Limitations of XP - Number of clients. (1 Viewer)

[kerpow]

When I come to install my new TV server, I (along with many others I guess) will be using Windows XP home as the base OS. I only have 2 Windows licences (both Home) so unless I go shopping this is my only option.

My question is to anyone who has been testing the new system. Do we know how many MP clients a single MP Windows XP Home 'Server' can support?

The docs (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314882) say that:

"For Windows XP Home Edition, the maximum number of other computers that are permitted to simultaneously connect over the network is five."

Five, great, I am sure that would be enough for most people, but does this actually mean five computers or five connections, because it goes on to say:

"This limit is the number of simultaneous sessions from other computers the system is permitted to host."

Does anyone know what MS means by sessions? If its what I call connections then we could be in trouble with each client using 3 connections (is it? SQL, RSTP, R/C). So, in real-life, has anyone managed to test this?

Whatever the outcome we might want to include the answer in the installation guide for the new system, just so people know.

Cheers

 

[madmonkeyman]

Individual sessions will not count i.e. if one client is connecting to IIS, SQL etc simultaneously. This will classed as one connection to the services on the host computer.

So you should be able to get 5 PC's connecting to the MP server at one time although it might depend on how the Mediaportal host server interfaces with the SQL backend as if I remember right the version of SQL that is being used has a connection limit of its own and I can't remember how many it supports. I would think though that the MP Server interfaces with the SQL database and the clients connect to the MP Server as it doesn't look like you have to configure a DB connection in order for the MP Client to work.

 

[chilimonkey]

Here's a way of patching Windows to increase the concurrent connections.

http://www.lvllord.de/?lang=en&url=tools

Of course not supported by Microsoft