Virtual Server?

[mvd7793]

I am looking for something to create a virtual server (if that's what it's called) on my home network (not a buisness network). I only have XP and Vista computers (no home server or anything). What I want to do is to create a file area. Ex: Someone opens Windows Explorer, and in the address bar, they type mvdfiles or something like that. Then, it shows them a folder on a specified computer. I want this over my whole network, I would like it done for free. If you give me a satisfactory answer, you will earn 25 credits. I will install software on a computer to get it to work, but I do not want to have to get a new OS. If this is as simple as going into my Dlink DIR-655 router, please let me know.

 

[hatbocs]

Are you talking about file sharing?
http://compnetworking.about.com/cs/winxpnetworking/ht/winxpsfs.htm

Or did you want to set up something like a website that is only accessible on your network?

 

[mvd7793]

Something like a website except with files, not an actual website.

 

[hatbocs]

Well what I would do then (since you're running all windows machines) is set up a home network.

There are many tutorials for doing this (such as the one I gave). This way you can connect to the computer with your files by typing \\<computer name> in Windows Explorer and be shown all of the shared resources on the computer.

Here's a quick tutorial for sharing files on XP (I don't know about Vista):
First (if you've already set up a home network then skip):
1. Go to Control Panel > Network Connections
2. Go to File > Network Setup Wizard
3. Follow the step in setting up your network
4. Add the other computers to the network

To share folders:
1. Go to My Computer
2. Browse to the folder you wish to make available across your network (This could be a whole hard drive or a single folder)
3. Right-click on that folder, go to "Sharing and Security..." (alternatively found under "Properties > Sharing")
4. If there's a little warning text, click on it to access the sharing options
5. In the second box ("Network sharing and security") check the "Share this folder on the network" box and a name will come up in the text box. Change the name if you want
6. If you want to be able to write to the folder check the "Allow users to change my files" box
7. Click Ok and windows will change the permissions of the files in the folder

To access your computer on the network:
1. On another computer, open Windows Explorer
2. In the address bar type "\\<computername" and hit enter/go
3. You should now see the folder, you set to be shared. You can open it and display all the contents in it

If you want to map a network drive I'll put up how to.

 

[mvd7793]

Except I want to be able to create a "virtual Pc" so that if you type \\pipeline or whatever, it will redirect you to a folder on a PC. Is that possible?

 

[hatbocs]

I don't think I quite follow.

The term "virtual" means you're not setting up any physical network or computer.

Could you provide an example of how you would use your network? I understand you want to make a folder available across the whole network by typing in \\somecomputer, but I don't understand if you want a "real" network or a "virtual" one.

The term "virtual pc" means you run another "computer" inside your own and doesn't correspond to your physical network.

 

[mvd7793]

Ok. I used the wrong term. I would like to type \\pipeline or something else on my current home network, and want that to be fowarded to a specified folder on a computer on the network. I was calling it virtual because I was thinking like virtual fowarding, or just plain fowarding, or I don't know what it's called!

 

[hatbocs]

Try what I suggested in that long post as I'm pretty sure that's going to do what you want.

 

[warlordste]

why not use a simple filesharing u have xp professional its not that hard type the name of ur comp and the folder you want and its as simple as that no fuss no mess and not much can go wrong lol

 

[mvd7793]

I know I know! That's already set up. I didn't know if there was an easy way to do that.

 

[hatbocs]

Well if you already have simple filesharing set up then you basically had done everything you asked for.

Just try typing in \\nameofcomputer and it should work. Other than that, I guess I still don't quite understand what you mean.

 

[Hazirak]

As others have already said, since you're running Windows machines, you could simply turn on simple file sharing and share out the folders or drives that you want other machines to have access to. Then all you would have to do after setting up the Windows network is go to Run... and type \\<computer name>\<share name>, and it should pop open the folder. You could even go to My Computer and map the folder to a drive, if you wanted to (I have a 300GB partition on my PC shared and mapped on my laptop as drive Z, for example).

However, if you are truly dead-set on having a 100% independent virtual server (as in running something like Linux or Windows Server at the same time as Windows XP or Vista on the same computer, yet having them both act like two different machines), then you may possibly have to look at finding a little money in your pocket for something like VMware. Microsoft also has a (to the best of my knowledge) free virtual machine solution known fairly bluntly as Virtual PC, but I can't vouch for any kind of quality on that as I've never used it.

 

[Livewire]

There's also one called Virtual Box, although I can't compare it to VirtualPC (don't have it) or VMWare (hasn't finished downloading) but I DO know I've got Windows Server 2003 Enterprise on it (don't ask where I got it) and Suse linux (which I'll be trashing shortly, that particular distro sucks).


Took some work making the server actually utilize the network somewhat though, not sure if that was my stupidity or if because vbox does things a little differently.

 

[Hazirak]

I know with VMware, you can simply set the virtual machine to use bridged networking, where basically it will obtain its own IP address and behave exactly like a separate node from the machine it's running on. It's actually pretty cool to ping a virtual machine from its host OS, but that's just me being a bit of a nerd.

 

[Derek]

You could do c://pipline?