Dull networking Question

[tris]

Boooring, I know.
I've stupidly agreed to set up a mates new business network this weekend and I'm at a bit of a loss. ( I always thought a router was used to make fancy woodwork!)
If there are any networking genius' out there or if anybody knows of any good up to date tutorials i would be dead chuffed to hear from you - They also want me to advise on hardware which is a bit of a laugh!

Basically it wil be 4pc and the ability to pug in 2 laptops on a regular basis. 3 of the pcs are new from Dell and have an intergrated 3COM 10/100 ethernet controllers with WuOL.
I was propossing to stick with 3Com in order to reduce compatability problems. Have looked at what is a vailable from DABs but it seems to be fairly confusing.
What is the diff between a hub and a switch?
From what I gather a switch is usually used to connect a number of LANs but can also act as a mor efficient hub within a small Lan.
Speed is fairly important, so 100 baseT is needed. (They are a gfx company some file sizez tend to be fairly huge!)

Do you run printers/scanners/modem and backup drives from the hub/switch or can they run off various machines and allow sharring?
The systems will run on Win2000 - with which I am not too familiar.
If yo need anymore info just shout. Cheers

[spaceAlien]

What protocols will your network run? NetBEUI? IP?

Will this be an isolated network, or are you connecting to the greater Internet?

> What is the diff between a hub and a switch?

Think of a switch as a "smart" hub. A hub sends everything everywhere. A switch isolates traffic to the source and destination branches. With 6 computers, I doubt the extra price of switches is justified.

> Do you run printers/scanners/modem and backup drives from the hub/switch
> or can they run off various machines and allow sharring?

Yes and yes. To run off the network, the device needs a network interface. This is common for printers, but I have no experience with scanners or modems...



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HEY YOU -- MODERATOR -- CHANGE MY STATUS TO "HECKLER"

[tris]

I was presuming that I would use TCP/IP.
I'm afraid I don't understand the server concept!?
Do you always have to have one within a network?
If I connect these four machines to a hub and allow sharring of all files and printers/scanners do I need to nominate a server or are they all equal elements within the network.

All machines on the network should have access to
1 internet connection
1 plotter
1 A3 photo printer
1 A4 monolaser
1 Flatbed scanner
1 Film scanner
1 Traven tape backup

This is probably too much to run from 1 machine.
I was proposing to spread then round the network so that you would perhaps have the printers attached to one machine, scanners to another etc. Is this sensible?

I feel I need to find out more about this whole deal before I attempt any of this. Anybody got any 'networks for beginners' type URLs?

[bassman]

Windows 2000 is a fantastic network OS,...if you plan to use it's administration capabilities. If this is a wide open network with no need for permisions and controlls, it is a bit of overkill.
You can use any machine that is capable of supporting your paripherals to do so and share that resource, including internet connection. If this is all Windows systems, use TCP/IP and Netbeui.
Without a server, you would have a peer to peer network where all machines function as equals. This will function with up to 10 connections.That number does not include paripherals connected to other machines on the network (computer towers...)
I don't have my links available at the moment, but you might try the library for reading material on setting up a network.
Good luck http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif and let us know how it goes

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It's nice to know if we helped you out. Please let us know IF and WHAT fixed the problem.

[spaceAlien]

Looks like you're in over your head -- you could bow out gracefully now, and probably salvage your friendship -- but what fun would that be?

> I was presuming that I would use TCP/IP.

What about wiring?

> I'm afraid I don't understand the server concept!?

Imagine a computer that is *not* somebody's workstation -- just has a lot of periphials hanging off it.

> Do you always have to have one within a network?

Nope.

> If I connect these four machines to a hub and allow sharring of all
> files and printers/scanners do I need to nominate a server or are they
> all equal elements within the network.

What you want is called a peer-to-peer workgroup.

> All machines on the network should have access to
> 1 internet connection

People tell me that this has gotten much easier with W2K -- you had to purchase 3rd party software before W2K.

> 1 plotter
> 1 A3 photo printer
> 1 A4 monolaser

Printers are pretty easy to share, I'm not sure about plotters.

> 1 Flatbed scanner
> 1 Film scanner

Sharing all depends on the software. Personally, I have never seen or heard of anybody sharing a scanner, but I'm sure it's been done by somebody somewhere.

> 1 Traven tape backup

Usually, what you want to do is to share the HDDs, rather than the tape drive. Then backup the remote HDDs from the machine with the local tape drive.

> This is probably too much to run from 1 machine.

Yup.

> I was proposing to spread then round the network so that you would
> perhaps have the printers attached to one machine, scanners to another
> etc. Is this sensible?

Leave things set up as they are now, especially if there working, and try to "share" them. If that doesn't work, go to Plan B.

> I feel I need to find out more about this whole deal before I attempt
> any of this. Anybody got any 'networks for beginners' type URLs?

You could go to google.com, and type in "networking tutorial peer-to-peer workgroup"

Or, you could let me lead you down the garden path, then abandon you in the middle of a dark forest full of wolves...

Cheers --



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HEY YOU -- MODERATOR -- CHANGE MY STATUS TO "HECKLER"

[tris]

My! What Big Teeth You Have!
I'm off to google to try and get a basic grip of things but ... I'll be back - thanks for all your help Space and Base- Tris

[Ghost_Hacker]

For networking of printers,scanners, and fax machines. I would recommend HP. They have a small device that allows you to hang a printer or all-in-one device off a network connection called the HP Jetdirect. It works with all their printers and the HP Officejet R80 ( an all-in-one scanner,printer,fax machine).

Good Luck http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif

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Comment heard from a Klingon programmer.

"Our users will know fear and cower before our software! Ship it! Ship it and let them flee like the dogs they are!"