# Windows Homegroup



## balanga (Feb 20, 2017)

Can I create or join a Windows HomeGroup? In Windows help it says 





> Computers must be running Windows 7 to participate in a homegroup



I know that FreeNAS has an option to be a Domain Controller, so maybe I should be looking at getting that setup.


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## SirDice (Feb 20, 2017)

Domain controllers are for, err, creating domains. Homegroups are something else, it's basically an extension to the traditional workgroups. And as far as I know Samba doesn't support it.


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## balanga (Feb 21, 2017)

Actually, I was an administrator on a domain running IBM LAN Server supporting over 2000 users some time ago. I have little idea about what a Homegroup is, I just thought it was something like a baby domain. I just had another look at FreeNAS providing a Domain Controller service and there is something about Realms... Can't say I've heard of them previously.


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## SirDice (Feb 21, 2017)

Realms are typically for Kerberos. Active Directory is basically a mix of DNS, LDAP and Kerberos.


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