Any tutorial on how to set up simple local area network?

[Battousai001]

Hi! I would like to ask for some help on setting up a local area network. These are the hardware I will be having: 1 router, 1 hub, 11 workstations (1 will act as "server") and a DSL connection. I don't have any extensive experience on networking but I know some theoretical knowledge about the basics such as cabling, how to crimp, and some networking terms and topologies but I have no actual hands-on networking experience yet. I am very experienced in hardware and software stuff such as installations and configurations but not in networking.

Some of my friends told me its easy to setup simple local area network, I just want to know if this setup is ok and what other things should i know:

router connects to modem, server connects to router, hub connect to router, workstations connects to the hub. -> is this correct?

The local area network will be mostly used in local area network gaming and internet use. I would also like to ask what suggested cabling to use, I read that there is such a thing as "straight" and "crossover". I would also like to know what other things that I need to know in setting simple local area network. Thanks in advance!

 

[JackMDS]

You should know that Windows XP Home is restricted to five concurrent Network Connection.

Win XP Pro is restricted to 10 concurrent connections.

Given that, you start from 11 and need to learn you might be better of starting with Windows 2003 SBS.

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/sbs/default.mspx

You can get a free 180days trail version here, http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/sbs/evaluation/trial/default.mspx

If you want to read about the basic of the basic, http://www.ezlan.net/basic.html

As well as many other pages that can serve as a functional tutorial, http://www.ezlan.net

 

[yuppiejr]

Modem - Router (w/ integrated 4-port switch) -- Switch (Hub) - server & workstations

You could also put the server on the router's integrated switch, doesn't make a real difference since everything is on the same subnet.

First, a hub is a bad idea in a modern LAN. A hub simply takes the traffic sent on one port and broadcasts it to ALL ports - there is no logic surrounding what goes where and these are notorious for causing network performance issues. A switch will take incoming traffic, figure out it's destination port by MAC address and send the packet(s) to ONLY that port.

Most modern home router/gateways include a 4-8 port switch to which you can connect workstations or another switch. Note that you MAY need a crossover cable to make this connection depending on how either/both devices are designed.

A 'straight through' cable is typically used to connect from a workstation or other network device to a switch. A crossover cable is often used to connect two switches, though most modern switches have "auto-sense" features or specific "uplink" ports that make this unnecessary. If you want to connect two PC's directly without a switch, you would use a crossover cable since there is no switch/hub between the two to appropriately match the TX/RX pairs.

As for your gaming/internet network - I'm not sure a server is required unless you need a common/always-on location to store data. You can use Windows file and print sharing to create a "peer to peer" network and share files between PC's, or you could install a "NAS" (network attached storage) device which is basically a mini PC with one or more hard drives attached and a simple to administer web interface to set up shares & users.

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/networking/getstarted/default.mspx

http://compnetworking.about.com/od/basi...ey_Concepts_in_Computer_Networking.htm


My advise, break out Google and start punching in terms like "networking 101", "networking basics", "peer to peer networks", "hub", "router", "gateway", "switch", etc... You are bound to make fewer mistakes and waste less money and time if you do research before you start trying to put everything together. Good luck!

 

[Battousai001]

Hi! Thanks for the replies and for the links you have given me. I have been reading a lot about networking this past few weeks and already tried networking a few computers using Windows XP (i just tried connecting peer to peer). I have a simple follow up question. How can you make a "client/server" setup on a single subnet? I have read a tutorial that you will just set the IP address of the workstation you intend to make as a server and it will become a server

And one more advance question, how would you know if the internet speed is distributed evenly to all workstation and how would you know if one workstation is eating all the bandwidth, I have read somewhere that this can happen if someone is downloading a huge file and the other is playing an online game. The one downloading may eat up all the bandwidth while the one playing the online game will get less, is there an application that detects and corrects this scenario?

 

[Battousai001]

 

[nweaver]

what kind of "Server" are you making?

There is a way to do bandwidth "shaping" to ensure that bandwidth is shared. That is something that will usually happen in the router (most SOHO routers do NOT support this).

 

[Frintin]

I remember finding the Practically Networked site a long time ago. Great reading and guidance for your networking needs!

 

[Battousai001]

Originally posted by: nweaver
what kind of "Server" are you making?

There is a way to do bandwidth "shaping" to ensure that bandwidth is shared. That is something that will usually happen in the router (most SOHO routers do NOT support this).

The server will just be a file server and the printer/scanner will be connected to it. I would also like to install an application known as "internet cafe management software" that will automatically lock the workstations once a specified time limit has been reached. I am having problems how to assign a "server" and peer to peer seems to be the easiest to setup. Do i have to install a special operating system to the workstation that will be the server (like windows sbs) or windows xp pro or home is enough?

btw regarding the bandwidth "shaping" will i be needing it for lets say 10 workstation and 1 server setup LAN? and how can i monitor if the bandwidth is right for all workstation and no one is using all the available bandwidth?

One last thing, can i assign policies or restrictions for each workstation? I remember doing this on a standalone desktop using the gpedit.msc but all users for that desktop is affected. what i mean is on each workstation you can modify the menu that will appear like no "run" command, installation of application is not allowed etc. do i have to have a specialized server operating system to be able to do this? or i can just put policies by setting it up on each workstation?

 

[Battousai001]

Originally posted by: Frintin
I remember finding the Practically Networked site a long time ago. Great reading and guidance for your networking needs!

I have been browsing and reading stuff from practically networked but i find some articles confusing specially the links and menu of the articles i was looking for, the site seemed advance for beginners.