Question : How to connect a notebook to multiple domains and/or workgroups?

I have a notebook (running NT 4.0) that I have connected to my business domain. I need to connect to other domains and workgroups. Besides removing my PC from the business domain, changing protocols, and adding to the other domain or workgroup every time I want to connect to another domain or workgroup, what are other alternatives? Third-party is OK.

johnr

Answer : How to connect a notebook to multiple domains and/or workgroups?

there are 3rd party programs for this.
 A workstation (and even though you are using   2000 Server, you are using it as a workstation) can only be a member of one NT domain at a time.

                  A couple of thoughts that might be workarounds:

                  1) NetSwitcher (http://www.netswitcher.com) Version 3 permits quick changes from one network setup        and domain setup to another.  It works on W2K without needing any reboots.  My only concern here is    that it doesn't specifically support 2000 Server.

                  2) You can setup your portable server as a domain of it's own and then establish interdomain-trust  between all of your "client" domains and it.


Multi Net manager from         http://www.globesoft.com/Common/frm_products.html

also

From: jhance     Date: 01/26/2001 02:34AM PST  switching IP addreses.

                   This is a domain vs. workgroup issue and is caused by YOUR NT SERVER security settings.  There are a
                   couple of possibilities:

                   1) Give the users in question the "Add Workstation to Domain" privilege on the server.  Then they can
                   rejoin the domain after being at home on their ATT connection.

                   2) Don't unjoin the NT domain when connected at home.  In most cases the only thing that needs to be
                   changed is the TCPIP setup.  The NT domain business is a client on top of the network protocol and serves
                   only to authenticate users. Have users logon to the local account database and change their TCPIP setups
                   and then you won't have this problem.  There is no reason to unjoin the NT domain.  There are a couple
                   of issues with the ATT connection.  Do you really need to use DHCP?  Many "require" this but in fact
                   it is not technically needed.  In most cases you can just use the assigned IP address and it will never
                   change.  They configure for TCPIP to save themselves the headache of having to explain this to users.
                    The second part of this is that the reason DHCP won't work in situations like this is the computer
                   name.  You may be able to just change the TCPIP to DHCP and change the computer name to the one specified
                   by ATT and it will work.  It's some sort of lame authentication scheme used on these systems...

                   The problem I see is that you users most likely are not comfortable changing their network properties.
                    This is where a tool like NetSwitcher is useful.  It saves and later restores a set of network properties.
                    It will not (and can not) get around the domain privilege issues with re-joining a domain but it can
                   make the rest of this simpler.

                   No, Microsoft does NOT consider this an issue.  Try and think like they do.  There should be an NT server
                   on every street corner serving users.  All of these NT servers should be tied together in a giant trust
                   relationship so users can move seamlessly from one location to another.

                   I might sound good in theory (esp. if you are the NT Server product mananger) but it's not a reality
                   now, nor do I think it's realistic, EVER!
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I hope this helps !