Networks Networking Noob - Server advice needed

OK, I've got a peer to peer network at home between a couple of XP and windows 98 machines.

I really want to learn my way around client / server networks as I want to get into the IT industry an client server experience seems pretty important.

I'm buying a new box to act as a server... what I want to know is how should I go about it, what OS should I use, will I need the same OS on all machines? Will it slow down the other machines?

I have a stack of other questions as to what I can use the server for and the best way to go about it but I'll save them for a bit....

BTW - I am currently sharing an ADSL connection with a router.

Thanks, any help would be greatly appreciated! I am ready an willing to learn

 

Your best bet if you want to get into the industry is to install windows 2k server (or maybe 2003 server) and play around with it. Alternatively you could try BSD unixes or linux, a harder learning curve but you get a better understanding of how things work.
Personally I would do 2k server with your own clients mixed with windows, this way you can see how different services are provided to different clients. Such as how win9x/me clients don't use ADS, whereas 2k and XP PRO clients do. Also make sure everything is patched and tied down if you are giving them internet access.

 

Cheers Herbs, I take it with Patched / Tied down you mean install all the latest patches and firewalls?

Is 2k server hard to set up, I've done my A+ but am wondering if there's a good source of info online for getting started....

 

2k server is easy to set up its nearlly the same as xp. if you have done you a+ you should do the network+ too as you will learn every thing about 2k pro on peer to peer and 2k server on client/server

 

Cheers andy, I reckon I might just do that! - Is it pretty straight forward to set up all the admin stuff in 2k server?

 

Basic access rights/privilages are easy, but it depends how deep you want to go.

 

yep it sets the admin acount for you then its just a matter of working out how to add users if you need help doing that just send me a message

edit: access rights are easyer in 2k than nt4 as that is what atomic has been using he would find it easier in 2k

 

Thanks andy, really just want to sort out logging into the server for a couple of different accounts with various levels of access to begin with. Do you need to set up each individual client (machine) or just the accounts to login with?

 

darn you... im happy with it anyway.

 

you set up the users on the server then set the client machines to log it to the server so you will have to use a domain instead of a workgroup. that can be done in 98 and xp pro so if you have xp home you will need to upgrade

 

I'll have a bash at it and come back when I get into difficulty, which I'm sure I will do

Edit: I saw this on ebay which looks pretty cool, you reckon it looks any good? http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3026968128&category=1484

 

i presume they mean 900mhz
it does not sound too bad but depends on what you want to use your server for. it is also running linux so unless you can already use linux i would not advise it to start off with

 

That's what I thought but it looks quite cool, I'm going to try an get into Linux slowly. Would a server like that just be used for email, ftp, web server....?

 

sorry cant help you with linux as can only just use it my self but i do you that you can use ias a ftp/web/email server

 

Sounds like it is running something akin to e-smith (http://www.e-smith.org).

Personaly, I'm going the Linux server route, because it is free

If I had the money, I'd do Windows, though

 

win servers are evil compared to linux/unix, i mean servers are one of the things linux is best at - all that stability and security.

even if i had the money for windoze servers i'd definately use linux

 

i agree linux/unix serves are better but for a noob to servers i think that windows would be better to understand how they work

 

I think I'm going to go with windows for now, any pointers for getting gently into Linux would be gratefully accepted.

 

get a coppy of knoppix and play around witnh it - it's a distro that runs straight off the cd, so you don't need to install it (althougth you can). The bast way to learn is to play with it =)

 

2k is basically limitless for server use, you just need some good hardware, as my server at the moment is (believe it or not) a P133 with 48 mb RAM, running 2k pro - below spec. The actual response time is great, and it does a good job of serving ADSL through a usb modem (it has an early abit mobo with one SD slot and a usb header). But it took four tries to install without crashing

(by the way, uptime is about a month and counting)