10 October 2006
Vista Networking Difficulties
Computer World has recently released an article describing the difficulties of networking multiple systems in Vista.
While the released version is said to fix the difficulties of networking, Computer World has stated that in Vista RC1 support of XP and previous versions of Windows is very poor. Some of the problems faced include computers not showing up in the network or disappearing after being previously there. Also possible is seeing them while using one feature of Vista, but not in a different feature. An example given of that include XP devices not showing up in Vista's Network Map while showing up in Windows Explorer on Vista. Another difficulty is the inability to connect a network printer on an XP computer with Vista.
Microsoft has stated that devices are very slow to show up in XP networks and as such they are also slow on Vista networks. The problem arises from Vista's use of Link Layer Topology Discovery (LLTD), which isn't supported in previous versions of Windows. A patch should be released by the time Vista ships to solve this problem though.
Another complaint includes the network backup feature of Vista. It allows people to backup their data to another computer within their network, which is a great feature and many would like to do this. Unfortunately, when choosing to backup documents for example, there is not way of choosing which document types to backup. So people who only want their Word documents stored will have their PowerPoint and Excel documents sent as well. This is not only in one specific folder, it's ever file on the entire system. To take another perspective, if you want to backup pictures that you have stored on your drive from say a digital camera, you will be forced to back up the pictures within Vista itself as well.
The interfaces for networking have some problems as well. Multiple links lead to the same place. Specifically described are the links within the Network and Internet Control Panel and how three of the links all lead to the Network and Sharing Center. I presume this is Vista's way of appealing to Linux users by giving them multiple ways of doing the same thing.
The article lists other reasons as well, but I'll let you read them yourself here.
In a nutshell, Microsoft has introduced a lot of very good ideas in Vista, but implemented them poorly and created some hardships for users with items placed illogically around the system in places nowhere near their uses and counterparts.
While the released version is said to fix the difficulties of networking, Computer World has stated that in Vista RC1 support of XP and previous versions of Windows is very poor. Some of the problems faced include computers not showing up in the network or disappearing after being previously there. Also possible is seeing them while using one feature of Vista, but not in a different feature. An example given of that include XP devices not showing up in Vista's Network Map while showing up in Windows Explorer on Vista. Another difficulty is the inability to connect a network printer on an XP computer with Vista.
Microsoft has stated that devices are very slow to show up in XP networks and as such they are also slow on Vista networks. The problem arises from Vista's use of Link Layer Topology Discovery (LLTD), which isn't supported in previous versions of Windows. A patch should be released by the time Vista ships to solve this problem though.
Another complaint includes the network backup feature of Vista. It allows people to backup their data to another computer within their network, which is a great feature and many would like to do this. Unfortunately, when choosing to backup documents for example, there is not way of choosing which document types to backup. So people who only want their Word documents stored will have their PowerPoint and Excel documents sent as well. This is not only in one specific folder, it's ever file on the entire system. To take another perspective, if you want to backup pictures that you have stored on your drive from say a digital camera, you will be forced to back up the pictures within Vista itself as well.
The interfaces for networking have some problems as well. Multiple links lead to the same place. Specifically described are the links within the Network and Internet Control Panel and how three of the links all lead to the Network and Sharing Center. I presume this is Vista's way of appealing to Linux users by giving them multiple ways of doing the same thing.
The article lists other reasons as well, but I'll let you read them yourself here.
In a nutshell, Microsoft has introduced a lot of very good ideas in Vista, but implemented them poorly and created some hardships for users with items placed illogically around the system in places nowhere near their uses and counterparts.
Labels: microsoft, networking, vista, windows, xp
