small office network

yazan84

if i were to design a network for a small company that buys/sells collectibles online and consists of 4 computers and a printer/scanner. Also the owner wants the wireless option in case of mobile devices usage. The company hosts their website locally through godaddy domain.

Do I really need a server, switch, firewall, rack .. etc?

or could it be done using a standard 8 port N router and setting one computer to act as a sharing point of files and docs?

wweboy

Like you said go with the standard. Why do you need all the bells and whistles? I'd also suggest in some kind of backup locally via external hard drive or something like Carbonite. As far storage or whatever like you said could use one of the existing computers or if you want look into something like Windows Home Server and make a box or buy something like this HP StorageWorks X310 Intel Atom Dual Core (1.6GHz) 2GB Memory 1TB Data Vault 3 open bay, Windows Home Server - iPhone 4 Wallet Shop

Were you given a budget? I'm sure the owner wants bare minimum the business lives on line

w1ther

If you change the website from being hosted locally to putting it on a hosting account, then you won't have to worry about much. Hosting for one website costs next to nothing and you're not going to have to worry about the equipment staying up through a power outage or something like that.

If the website isn't being hosted locally, then you can just put the whole network on a normal router and you're pretty much good to go.

unclerico

yazan84 wrote: »

if i were to design a network for a small company that buys/sells collectibles online and consists of 4 computers and a printer/scanner. Also the owner wants the wireless option in case of mobile devices usage. The company hosts their website locally through godaddy domain.

Do I really need a server, switch, firewall, rack .. etc?

or could it be done using a standard 8 port N router and setting one computer to act as a sharing point of files and docs?

Another alternative is to look at QNAP; they have some excellent NAS boxes that have an incredible feature set and don't cost much. In terms of connectivity, a consumer grade router/ap combo would probably do just fine, just lock it down extra tight and rotate keys every month or so if possible.

Forsaken_GA

Well, no, you don't need all the bells and whistles. All you really need is a router and a switch to hook everything into, that forms the basis of all network connectivity. If their hosting the website locally, then yes, you need a server for it, hosting a website off someone desktop is not very professional. A firewall also tends to be a good idea, and there's no reason it can't be integrated into the router.

You'll be fine with consumer grade gear, assuming there's not much bandwidth at play. When you get into more expensive gear, it's usually because performance becomes an issue, or there are other issues at play like security compliance.

ally_uk

You dont really need to spend a ton either, I setup a Freenas server which handled all the file shares for about 20 machines, the machine in question was a dual pentium 3 rig loaded with a SCSI controller card and a couple of big sized drives setup in a raid array. This computer was running solid for over a year no problems whatsoever.

I personally would eliminate Windows from the equation and go Open Source, Get Centos or The new Ubuntu Server LTS, Use Samba for your fileshares, Apache for webhosting, And CUPS to handle any shared printing. If your new to Linux and want a all in one solution then take a look at SME Server, Clearos, Zentyal and the configuaration is done through a web browser making it alot easier to setup as opposed to configuring config files.

Have fun and good luck

eansdad

Wow ... Simply put this can be done with 1 Best Buy bought wireless router, 4 off the shelf PCs, small NAS and a networkable printer. The website is hosted by GoDaddy so no need for anything else. For and office like this not much is needed, remember K.I.S.S.

antielvis

You could investigate using Windows Foundation Server which is Server 2008 that allows up to 15 users. I believe it allows basic active directory. Dell sells it as an add on to their hardware for about 300 bucks. There is no mail server, but no need for one at that level.

With regards to switches and routers, a basic decent quality switch would work. For a router, you could use a better quality Linksys or look into something like a low end Sonicwall. Both have a GUI to configure

I would not recommend using appliances or Linux. While it may seem cheap initially, keep in mind that down the road that business will require support & there are VERY few IT places that do Linux for Small Business. You want to maintain standards that an average tech would have (no specialized skills). Small business has limited funds to spend on IT and that always needs to be taken into consideration.

As for backup solutions, I would look at an online solution. The initial backup takes time, but it's hands free & requires absolutely no tape changing responsibilities by staff. It's seamless and just a few bucks a month.