2k or XP pro

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jon Zenor
  • Start date Start date
J

Jon Zenor

This may be posted in the wrong place, but what is the
better OS to get for a computer that will be running a
wireless LAN? I want to have good network security, even
though it is only for my home, and if I do allow users to
connect I do not want to let them use my cable internet so
that they don't use up my bandwidth and to stay out of
trouble with my cable company. Thank you.
 
XP Pro is a great operating system which builds on the features of W2K. It has
more advanced features such as built in ICF firewall, alternate tcp/ip settings,
Software Restriction Policies, better multimedia, more Group Policy/Security
settings, and System Restore Points. Having said that however, you will need to
accomplish what you want via your wireless cable/dsl router. You can filter internet
access by ip or mac addresses. Be sure to change your default settings on your
wireless router and use WEP. You don't want "war drivers" to access your network
either. --- Steve

http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/focuson/wirelessnetworking.asp
 
Read what Steven said first, then add this....

No matter what the marketing people tell you,
Win2000 is WinNT 5.0 and WinXP is just WinNT 5.1

Generally, WinXP is 'incrementally' better than Win2000;
your milage may vary with particular games or drivers but
XP has been around long enough that most hardware worth
having has a driver that works (if there's one for Win2000
especially.)

XP is particularly more aware of wireless issues than Win2000.

BTW, Win2003 Server is just WinNT 5.2 <grin>
 
Thank you for the advice, also, I know in Windows 2000 you
can customize a lot of different user groups, and XP only
apears to have to, user and admin. Is there a way to add
your own new groups so you can have different policies in
place for different users?
 
Never mind, I figured out how to customize other groups.

The real issue is Domains versus ordinary servers and XP/NT
workstations.

Domains have a bunch of built in groups that appear on the
Domain Controllers and may be useable by all the machines of that
domain. (Technically Global groups are available to all machines,
and in Native mode Domain Local groups BECOME available.)

All non-DCs (servers, pro, XP, nt-workstations) can have new
"machine-level" groups added locally just like the domain can
add groups for the entire domain.
 
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