Re: Win XP, NAT, DSL and File Sharing

From: David H. Lipman (DLipman~nospam~_at_Verizon.Net)
Date: 09/26/05 

Date: Mon, 26 Sep 2005 16:21:05 -0400

From: "QuickHare" <noone@home4comment.com>

| Yup, this is a common question raised, but this one is slightly different as I
| hope someone out there can just read through what I write and confirm or correct
| my understanding. Also, any names of systems, workgroups, user accounts, etc are
| used for generic reasons so others can learn too, and the set-up does not use
| any default names for security (eg, not on the Workgroup workgroup).
|
| ---
|
| Right, I have two machines, A and B. A is a desktop machine, B is a laptop. Both
| run Window XP Home SP2 with all the updates fully installed and working great. A
| (desktop) is connected to a router by wire (ethernet cable). B (laptop) is
| connected via a wireless connection to the router, set up with passwords,
| encryption and MAC filtering (to keep the unwanted connections out). The router
| is a DSL/cable router with built in hardware firewall and NAT (network address
| translation). It connects to the internet.
|
| Now, I wish to allow B to see the entire hard disks of A using File and Printer
| Sharing. On looking into this, it is a bad idea when connected direct to the
| Internet. However, I have found a Scope button in the Exceptions tab of the
| Windows XP firewall, which I can limit only to the local IP addresses only
| (which are not likely to change).
|
| So.......
| Can I do the following safely with no trouble outside?
|
| 1. Enable File and Print Sharing.
| 2. Change the scope settings to only allow it to be open for my known computers
| on my local network.
| 3. Using this, share the root of all harddrives.
|
| Any help would be appreciated.
|
| QuickHare
|

Yes, it can be done safely.
To increase your security I always suggest blocking TCP and UDP Ports 135 ~ 139 and 445 on
*any* SOHO Router.

Since you are running XP HE, I don't think admin shares like c$ are created so you will have
to actually share the root of drive "C:". Just make sure both PCs have the same named
account and the same password and you will access data with no problems. I do suggest that
you use passwords on all accounts, disable the "guest" account and use strong passwords on
the accounts. 

-- 
Dave
http://www.claymania.com/removal-trojan-adware.html
http://www.ik-cs.com/got-a-virus.htm