when to use peer to peer and when to use client/server?

hi,
i have 18 computers in a businees network. should i use a peer to peer network or put in a server?

If you say server, is there a documented webpage that states the pros and cons of using client/server?

I thank you for your intelligence.

That question is one of the biggest I ever saw here!!

The answer is in you corporate strategy. There are many types of server doing different things. Mail, Web, SQL, dah de dah. Most people will consider a PDC Primary Domain Controller as a first step.

A PDC will "manage" some elements of your network that cannot be done in simple peer-to-peer. In effect, p-t-p means "all computers equal", adding a PDC means "I am in control". You may want control for a number of reasons including efficiency and security.

If you go the route of a PDC, then you can open your mind to MANAGED shared services (server applications) which you can use to let your network access required applications (databases, files, folders) with a greater degree of security (and probably efficiency), and external links, such as internet, email etc.

The keyword is MANAGEMENT. Servcers allow you to Plan, Organise, Control, Deploy and Motivate much more efficiently.

BUT you gotta know what you're doin! The O/s's now are much easier to initially configure (they just about do it themselves) but they do need maintenance and this is usually done (software) by the network administrator.

Hope this helps!

I would also like to add that MS recommends no more then 9-12 computers on a segment using peer to peer, this is because network bandwidth suffers substantially due to broadcast messages when you don't have a server present to manage certain things.

Definitley go client / server for 18 workstations. As was stated, you have the ability to centrally manage users, files, and perform backups. With peer to peer, not only is the bandwidth chewed up by broadcast messages, but what happens if a hard drive goes in one of the workstations with hundreds of important documents on it? They are lost. If you are running client server, each user can have their own folder, which can be backed up every night.

My rule of thumb is, If it takes five minutes to walk to or more than five machines, then Client Server is the way to go. More than five machines ends up being a spaghetti network of shares and if you have to walk more than five minutes to get to another machine that can make a very long day of debugging with little accomplished.

ALWAYS assume you will have a problem, Its so refreshing when you don't.

I would use the client/server

Client/Server is neccessary when the network is used for file/print sharing and you want to reduce netwrok bandwidth and increase network managability.

In your case - what is the network used for? If they connected all 18 machines to connect to the net and share some printers, maybe one users hard drive - I do not see C/S as bieng a neccessity, however if what you have is a management headache with everyone maintaining a share on their PC and no central security/ network policies then C/S is almost mandatory.

The main advantage to P2P is cost. P2P provides no central management, no true security, no inherant fault tolerance and is heavy on the bandwidth usage.

Client server is exactly the oposite.

A few quick advantages to a NT server in your environemnt is: DHCP (very simple to manage with many advanged features), WINS/DNS server (again simple to manage) - the WINS server allows you to remove netbios from the network yet still resolve network names (same as a LMHOSTS file on each machine, but centrially managed), built-in security, centrl user and resource management and scalability - you can add other services at a later date that rely on a server platform: Oracle, SQL, IIS, SMS and Exchange to name a few.

Hope this helps.

If there are offices, or cubicles, use client/server, or better yet, any more than 5 people.
It is just cleaner with a dedicated server.

I have one at home, and I have a total of 2 clients. Granted this is for testing and screwing up so that I don't take production machines out at work, but it is the right idea.

Login scripts, one machine with all the data, that can be easily backed up, centralized management...