Help with Networking

Hi All;
I have a simple network at home via router with the folders on the laptop and the desktop shared.But there is another guy also connected to the same router and he can also see those folders.Is there a way to ask for a password for sharing to prevent un authorized access?

 

^^^ move to the network forum???? Better to ask there I guess..

 

I have it networked and the networking is fine.I am looking for something to restrict the access.

 

I guess yes.. a quick search of google resulted in many pages, some of them similar... and looks like you can configure the folder' to be accessed only by a specified user for whom the permissions are fixed accordingly in the main folders.. or something like that.. google it out and I am sure you would find something there.. just that I am not able to understand certain bits because of lack of tech knowledge.. good luck

 

Basically, the answer is "no" although it seems like some people have tried to develop work-arounds. A (somewhat complicated) basic description of simple file sharing can be found in MS KB article KB304040. Basically, once a file is shared on the network, it's shared to everyone because simple file sharing is done through the guest account.

This thread in the groupbrowser forum discusses the problem, and does have a few links to possible work-arounds, none of which seem to be particularly desireable.

 

What OS is the shared folder on? I used Vista and setup a shared drive and you had to login to access it.

 

Good question; I always forget to ask the "OS" question.

 

Can't you just right-click the folder and go under the Sharing Tab and change the permissions?

 

This is what I am thinking...you should be able to remove the other guy's username from the "Security" tab of the shared folder, therefore restricting him access.

Edit: Right click on the shared folder and select Sharing and Security or click Properties; Under the "Share" and the "Security" tabs remove the user "Everyone" and if the guys' username is under either tab remove it also. This would restrict him completely!

Now if u need someone else other than the guy to access the folders u will need to set a "Share" permission for "Everyone" to "Read" and give that person a user name and password of a user on the computer that is hosting the share, so they can log onto the said computer that is hosting the shared folder.

Another option is to create an identical user account on the computer that is hosting the shared folder; and give that user the correct "Security" permissions. So the user accessing the shared folder from their own computer can just enter their own log in credentials and access the shared folder. {Shout out to Kegobeer for informing me about that method}

 

I tried as makaveli said,but there was no other names under the security tab than everyone.Lost on that.Any ideas?

 

Delete the everyone user...this will restrict everyone. If u need to allow certain people access...add their name to the "Security" permission entry and assign them proper permissions.

 

What OS are you running? XP or _Vista, and is it the home version or the pro/business version?

If you're running XP-Pro, I know you can set up more sophisticated file-sharing (you turn off simple file sharing, then create a share, then set the user permissions on it). In _Vista I don't know offhand, as I don't run it, but if you list the specific version, I can probably find a rough-and-ready idea from the MS online materials (KB, TechNet, etc - some pretty good resources if you have the patience to wade through it).

 

If he's using XP it would be the Pro version, and I'm sure the the simple file sharing is already turned off, because if it was enabled he wouldn't see the "Security" tab at all.

And I do find it strange that he's only seeing the "everyone" user account under the security tab. Must be .Vista!...and therefore..."must be a .Vista thing".

 

The scenario as of now:
I can share the folder,no problems.Coming to the part of removing "everyone" and adding only one user,only the user name of the host machine is seen.I tried to enter the user name used in other computer and it says not found.In the locations only the same computer is shown

 

This is where my post #9 comes in. Seeing that you're not in a "Domain" setting, you will not "see" the other user account. So therefore the best thing to do is to create an identical user account on the computer that is hosting the shared folder (your computer); and give that user the correct "Security" permissions (by adding the user account under the Security tab). So the user accessing the shared folder from their own computer can just enter their own log in credentials and access the shared folder.

 

Hi
I tried to add it to a domain and it said the domain controller could not be contacted.I haven't tried the way you said Makaveli.I will post how it goes.