Deploying in a Windows Workgroup

The Spector CNE Control Center was designed for domain networks to manage the Client Recorders from a remote location. However, you can configure your Windows Workgroup for Spector CNE by adding a Local Administrator to each client's Administrator Group that allows for remote Client installation and management.

 Setting up a Local Administrator

An obstacle to using Spector CNE in a Windows Workgroup environment is user authentication.  The user logged on to and using the CNE Control Center computer must have Administrator privileges on the remote Client computers.  In a Workgroup, there is no common repository of usernames (and associated privileges), so usernames must be manually created on each Client.  

The following shows a Workgroup network (assuming all Clients are Windows NT, 2000, Server 2003 or XP Pro computers):

The Control Center computer (Administrator) is logged on as the Local “Administrator” account with a password of “tubby.”  Of the 3 client computers in the Workgroup, the only one with the exact credentials as the Control Center computer is “Client 1.”  Therefore, the only machine the Control Center will be able to see and manipulate is “Client 1”.

What you need is a local “Administrator” account that is the same on each machine and uses the same password. Then you can simply log on to the Control Center computer using that local Administrator account.  All of the other computers are then visible to the Spector CNE Control Center.  

Creating a Local Administrator User

If it is not possible to log in as local Administrator on each machine with the same password, you will have to create a user on each workstation and place that user in the local Administrators group.

To create a local administrator user:

1. On each computer where the Client Recorder will be installed, log in as the local administrator. Set up a local account, for example, SpectorAdmin. Add this account to the Administrators group.

2. The new Administrator account on each computer must have the exact same username (e.g., SpectorAdmin) and password (case sensitivity rules apply). Add the same account (e.g., SpectorAdmin) with the same password to the Administrator group of the computer where the Control Center and Primary Server reside.  

3. When using the Control Center, log in to the computer using the new Administrator account (e.g., SpectorAdmin).  

Note: It does NOT matter which user is logged on to the Client machines as long as the Admin account as described above exists in the local Administrators group.

Setting up a Workgroup User Repository (Windows 98/ME)

Optional. Usually in a Workgroup environment, Windows 98/ME machines use Share-Level Access to share resources.  This requires that every folder shared be given a password.  However, the Microsoft Remote Registry Service (a requirement for managing Spector CNE clients from the Control Center) is not compatible with Share Level Access control. Because Windows 98/ME systems do not have a Local Repository of users as do Windows NT, 2000, and XP, you must set up a remote store of usernames to assign local permissions.   

To set up a user repository:

• Choose a local workstation to be your user repository.

• This workstation should preferably be one that will be powered on all of the time, since Spector CNE would not be able to authenticate if it was shut off.  

• Once the computer to be used for User Level Access Control is selected, all of the other requirements for Windows 98/ME must be fulfilled.  See Client Recorders on Windows 98 / ME.

To select User Level Access Control:

1. From the desktop of the user repository computer, click Start and then select Control Panel.

2. Click on the Network Icon.

3. Select the Access Control Tab.

4. Select User-level access control.

5. Type in the computer name of the local workstation used as your user repository to validate users.

6. Click OK.

7. Reboot your computer for the changes to take effect.