networking for internet

[prawinready]

hi
i am settin up cyber cafe (internet browsing center) with 8 systems all the systems have inbuilt lan cards , plese tell me in detial how do i setup

shall i use server as win2000 or xp

shal i use hub or switch

which proxy shall i use for intenet conncetion sharing between them and how to confiugure it
i did sharing of internt for two systems but never tried using hub or swtich , i use broadband connection of 256 kbps here in INDIA using adsl modem and phone line . how do i configure such dat all systems have good speeds

how configure a switch and hub

experts please tell me , i am to do it tom

thanx in advance

- prawin

 

[InlineFive]

1. For a simple cybercafe you don't need the extra cost of a domain server. I would invest the money in a solid firewall solution with good content filtering instead.
2 & 3. For sharing the internet between multiple PCs you need to use a router. A hub or switch will not work well. I would recommend an 8-port router by a good vendor, such as Netgear or Linksys. If you do use a hub or switch you will need additional IP address from your ISP, which can be expensive.
4. If you use a router, all the systems will be able to use the full speed of the internet connection. The router will provide first-come-first-serve internet access to the users, unless you implement QoS.
5. Consumer switches and hubs do not require configuration. A router will however, but it's not hard to setup. Maybe a manual and thirty minutes of your time.

So there are a few ways you could accomplish this...

Easy Way:
1. Buy a router.
2. Configure the router to work with your ISP.
3. Plug in the computers.
4. Browse the web.
Pros: Cheap, easy to setup. Network uptime.
Cons: Less control over network usage.

Harder way:
1. Setup one computer to share the internet connection with ICS.
2. Buy a switch, connect it to the ICS computer.
3. Plug each client into the switch.
4. Configure the clients to access the internet through the host computer.
5. Browse the web.
Pros: Better control over network usage (with appropriate software).
Cons: More expensive, less network uptime.

There are more ways but those are a few methods.

Good luck!