Tools for Networking!

[TechIr1shm1ike]

If you had to setup a basic network. From Scratch, just wanted to know what you would use. What kind of routers? Switches? Servers? What kind of tools would you use to Monitor the servers? Would you have a FileSharing, Print, Email ServeRS?

Just curious? Have any of you ever used Dameware Tools, and if so did you like it?

If this is a stupid topic just delete it out.

[Windowscrash]

If you want to network 2 computers then get a x-over cable and 2 net cards, connect it all up, configure Windows and that's it. A hub is the same sort of idea, except you use RJ45 Cables and dont connect wires between computers

[Matridom]

Originally posted by TechIr1shm1ike
If you had to setup a basic network. From Scratch, just wanted to know what you would use. What kind of routers? Switches? Servers? What kind of tools would you use to Monitor the servers? Would you have a FileSharing, Print, Email ServeRS?

Just curious? Have any of you ever used Dameware Tools, and if so did you like it?

If this is a stupid topic just delete it out.

Uhm, what would you need?

Uhm, how big of a network is the first question you need to ask? is it for home? smal business of 20-30 users, or an enterprise wide network of thousands of users?

the hardware requirements for the different scales will be different, your obvisouly not going to use fram relay on a home network, nor are you going to use a residental gateway for a large corporation.

[Boston]

Definetly need a little bit more info on what type of network,speed,cabled or wireless. How much are you willing to spend. Multiple connections to the internet? Definetly not enough info to help.

[kpataska]

Start small. Pickup the latest Best Buy/Circuit City/Fry's/etc ad and watch them for 10/100 PCI cards for free or $5. Buy a bunch of them all on separate purchases and get the rebates - that's what friends and relatives are for!

Then look around (pricewatch.com is a GREAT site for this stuff) for a cheap 8 port switch - unmanaged as I'm guessing you're small enough not to need VLAN/SNMP support. My DLink 10/100 switch cost me $70 shipped and can now be found cheaper (like $21 shipped!!!).

Then all you need are cables. If you have never made your own, stick with premade because there are a few tricks to get a good, consistant cable.

Hope this helps!

Kenny P.
Visualize Whirled Peas

[TechIr1shm1ike]

I mean like a Small Business Network. Between 20 and 50 Users. How many servers would you recommend for just basic stuff.

What kind of software would you use, PC Anywhere, or other software to use to keep it up and running and also be able to get into them servers at anytime to take care of any problems.

Could you guys recommend any Network software that are handy tools?

[Matridom]

tech, most of the stuff your looking at are already included with windows servers, you just need to look.

Now for a 50 user network, i would use the following. for 20 users, i'd mix together the servers a lot more..

One dedicated firewall/NAT server
One webserver located OUTSIDE the firewall (give it almost no internal access to the network) (if needed)
One Domain Controller/Primary DNS server/WINS server/File Server (seperate server if it's used a LOT)
One Secondairy DNS server/DHCP server
One Mail server(Exchange?)

With 20 users, 1 firewall server, 1domain controler/DHCP/WINS/DNS/Mail
1 file server

I'm making the assumption that you are going to use NAT of somesort and provide pricate IP's to all the workstations.

For remoting in, I'd use Terminal Services (kinda like PC anywhere) you can console into any of the server on the network, i would also deny access to this outside the network, setup a VPN connection to connect to the internal lan, then you would have internal access to the servers and allow for easy terminal services.