Browser service on laptops

[Guest Chadder]

I plan to disable the computer browser service on my laptop workstations.

Will this cause a problem when the laptop is taken home and connected to a

home network that does not have a domain contoller? Will you still be able

to see other computers?

[Guest Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

Re: Browser service on laptops

 

Chadder <chadder@nospam.postalias> wrote:

> I plan to disable the computer browser service on my laptop

> workstations.

 

Ideally, do this via group policy. :)

> Will this cause a problem when the laptop is taken home

> and connected to a home network that does not have a domain

> contoller? Will you still be able to see other computers?

 

Yes, but the PC won't be able to participate in browser elections. Since

it's in a domain, and not a workgroup, this really doesn't make any

difference.

 

I think this is fine - it's how I set up all my clients' networks and so far

nobody's reported any problems communicating with home networks.

 

Note that browsing isn't even really needed - once they've logged into the

domain using cached credentials, and have an IP address on the home network,

they can can map drives, use printers, whatnot, very easily. They just need

to provide credentials on the remote PC.

 

One way, in a command line:

 

net use x: \\computername\sharename /user:computername\username <enter>

 

or, typing \\computername in start | run or the address bar in Explorer.

[Guest Chadder]

Re: Browser service on laptops

 

Thanks for the quick response. Can you point me to a good way to do this with

group policy? I know how to use group policy.

 

"Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]" wrote:

> Chadder <chadder@nospam.postalias> wrote:

> > I plan to disable the computer browser service on my laptop

> > workstations.

>

> Ideally, do this via group policy. :)

>

> > Will this cause a problem when the laptop is taken home

> > and connected to a home network that does not have a domain

> > contoller? Will you still be able to see other computers?

>

> Yes, but the PC won't be able to participate in browser elections. Since

> it's in a domain, and not a workgroup, this really doesn't make any

> difference.

>

> I think this is fine - it's how I set up all my clients' networks and so far

> nobody's reported any problems communicating with home networks.

>

> Note that browsing isn't even really needed - once they've logged into the

> domain using cached credentials, and have an IP address on the home network,

> they can can map drives, use printers, whatnot, very easily. They just need

> to provide credentials on the remote PC.

>

> One way, in a command line:

>

> net use x: \\computername\sharename /user:computername\username <enter>

>

> or, typing \\computername in start | run or the address bar in Explorer.

>

>

>

[Guest Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

Re: Browser service on laptops

 

Chadder <chadder@nospam.postalias> wrote:

> Thanks for the quick response. Can you point me to a good way to do

> this with group policy? I know how to use group policy.

 

I'd set up a custom GPO, link it at the appropriate OU, and do this there -

 

but it's in computer config\windows settings\security settings\system

services

 

>

> "Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]" wrote:

>

>> Chadder <chadder@nospam.postalias> wrote:

>>> I plan to disable the computer browser service on my laptop

>>> workstations.

>>

>> Ideally, do this via group policy. :)

>>

>>> Will this cause a problem when the laptop is taken home

>>> and connected to a home network that does not have a domain

>>> contoller? Will you still be able to see other computers?

>>

>> Yes, but the PC won't be able to participate in browser elections.

>> Since it's in a domain, and not a workgroup, this really doesn't

>> make any difference.

>>

>> I think this is fine - it's how I set up all my clients' networks

>> and so far nobody's reported any problems communicating with home

>> networks.

>>

>> Note that browsing isn't even really needed - once they've logged

>> into the domain using cached credentials, and have an IP address on

>> the home network, they can can map drives, use printers, whatnot,

>> very easily. They just need to provide credentials on the remote PC.

>>

>> One way, in a command line:

>>

>> net use x: \\computername\sharename /user:computername\username

>> <enter>

>>

>> or, typing \\computername in start | run or the address bar in

>> Explorer.