In Windows Client: "Using IntelliMirror to Manage User Data and Settings" (July 2003, http://www.winnetmag.com, InstantDoc 39193), Ed Roth makes the following recommendation: "Don't redirect folders to a Microsoft Dfs volume because synchronization problems will likely occur." I'd like to hear more about this broad statement. Does redirecting folders pose a problem only when you're
using directory replication to maintain multiple copies of the files or folders?
—David Martin
dmartin@ci.las-vegas.nv.us
I should have clarified in the article that if you're using only Windows XP clients (not Windows 2000 clients), Win2K supports Dfs shares for redirected folders. In a mixed environment, you need to stay away from Dfs or Win2K clients will not function properly. The Microsoft article "Support for DFS-Based Shares for Offline Files" (http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=262845) describes the problem.
—Ed Roth
Connecting the Difficult Way
In Top 10: "Tips for Wireless Security" (July 2003, http://www.winnetmag.com, InstantDoc ID 39201), Michael Otey lists the top 10 ways to protect your wireless LAN (WLAN). Number 7 is to disable the Service Set Identifier (SSID) broadcast. Although this tactic might seem to be an obvious measure, I would argue that you're only making connecting to the wireless network more difficult for your users. A determined intruder will find your network and get in without seeing the SSID when browsing; plus, if you follow the nine other steps, knowing the SSID won't help the hacker get in anyway.
—Steven J. Briggs
sjbriggs@raytheon.com
Thanks for your comments. Although none of the measures presented in my column will prevent a determined and skilled intruder from gaining access to your WLAN, the idea behind each of them is to make unauthorized access as difficult as possible. Concealing your SSID is just one more step to accomplish this. As you note, this approach does make connecting to the WLAN somewhat more difficult for your authorized users, but you can add the appropriate connection information to your setup instructions for users who configure their own systems.
—Michael Otey
The Licensing Maze
Thanks for Ed Roth's Windows Client: "Image-Based Windows XP Deployment" (June 2003, http://www.winnetmag.com, InstantDoc ID 38950). I'm anxious to use this technique but have a question about licensing and Windows Product Activation (WPA). Most of my clients don't have Microsoft Select License 6.0 and use OEM, Microsoft Open License 6.0, or Full Packaged Product (FPP) licensing instead. When an organization uses OEM, Open License, or FPP media to build a Sysprep image, how does WPA work?
—Dean Sherwood
dean@nsasia.co.th
Unfortunately, in your case the answers aren't clear. The simple answer from Microsoft is, "For unattended installations that are not performed using volume-licensing media, a separate answer file, including a unique Product Key, must be created for each computer on which Windows XP Professional is installed." That's not an optimal solution for you. You need to consult your Microsoft representative to determine whether your FPP licensing (which I am unfamiliar with) will let you use one key. If that works, you'll then need to figure out the legality of and method for performing a clean installation of XP from your qualified upgrade media. The ability to provide one key for multiple installations will rely on the image having been built by the appropriate media. You can obtain a Volume License Key (VLK) for your Open License media by contacting the Microsoft Activation Center for the appropriate region. Microsoft should have provided the phone number for your Activation Center to you in a letter. You'll need to provide your Open License Authorization Number, your Open License Agreement Number, and the title and quantity of product you have licensed. In the case of your OEM-licensed systems, you have several options when deploying by using single license activation media, as discussed in the Microsoft article "Deploying Windows XP Using Windows Product Activation" (http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/techinfo/deployment/activation/default.asp).
—Ed Roth
Winners Get Free Subscriptions
Thanks to the hundreds of readers who entered our 100th Issue Trivia Quiz mentioned in Letters to the Editor: "It's Our 100th Issue!" (April 2003, http://www.winnetmag.com, InstantDoc 38297). The five readers who answered every question correctly received free 1-year subscriptions to Windows & .NET Magazine. And the correct answers are: 1. Windows Server Magazine; 2. Mark Smith, Michael Otey, and Bob Chronister; 3. May 1998; 4. December 1995; 5. Michael Otey.
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