do I need domain what can I get by with workgroup question

I have an office with 40 users , running a mix of win2k and winxp machines.
Currently we have an old NT4 server which acts as a PDC. Over the years I
have made another 2 win2k machines which just act as file servers.
All of the client machines that log in to the NT4 Domain. I am in the
process of refurbishing the office and as part of this, I will set up a new
network. My question is this. Do I really need to bother with a domain or
can I just get by with each machine locking into a workgroup? We do not
need to have separate logins for each user. We do not run any exchange
server or give external access. I would propose to set up one machine as a
main file server, running Windows XP and let the client machines login to
this under a workgroup scenario. Does anyone have any advice for me in this
regard?

I believe Windows XP is only going to allow you 10 concurrent incoming
network connections, so it's possible that your users might experience
some connectivity issues if they all try to hit the server at once.
Other than that, if you have them login to their respective machines
with a given user name and password and then set up an identical
username and password on your file server, you can grant security
access to files and shares based on the server accounts. I'm not sure
why it works, but it does. I do this same thing with an office of about
10 people and a windows XP file "server".

In news:(E-Mail Removed),
-keevill- <(E-Mail Removed)> typed:
> I have an office with 40 users , running a mix of win2k and winxp
> machines. Currently we have an old NT4 server which acts as a PDC.
> Over the years I have made another 2 win2k machines which just act as
> file servers. All of the client machines that log in to the NT4 Domain. I
> am in the
> process of refurbishing the office and as part of this, I will set up
> a new network. My question is this. Do I really need to bother with
> a domain or can I just get by with each machine locking into a
> workgroup? We do not need to have separate logins for each user. We
> do not run any exchange server or give external access. I would
> propose to set up one machine as a main file server, running Windows
> XP and let the client machines login to this under a workgroup
> scenario. Does anyone have any advice for me in this regard?

Who wants to manage 40 standalone workstations, and accounts/passwords, even
if you don't bump into the 10-connection limit in Win2k/XP Pro? I would
definitely migrate to AD if I were you.

>
> Who wants to manage 40 standalone workstations, and accounts/passwords,
> even if you don't bump into the 10-connection limit in Win2k/XP Pro? I
> would definitely migrate to AD if I were you.

What about using a NAS then the 10 limit connection won't apply will it ?

In news:(E-Mail Removed),
-keevill- <(E-Mail Removed)> typed:
>> Who wants to manage 40 standalone workstations, and
>> accounts/passwords, even if you don't bump into the 10-connection
>> limit in Win2k/XP Pro? I would definitely migrate to AD if I were
>> you.
>
> What about using a NAS then the 10 limit connection won't apply will
> it ?

Nope. But one still has to deal with managing 40 individual workstations.