Novice Remote Networking Question

Hi. My org is contemplating hiring temporary and ever-changing part-time staff that would (ideally) access their files at the office from their homes. Our computers are currently P2P, no server, on XP Pro. Assuming this setup remains, what would be an ideal way to achieve this networking option, knowing that the staff (and thus locations) would continually change?

TIA!

 

Why not just set up one of the XP machines with Remote Desktop enabled, appropriate user accounts in place, and a shared folder (or mapped folders) for each user?

Edit: I'm assuming (yes, I know what happens when you assume) that your remote users will connect, download their files, then disconnect. When they've completed their day's work, they'll reconnect and upload the files again. That's one of the hooks with Remote Desktop...only one user at a time can use the machine.

In a perfect world, the true solution lies in Windows 2003 Small Business Server and Remote Web Access.

What does everyone else think?

 

I admit I don't know how to maximize XP Pro, although I knew a remote networking option was available. What if others don't have XP at home? (I guess I should have mentioned that variable in my first post.)

Offhand, do you have any resources on this for me to learn more?

(And, yes, I'm curious what others think too, although this sounds like the quickest, easiest solution, assuming the multi-OS situation isn't a huge issue.)

 

Personally, I think I'd just setup an FTP server on the machine with the files in question, and allow them to download/upload the files in question as required.

 

Yeah, since XP Pros come with a built in FTP it should support a few connections at a time, that would be ideal... Just set up a user account in computer manager for each person and that will carry over to their FTP user accounts... You can even map other PCs on the office network through virtual directories if needed. Just make sure to install IIS from Add/Remove Programs -> Windows Components -> Internet Information Services.

 

Thank you for your replies!

Question: What if their home computers don't have XP? Will this still work?

 

If you set up a machine as the FTP server, then yes, anyone with ftp software (cuteFTP, BulletProofFTP, etc), could access their approved directories through their FTP app, operating system would not be an issue.

MBN