want each user to see. Thus when clicking in the video library, and having one disk hosting for each group of users i would "create" the "policy" for. Like one disk would have content for "Everyone", the other disk would have content to "tier1 restricted things" ie; non G rated stuff, but not R. Then seperate disk for mature/R content. In this scenario, All 3 disks could host pics, music, video, etc, just at different "levels" made for the per user disk access.

All of this would have to be setup on ONE pc, with all duplicate accounts on the network created on this pc, all disks/shares indexed, and "share with" Homegroup could then be selected along with the underlying disk/partition restriction. Not sure you could do this per folder, i have only found the way for the \root of the drive.


This is just another brainstorm type of last resort idea for now.... not sure if it will actually work as i havent tested with working HG, this is in theory.

 

[FreakyFerret]

Home Server "add volumes" basically just creates a spanned/extended partition on the other drive. Problem with this is if one drive in the entire collection fails, the entire collection fails. The old problem with RAID spanned drives basically.

If you put permissions on the file/folder to each user, the computer won't see the remote user connecting but the local user account used. For instance:

PC 1, user Ferret and user Bob
Folder Share, with permissions just for Bob to access

PC 2, user Ferret

PC 2 (logged in as Ferret) connects to PC 1 as Ferret. Cannot access share.
PC 2 (logged in as Ferret) connects to PC 1 as Bob. Can access.
PC 2 (logged in as Bob) connects to PC 1 as Ferret. Cannot access.

Is that clear?

 

[Digger]

I'll have to do my homework on WHS still, i was under the opposite impression about drive failure, but i recognize it wackyness of spanning the drives and how it fills them in its own order.

What is that example of? not understanding what you are referring that to exactly. I know all of this can be done via Network share, but i want the same principal for HG. The earlier idea i posted may need you to setup the disk restriction per user, on each pc seperately.

I've all but given up, and have atleast started to resort to WMP library and its ratings along with MC and parental ratings (hopefully) to atleast restrict media files access. Tho i think i run into a dead end when there is still no per user settings for that either, only per machine/device its streaming to. Still yet to implement this fully, just playing around with some small tests when i get the time to fool with it. I think, once i get the MC and extender setup and if i make everyone use the MC for viewing/playing media, I can atleast restrict the access, and if "elevated access" is needed, then i think thats HOPEFULLY where the parental 4 digit code comes into play.

I may get some more time this weekend if i can get the parental ratings and/or star ratings going for the media libraries.

tho none of this solves the issue of non-media files shared via HG even if my plan works.