WorkGroup vs Domain for access to a UNC, visually & linking

[fuzmic]

Hi guys

I have a Server running winSrv 2012 R2 and have being upgrading my little knowledge from version 03 days. Thus has been reading about the threshold to switch from workgroup to domain, etc, etc.

I notice that my Server did not use a Work Group or a Domain to link up the many PCs in the LAN. Browsing the router, I can see the local IP address of all the PC with the same format 192.168.1.###. The server’s name is eg “MySrv” and let’s say I have a SMB - Share Quick eg “S_Folder” .

With this, I do not see any PC, nor the Server, in the NetWork place. However if I search at any PC in the LAN using eg Link Removed due to 404 Error, after getting there, the Server “MySrv” will start to appear in the NetWork.

My comfort zone is at normal Windows OS from XP to Win 10 v1803 with all PCs joining a workgroup eg “WkGrp”. Even here I have problem with Win10 tabloids connected to the LAN, using a configured “Private Network” wifi router. The problem is win 10 tabloid will only show the tabloids in the tabloid; not the table tops in the LAN. (PC shows all).
All devices are configured to allow “File/printer Sharing” & “Network Discovery”. This is another issue I am still tinkering & probably post it as another thread.

My questions here

1. Do I need a work group or domain (in a LAN with winSrv OS) to link to a UNC eg Link Removed due to 404 Error, when i use UNC to link in my coding eg in VB6?
2. Will joining, either, make all devices become visibility automatically in the “NetWork”?

Cheerio! to all members from new member!

 

[Neemobeer]

A domain will allow you to centrally manage authentication as well as apply GPOs across all your systems making it a lot easier to access resource between systems. On top of that DNS will make it much easier to identify and access those systems.

 

[livix07]

Hi guys
My questions here

1. Do I need a work group or domain (in a LAN with winSrv OS) to link to a UNC eg Link Removed due to 404 Error, when i use UNC to link in my coding eg in VB6?
2. Will joining, either, make all devices become visibility automatically in the “NetWork”?

Cheerio! to all members from new member!

Work Group feature has been removed from Windows 10. If at any point you upgrade to Server 2016 or the client PCs to Windows 10, Work Group will not be available anymore.

 

[fuzmic]

007 I still see Work Group in normal Win10, are you sure there is a Server version named as Win 10, I see only Server 2016 or i got you wrong.

Beer, so i should use Domain. By the way with or without a Domain the UNC is accessible in the LAN.

 

[ussnorway]

007 I still see Work Group in normal Win10, are you sure there is a Server version named as Win 10, I see only Server 2016 or i got you wrong.

Beer, so i should use Domain. By the way with or without a Domain the UNC is accessible in the LAN.

it is disabled by default in Windows 10 because the host file i.e, 127.0.0.1 is not trusted but that is easy to fix

my home server is a free Hyper-v running in workgroup on an old single chip motherboard that was my game system
as for Workgroup Vs Domain (as a rule of thumb) workgroup = 10 or less stations... above ten a domain is the faster system but under 10 workgroups are much faster networks

any public facing server i.e, once you have strangers coming in should always be domain setups imo

 

[livix07]

007 I still see Work Group in normal Win10, are you sure there is a Server version named as Win 10, I see only Server 2016 or i got you wrong.

Windows Server 2016 runs on top of Windows 10. So, it is basically Windows 10 plus Active Directory and other server related features.

 

[fuzmic]

Thank you to clarify

 

[Neemobeer]

Server 2016 doesn't run on top of Windows 10. It does use the same kernel. There are a lot of differences but they are under the hood such as an emphasis on background processing (thread quantum) vs user space processing. I believe livix meant 'Home Groups' and not Work groups as being a removed feature in Windows 10


UNC paths are independent of domain/work groups but the ability to access them is simplified having a domain since your authentication is centralized plus DNS will allow you to access them by A names. Additionally you can make shorter easy to remember CNAMEs to access the resources by.