Setup network and connect to server.

[hcloh]

Hi all,

Would like have tutorials, ideas and advise from you all.
Well. there are 6 pcs, and 2 notebooks. All are using OS: Win XP. Whenever they want to be online, would need to dial up from each of the machines.

Now i would like to setup a server. Would like connect 8 of the machines with the server. Server will be connected to Streamx or modem. So that the 8 machines can just go online whenever they want without need to dial up.

Questions:
Well, what OS should i use for the server? Beside network card, what other hardwares that i need? What type of setup that i need to do for the server in order for all the machines connect to it and can online? Do i need to create users for these 8 machines? and others that you all can provide.

Please adive and help. Would like the simplest solutions.
Thanks. :0)

[athi]

simplest would be to get a router that have a 9 pins serial port (for an external modem connection) and hook an external serial port modem to it. with this setup, each pc would be able to tell the modem to dial out as needed through the router control panel. once on line, all pc's would be able to share the dial-up connection through the network. the trick with this setup is to get the network end running first, then setup the dial-up portion.

most soho router on the market now have a built-in switch (4-8 ports). if you need more network port than the router have, you can always connect another switch/hub to the router.

i am using this setup here myself with an smc7004br.

[hcloh]

athi,

You mean i need a router to do it? What's the difference if i use router and hub? to connect these 8 machines to the server?

So you mean, will setup the server in order to be online through dial up or lease line, then the rest of the machines can online?

By the way, do i need to create a user for each machines? And will these 8 machines will have their own IP address?

Thanks.

[athi]

Originally posted by hcloh
athi,

You mean i need a router to do it? What's the difference if i use router and hub? to connect these 8 machines to the server?

So you mean, will setup the server in order to be online through dial up or lease line, then the rest of the machines can online?

By the way, do i need to create a user for each machines? And will these 8 machines will have their own IP address?

Thanks.

the router is the server.

using nat (network address translation), a router allows 1 connection from the wan side to be shared by up to 254 pc's on the lan side. the wan connection can be through a dial-up modem, dsl modem or cable modem. connects the router to a switch (or use a router with built-in switch) and you can then share the connection with all the pc's on your network.

most router now a day also have a built-in dhcp server. set the client pc's to obtain ip address automatically (the default settings for windows btw) and when you connects the pc's to the switch side of the router, they will automatically be issued an ip by the dhcp server. the dhcp server issues ip addresses in the private ip range (usually 192.168.x.x) which are also non-routable and so would be invisible to the wan side of the router.

basically, the router takes the 1 ip from the wan side and shares the 1 ip with all the pc's on the lan side (your network). you can either buy a router or setup an old pc as a router.

[Pseudocyber]

Hcloh, not to put you down, but based on your questions, and if you're doing this for a business, I would advise hiring a consultant or integrator to help you. You could talk to them ahead of time and make it clear that they are helping and teaching you, not doing it themselves.

Baring that, if you're the one that has to do it, I would recommend picking up a book on the Network+ exam. It will give you a primer about networks and networked systems.

Some things to ask you or someone: Sounds like you're going to have a small business connected to the net and a server with maybe a printer or two. How important are your systems? How important is your data? How much downtime can you tolerate? What if someone hacked your server and had full roam of the sytem - what if the data were posted on the internet?

A router connects two or more different networks to each other. In your case, it would connect the internet with your internal network.

You seriously need to look into getting a firewall. A firewall is similar to a router, but opens the packets passing through and compares them to rules you have set up. If they meet a rule, they are allowed through. If not, they get dropped.

Are you going to have your server accessible through the internet? If so, you need a special network called a "Demilitarized Zone" (DMZ). This is where you put mail servers, web servers, ftp servers, etc. The key here is that they are accessible from the internet - this means you better lock them down as tight as you possibly can.

You need a network operating system for your individual machines. If you want your users to be able to store files on the server and share them with each other, this is called a file server. Yes, each person would need a network account. With a Network Operating System (NOS) you can control who can access what. Some are Windows 2000/2003, Novell, Linux, Unix (xNix), and some others. Based on your questions, sounds like you should go with Windows 2000. I wouldn't worry about a thing called "Active Directory" for you.

The main difference in a hub and a switch is that with a switch, each machine does not "hear" all the other machines conversations and has the ability to transmit at full speed with out a "collision". (Yes, I know there are a lot of other differences, but we're talking basics here). It's pretty hard to find a REAL hub these days, so just go ahead and get a switch. When designing a network, always anticipate growth and things no one told you about, like network printers. So, consider a 12 or 24 port switch. Based on the business need, I would recommend going with a "managed switch" which pretty much rules out low end Small Business Home Office (SOHO).

HTH

For more info, check out:
http://www.practicallynetworked.com
http://www.cisco.com
http://www.3com.com
http://www.networkstoday.com

[hcloh]

Hi everyone,

Thanks for all the advices. Pseudocyber, you are right. I do not know much about it. I just studied brief theory about network during college time.

I would like to try and learn to do it following from wht i state in my 1st post.

Well, pls help and give me advices on it :)

Thanks.

[Pseudocyber]

No prob! Ask away ...

Check out those sites I listed.