Upgrade to Win 2003 Server, Network, Subnet mask, AD [Archive]

treysha

04-24-2005, 08:01 PM

Hi,

Currently my office LAN is on a 10/100 network. The Subnet Mask is 255.0.0.0.
It is running Windows NT Server 4.0, with about 50 clients (a mixture of Win98, Win2000, WinME, WinNT, & WinXP)

I am doing an upgrade on the whole hardware and software setup of the server, going to a newer Pentium 4 server, and moving up to Windows 2003 Server.

Question:
1) If I were to upgrade the network to 100/1000, what are the things that I need to do?
2) Someone told me once that I should restrict the Subnet Mask to 255.255.255.0. Why is this so? What is the difference between 255.0.0.0 and 255.255.255.0?
3) How do I change the Subnet Mask and ensure the change is transparent to the clients?
4) I heard that the software upgrade to Windows 2003 Server was going to be VERY bumpy consideriing I have Win98 clients, and they will have problems with the Active Directory service. Is this true? Why is Active Directory against its elder Win98 sibling?
5) I would very much appreciate any other concerns/issues that I should consider before moving ahead with the upgrade. ALL views are deeply appreciated.

Thank you.

deddard

04-25-2005, 07:08 AM

Hi
You'll get plenty of replies on this one, probably from those who have gone down this road. Some points to consider in the meantime:

The subnet mask depends on the network address being used. Usually the address scheme for internal networks is 192.168.x.x, with a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0. If you are using a 255.0.0.0 mask, would I be correct in assuming your network address is in the 10.x.x.x range?
Unless you are in a massive network, a 10.x.x.x with 255.x.x.x subnet mask is overkill - it's all down to how many addresses you actually need. a 192.168.x.x with a 255.255.255.0 is a private class C address - plenty enough for most needs (254 PCs/hosts)
Win 98 and older systems were never designed for domains - they were created for workgroups. If you want these machines to actually be part of the domain, they will need an OS upgrade. Although they can browse a domain, they can't actually be part of it - the active directory can't deal with something which was never meant to take advantage of a network operating system.

Upgrading the network to take advantage of gigabit speeds requires at least cat 5e cable. If your cable is older than cat 5, then it won't cope with the speed increase (standard cat 5 is pushing it for gigabit) The NICs will also need to be suitable.
All equipment must be cat5e compliant - cables, rj 45 sockets, switches, hubs, routers etc. If anything isn't up to scratch, you've wasted your money.

A more conventional approach is to have your workstations run at 100Mbit (a 10/100 NIC) and connect them to a switch that has gigabit uplinks to your servers; or connect the PCs to 100Mbit switches, and cascade those switches to a Gigabit switch, which also connects your servers. This approach saves money if you already have 10/100 equipment in place.

There are so many variables to consider, that it isn't possible to say 'do this and it will work' - you've definitely done the right thing in thinking about things before jumping in.

Things to consider:

What is the network for? - unless things like streaming media is being used, then gigabit links for all PCs would be overkill at present.
How many servers do I need? How many PCs actively use them at once?
Servers should be connected to the network by fast links - gigabit is great for this. an extra switch running at gigabit speeds could be put in the network to connect 100Mbit switches and servers.
What equipment do I already have? Switches, routers, PCs, cabling, patch panels, sockets?
Does all of this equipment meet cat5e/100Mbit standards? if not, what needs to be upgraded.

For the win 2k3 server:
Can I migrate my settings successfully from NT to 2k3? there are lots of issues here, - it would be a good idea to check out MS for known problems.
Does the hardware I have meet the requirements? A new P4 would certainly be ok, but consider oodles of RAM to be a necessity.
What about the other hardware and software? XP should really be the OS of choice on a 2k3 domain - you'll need to check hardware compatibility lists to see if your machines meet the minimum spec (98 machines are likely to be a problem - things have moved on a lot)

Above all, write everything down and plan. Think of as many problems that you can - it's better to make mistakes on paper than in the real world.