Looking for a nice intro on setting up Windows networks

[Jog On]

For work/testing stuff you could always create VMs - VMware server is free:

VMware Server, Free Virtualization Download for Virtual Server Consolidation

If you have an action pack subscription you should be laughing.

[minestrone]

I use a workgroup, various XP and vista mahines, the girlie's over priced mac seemed to pick up my shared drives automatically.

[Cliphead]

First problem I've come across... on XP you have Workgroups, on W7 you have HomeGroups. My PCs are able to see each other within the "whole network" with limited access, but I reckon the right way is to put them in the same group?

W7 homegroups also have passwords and things. What's the right way to have W7 & XP machines able to see each other?

You can setup a workgroup in W7 as well, I think the home default is for W7 machines only. I think I had to allow guest access before both W7 and XP machines would talk to each other.

[d000hg]

First problem I've come across... on XP you have Workgroups, on W7 you have HomeGroups. My PCs are able to see each other within the "whole network" with limited access, but I reckon the right way is to put them in the same group?

W7 homegroups also have passwords and things. What's the right way to have W7 & XP machines able to see each other?

[d000hg]

Oh yes I have a Mac too. I'm on MS AP but don't want to run a central server OS. Maybe a simple workgroup is all that's needed but the XP/W7 machines don't seem to see each other. And throughout the years I have mucked about with PCs, I've never avoided problems where trying to access files on another PC suddenly asks me for passwords... normally PC A can access B fine, but not the other way round, or some similar mess. I'm fairly sure that sharing C$ shouldn't be needed but it's what I normally seem to end up doing.

On the Ps3 side, W7 has media-server functionality built-in which seems to be different... My W7 PC shows up once as a PC and again as a media server!

[Durbs]

I used to have my home network set up as an AD Domain running whatever flavour of Server was in the Action Pack de-jour along with Exchange, Sharepoint etc etc. It was vaguely fun to play with as i was a systems engineer in a previous life but then I had to ask myself why was i bothering for a home network?

In your case, it should just be a case of create a Workgroup called MyCo, assign the Windows machines to it and make sure you login to each one using the same username/pass. This should "just work". PS3, it'll just talk to whatever UPnP media server you run on the PC's.

some PCs are specifically for work & testing and I'm wondering if they should be in some sub-network which can see each other but not the internet for instance.

I wouldn't bother, sure you could set them in another Workgroup or subnet them but sods law says as soon as you do that you'll want to access them from the other PC's in the house!

If you want to play though the Action Pack is great, you can pickup a server for peanuts of eBay, load a copy of 2K8 Server and then setting up a domain or multiple domains is nowhere near as difficult as you'd imagine (as is adding any Macs etc you may have).

[d000hg]

I've done a few basic things like get my PCs connected to a router, but never really had much luck setting up a network so my PCs could see each other. Managed it once in XP but now I have W7, Vista and XP machines AND a PS3.
As well as a few obvious things, some PCs are specifically for work & testing and I'm wondering if they should be in some sub-network which can see each other but not the internet for instance.

I don't want to be a sys-admin, just know a few basics. Anyone know good online guides because when I try to do it I normally end up with things half-working in a just-about-usable state before getting frustrated and giving up! I am sure setting things up properly would save me some time in the long run.