Question about setting up internet for my home lab.

Hi,

I have a home lab setup in my garage that does not have internet access. I would like to add it to my lab. I have a Linksys wireless router in my home for my home network. I also have a 3.0Mb DSL connection it that helps.

This is what my lab consists of:

2 2507 routers
1 2501 router
1 1912 switch

1 4 port kvm switch

1 dual boot PC with Linux/XP Pro
1 PC with Windows 98
1 dual boot server PC with Netware 6.5 / Windows server 2003
1 PC with XP home

The reason I want internet access is because this is more than just a Cisco lab. I'm using it for MCSE, CNA, and my security classes.

Can I just hook up a wireless USB network adapter to the server PC and use that to hook up my outside lab to the internet? Would it be that easy? I'm not sure at all since I am asking this question. Also, would it be advisable to subnet my home network and my lab or just one network. I have 4 PCs in my house. All peer-to-peer. I really dont want my home network to be client-server based. Any any information will be helpful.

Thanks

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Comments

lazyart

If you are using this for working on MCSE, then yes you do want a client/server setup... it's really the point of the entire cert. To this end you will find that the XP Home machine cannot join a domain anyway. You can leave it outside... your domain machines will be able to access resources from it, but not vice versa. My current setup consists of a domain of 4 machines, and a single PC in it's own workgroup.

Please, make the connection to the server wired. Let another machine use the wireless adapter. It will communicate with the router and therefore be able to see the server. This I do also-- two of my stations are wireless, but I allow the server to handle DHCP and disable that function in the router. Any DNS requests come thru the server as well but are forwarded to the router... this is all typical of a business network.

You mention security classes as well. This, along with MCSE really points you down the path of a home domain. Besides, Server 2003 is simply XP Pro if you don't put it on a domain.

Jerz

shadown7 wrote:

...
1 dual boot PC with Linux/XP Pro
1 PC with Windows 98
1 dual boot server PC with Netware 6.5 / Windows server 2003
1 PC with XP home

The reason I want internet access is because this is more than just a Cisco lab. I'm using it for MCSE, CNA, and my security classes.

Can I just hook up a wireless USB network adapter to the server PC and use that to hook up my outside lab to the internet? Would it be that easy?...

Sure, you can use something like the Mitsumi wavit11 (it supports bridge, infrastructure and ad hoc modes) if you *only* want internet access to your lab. If your wanting to network your home computers I would probably go with a wire just for the speed of transferring files across the network. XP Home isn't going to do you any good so I'd upgrade that.... I might leave the 98 computer in there just to learn the limitations of '98 and I would recommend you download the 180 free trial of MS Virtual Server 2005 and set it up on your server (warning you may need a memory and hard drive upgrade...) I've got 2 gigs of memory in my server but I'm running 4 virtual servers and an xp virtual client. You can even acccess the virtual servers with non virtual pc's such as your windows 98 system. It takes a bit to figure out but once you do you will not regret it. It'll save you from screwing up your home network also.

Cheers!

shadown7

lazyart wrote:

If you are using this for working on MCSE, then yes you do want a client/server setup... it's really the point of the entire cert. .

What I meant by saying I did not want a client/server setup. I was referring to my home network. I do want a client/server setup for my lab.

As for the wireless deal...My lab is in the garage that is not attached to the house. It is around 75 feet away from the house. Thats why I was wondering if I could hook up the server to a wireless NIC..

Thanks for the advice

lazyart

Yes, you can.. it would act just as any other connection in that regard. I did this for a while but didnt like the dropping of signal, however this may have more to do with the quality of equipment.

I personally would prefer to get an access point (or just a wireless router that can be used in AP mode-- they seem to be cheaper than dedicated APs) and use that to accept the wireless signal, then wire the lab devices to it.

shadown7

Thanks for the info!!