Connecting to a Passworded Mapped Folder as Another User

So I added my parents harddrive to my server so they'll be able to access their files from anywhere in the house. The problem is I have a harddrive already hooked up (which is already passworded), and I prefer to not have their nosy eyes peeking around. So, in order to not allow them access to my data, but allow them access to their drive, I updated the permissions on my drive and eliminated the password required to connect to shared files. The problem here is I couldn't map the drive with my data to a new computer with the login info required to access the folder.

So, after searching google, I came across this blog post at Bizpassion

By chenty

I use my laptop in different places and they all have different domains. I don’t want to login my computer with different user name for each individual domain, so I just login my local computer. However, when I am trying to connect a share folder that within the domain, it will tell me “Access is denied”. It will not prompt for user name or password, but simply use my current local account info.

There are many ways to around this problem. One way is to create a user name within the domain which has idential user name and password with your local account. I did not try that, and I found that is not feasible most time.

My solution is to use Map Network Drive:

1. Right click-on the folder you want to connect through “My Network Places”, and choose “Map Network Drive…”
2. Click on “Connect using a different user name”
3. The user name should be in something like “ABCCompany\Bob” format (ABCCompany is the domain name, and Bob is the domain user name that has privilege to connect to the folder”, and type corresponding password as well. Now click “OK”.
4. Click “Finish”

This sounds simple, but often you will get an error message:
The network folder specified is currently mapped using a different user name and password. To connect using a different user name and password, first disconnect any existing mappings to this network share.

and,

Multiple connections to a server or shared resource by the same user, using more than one user name, are not allowed. Disconnect all previous connections to the server or shared resource and try again…

This happens because you earlier trying to connect the computer with your local account info. You must disconnect this connection before you can try to connect with a different account, i.e. a domain user

To do this, go Start -> Run, and type “cmd” to open a DOS window (sorry, that is how I call it…)
type the command:
net use * /delete

now you can disconnect all existing connection, and you can map a Network Drive as I metioned above.

Via: Bizpassion

Home Theatre Network Diagram

via: Hometheaternetwork

Connecting Google voice to Skype

Found this great article on LucaFiligheddu about connecting Google voice to Skype. I'm the type of person who doesn't like to carry his phone around the house with me. Plus, I go through various phones (depending on my mood) which are from different countries (Hong Kong, Japan), so reception varies as well. I have a computer in most of my rooms, plus a laptop I'm always on, so it will be a great way to log and receive my calls where ever I am in the house!

Yesterday, thanks to a magic by Craig Walker, head of Google Voice and former co-founder and CEO of GrandCentral, my GC account has been migrated to Google Voice.

The point is that Google Voice is linked to a US number so I needed to figure out how to make people always reach me regardless of my position since I use my Google Voice number as my primary US number, available on my email signature too.

The solution? Make my Skype on my laptop ring. If you are asking yourself how to do that, I have to tell you that it’s pretty easy. You just need to register to Gizmo5, get a SIP number and tell Google Voice to forward each call to that Gizmo5 account.

When ready, go to your Gizmo5 account and configure it to forward each inbound call to your Skype ID, thanks to one of the latest features added by Gizmo in the past months (OpenSkype). That’s also a great way to get a SkypeIN number without having to pay for it

When in the US instead, I used to configure GrandCentral, now Google Voice, to forward all my calls to my US mobile number. Pretty straightforward, isn’t it?

All that said, now when you call me at my Google Voice number, my Skype will ring, regardless of where I am. And be aware that if you leave a voicemail where you say “test”, I will read a friendly “hello”, thanks to the wonderful transcription by Google.

via: LucaFiligheddu