Domain Controller and Wireless Router

[jaglad]

Hello all,

This is my first post on this forum so please be nice!!!

Last year I did a Win 2000 Server networking course with Morselady (Hi Morselady if your reading this), it was very interesting but has left me with a few un answered questions.

Let me explain my setup at the moment, NTL broadband connected directly to a Netgear WGT624 Wireless Router. Two PC's are wired to that, and two laptops run from the wireless part.

I have since built myself a new machine and my old one is now spare, so I thought I would make the old machine a server and leave it on 24/7. It is an XP1800 so will have no trouble running Win 2000 Server.

What I want to be able to do is not have firewall and virus scanner on all the computers except the server, I also want the server to act as a firewall and virus scanner. It will then be used for downloading stuff, and if possible hold email accounts and forward on the emails to the relavant computers. The server will also have three printers connected to it.

How is the best way to connect the server to the router? Connect the broadband to one NIC and then connect the router to the other NIC on the WAN port? Or leave the connections as they are and just connect the server to a spare LAN port?

Also is it worth promoting the server to a Domain Controller? Two PC's are running XP Pro, one laptop is running XP Home, and the other laptop is a MAC running OSX 10.3 (which is lovely by the way!!!)

Hope all that makes sence, and do you think it is worth doing? or am I creating a load of hassle for myself.

Any comments greatly appreciated!

Regards

Stu

[Gollo]

The thing that's going to give you trouble is the fact that the wireless device is an ap/router. Best way would be to put two nic's in the server. Hook BB up to one and the other run out to a switch connecting the other computers. Get rid of the ap/router and get a straight up ap. This will reduce a lot of headaches. This would be the ideal way to set that up. Now using what you got I would see if your router has a feature to shut off the routing half and just use the 4 ports and the wireless. Some older models don't. If you can do this then that's what your gonna want to do.