Networking w/ Windows ME

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Ok, I’ve searched and read a lot of the other posts on this type of subject, but none of the ideas solved the particular issues I was seeing when trying this. I have a user who uses a Windows 2000 laptop here at work, so they’re obviously logging into the domain, and they want to take the laptop home and be able to connect to their desktop pc at home for file and printer sharing. The pc at their house is Windows ME. So here’s the problem…I actually went out and set up a little home network using just a 5 port switch and running ethernet cables from the switch to each machine. They also have an ADSL connection and I have run the etherset modem through the switch also. The only way I can get the Windows 2000 machine to connect to the Windows ME machine is if I create a local user account for the user and they log in with that account, and not their domain login account. They do not want to have a seperate account that they have to log in to for home use. Windows 2000, however, gives me one of two error messages when I try to access a share on the other computer while logged with the user’s domain account. One: “There is no log on server to process the request.” Two: “The server cannot process the request specified.” I’m not sure why there’s two different error messages, and why each one occurs when it does. I can see the other computer through My Network Places/Network Neighborhood, but I get the error message when I actually try to view the shares or contents on the computer. Or if I try to connect to the other computer via the run prompt. I have been able to get the Windows ME machine to connect to the Windows 2000 laptop, but as the printer in the house is connected to the desktop machine, I need to be able to get the laptop (2000) to connect to the desktop (ME), and that’s where I’m running into the problems. I don’t know if the Win2000 machine is looking for the domain controller or something, or what the deal is. So…does anybody know a way that I can get this set up so the Windows 2000 laptop they take home from work can use the file and printer sharing with the desktop at their house, and they can still log in with their domain account? Windows 2000 must cache the logon credentials locally or something, because a user can log in using their domain account when they’re not connected to the network. Any help on this would be appreciated.

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I’m a little out of my element here and I’m not sure I’m correct but I’ll throw this out and see if it’s any help.
When I took a Windows 2000 Server course it was explained to me that 2000 Server could not be installed on a laptop because most laptops do not have a Network Interface Card (NIC). Is it possible the lack of the NIC is causing the problem? When I get home tonight I’ll check my notes and text from the class to see if I can help.
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It’s Windows 2000 Professional that they’re running on the laptop. What I’m thinking is that the error contains the word “server”, because it uses cached credentials when they log on using the network domain, even when they are working at home and not connected to the network. So then Windows 2000 looks for the domain controller or something when trying to find other machines on the network. Many laptops ae now coming with built in NIC’s however.

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If domain login is a requirement for work, you’ll have to have a separate local account to login to a different network at home. Win2k does cache login credentials but when you try to access network resources it is trying to validate the user permissions. It can’t because the domain server is not available. Don’t think there’s any way around this.

Joe

--Joe

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