Hi, I've just go thrown into this project. I know 2000 Server, but am in the process of learning 2003 Server and SBS 2008. I work for a small non-profix that has two offices. The two offices are about 30 miles apart. 16 work in the local office and 4 work in the report office. We are currently running XP and 2000 Server in the local office. The users in the remote office do not have a server, but share an internet connection. Both office are connect via a work group (not a domain). A 64-bit server and a legal copy of 2003 Server and SBS2008 were donated to us. I can install either OS on the 64 bit server. I am working on getting someone to donate a second server. My two month plan is to install SBS2008 on the 64 bit computer in the local office and 2003 Server on some computer in the remote office. I then plan to connect the two servers to each other over a VPN. (I Hope). We just got some money and we are going to purchase 5 new machines, which will have Windows 7 Home Premium on them. Here is my question. I know that I can connect the Windows 7 Home Premium computers to 2000 Server via the work groups. However, I've done some reading and I am beginning to think that I can not connect Windows 7 Home Premium to SBS 2008. Does any one know if I can and if so, how do I do it? W7 Home Premium does not support domains and from what I read SBS 2008 only supports domains. Any help would be appreciated. If this is not the right forum for this question, can you please tell me forum would be more appropriate. Thanks, Dennis Dennis Solis

For the five new PC's, you will definitely need to get the Win 7 Pro version (not the Home Premium version) if you want this to work. You will have to setup a Domain and manage it appropriately as well. FWIW - I think it will be difficult (possibly more difficult than you want or need) to take the approach that you are on. First, why do you need Server's in the first place? Especially two that are so far apart in age. Second, adding a VPN to connect the two offices also adds comlexity. Third, Server 2003 tolerates Workgroup clients. Server 2008 not so much. Server OS's are designed/intended for Domain environments. You are correct that Windows 7 Home Premium (or any Home version of an MS OS for that matter) are not allowed to join a Domain. The purpose of a Domain is to provide security and "management" (think Group Policy) of clients and other Domain resources. The Home versions of the clients do not have the "management" features baked in. Only the "professional" and up versions have this. You have a lot of elements in play that are working against you. I think you should seriously reconsider what you need/are trying to accomplish and see if some of the Cloud services that are now available might serve you better (and possibly for less money in the long run). BPOS and Office 365 (February) are both available for a very affordable rate (roughly $2 to $10 per user per month). You are looking at around $1K per year for your total software usage costs for your entire organization. That's not bad all things considered. Good luck."It's a tough life... but someone has to enjoy it!"

Jagade, Our goal is to connect the two office so we can share data between the two. Currently we have to e-mail documents so that the other office can update it and send it back to us. Dennis Dennis Solis

You can accomplish that without Servers. All you need is a pair of Routers that support SSL and/or IPsec VPN tunnels. Checkout the WatchGuard Firebox line of Routers. They are excellant choices for this very purpose. Plus, they come with the client software that you may (or may not - depending on how you configure your setup) need on each PC to connect to the tunnel. btw - SSL is easier to setup than IPsec. imho - you will want to set it all up so the actual tunnel is established between the two Routers (not client to Router). This configuration essentially joins your two LAN's together and lets you access data on either side of the tunnel."It's a tough life... but someone has to enjoy it!"

Jagade, That sounds like what I want to do. If I don't need a server up there, then I can skip that. I can just connection the two offices. I like your idea of joining the two routers. It sounds much simpler to maintain. We have a machine with 2000 Server on it. But we do not have the original CD. Our existing server is on it last legs. I have to boot it about once or twice a week. I think it is about at it end. I have a installtion cd for 2003 Server and SBS 2008. The owner wants to implement the Outlook sharing calendar, which I under stand you can only do with an inhouse Exchange Server. I've been told that there are other better Calendar sharing product out there, but then there is the cost issue. We are a non-profit so our budget is very tight. So, all that being said with the main issue of our 2000 Server machine about to die, I have to move to either 2003 Server or SBS2008. Any suggestions given our mix of computer and our current needs. DennisDennis Solis

Setting up an maintaining one or even two Servers will be a lot of responsibility (and work). You really have to have a big need for a Server before you go down that path - imho. The calendar problem can be solved by using Google Calendar (for free). Or, like I said earlier, setup and use Microsoft's Online services. BPOS (Business Process Online Services) is the current online hosted suite of software that Microsoft is offering. However, that is all about to change in early 2011 when Office 365 will step in to more or less replace BPOS. The services include Office 2010 (for local install and for Web based versions as well), Exchange Server, SharePoint, and Lync (which replaces Office Communications Server and Live Meeting). You can just run Exchange online if that is all you need. Microsoft hosts the Server, maintains it, and so forth. All you have to do is use it. Costs around $5 per month per user. You get shared and private Calendars, email, and all the other features that Exchange provides. For the price, you really can't beat it with any other solution. Depending on how much data you need to pass back and forth, you can use Skydrive and get up to 20 Gbytes of storage per account (for free). There are a ton of solutions to your needs that are web based. This allows your two sites to communicate and would even possibly eliminate the VPN requirement. You just have to investigate them. "It's a tough life... but someone has to enjoy it!"

Setting up an maintaining one or even two Servers will be a lot of responsibility (and work). You really have to have a big need for a Server before you go down that path - imho. The calendar problem can be solved by using Google Calendar (for free). Or, like I said earlier, setup and use Microsoft's Online services. BPOS (Business Productivity Online Services) is the current online hosted suite of software that Microsoft is offering. However, that is all about to change in early 2011 when Office 365 will step in to more or less replace BPOS. The services include Office 2010 (for local install and for Web based versions as well), Exchange Server, SharePoint, and Lync (which replaces Office Communications Server and Live Meeting). You can just run Exchange online if that is all you need. Microsoft hosts the Server, maintains it, and so forth. All you have to do is use it. Costs around $5 per month per user. You get shared and private Calendars, email, and all the other features that Exchange provides. For the price, you really can't beat it with any other solution. Depending on how much data you need to pass back and forth, you can use Skydrive and get up to 20 Gbytes of storage per account (for free). There are a ton of solutions to your needs that are web based. This allows your two sites to communicate and would even possibly eliminate the VPN requirement. You just have to investigate them. "It's a tough life... but someone has to enjoy it!"