Networks Old server room.

Hey!

So I recently started a new job working along side my brother and step-dad at a scaffolding company.

We moved into a yard a few weeks ago and I have been tasked with setting up the networks and servers, but I have never done it before.

I am quite savvy with computers, but servers are something that I have never had to deal with before.

"Chloride" - the company that was here before - let quite a bit of equipment behind. When we had a new phone line fitted the guy from BT estimated that the phone system was worth a few hundred pounds, so I want to make use of it. There are tracks running all around the yard with ethernet ports coming out of it.

So basically, I was just wondering if anyone could help me ID any of the items in the room, and the best way to make use of it, what other equipment I need etc.

There is currently a UPS in here, but I think it is just for the phone system.

The company is not large (yet) - so all that I need the server it to do for the time being is to host files that can be accessed from any computer (there will be 4ish), like databases of customers, live jobs etc.

I hope I am making sense and that it is in the right part of the forum.

Thanks for reading !
-bobo666

 

Welcome to the forum.

Where in the world are you located?

Servers aren't too difficult to install but you want to make sure you get it right first time, I'm sure we can help with this

 

http://h30187.www3.hp.com/courses/o...&hplcpsession.id=4f4029bb7704f54dc634d50db2b5

That could help? but as said above they are quite easy to install really, just try to give us some information like what OS its running and what these 4 PC's you plan to have are

 

Is it just to share files or are there any specific tasks/software that you want to run over the server?

 

Thank you all for your replys.

I am located in the UK. I have a friend who is a network administrator at a private school, so he will help me set it up if I need it!

I need the server to host all files and databases that we have so that anyone in the office can access these files and edit them accordingly!

I posted on another forum (so that I can get more advise!) and someone asked me these questions, so it might help you all understand what I am trying to do.

Will you be hosting any thing on the Internet from this server? No
Will you need to remote into the server from home? Not important, but it could help.
How important is it to have a redundant system (one that will not go down)? Not very - but my friend has a few basic servers (about 6 years old) with multiple 500GB RAIN HDD's which he is willing to sell to me.
How important is your data like a backup plan and a security plan? Pretty important, but I can manually back up the files. I would also like it to encrypt the data, just in case (and also to comply with Data Protection Act?)
How many computers will be connected to this server? 3 at first, but eventually up to about 6-8 max.
Will they be thin clients requiring cloud computing? Nope.
Will you be doing Voice over IP? No I don't think we will. I am going to set up a database that you can call customers from - with the click of a button. I presume that call would be made using the land line rather than VOIP.

Also, here are some pictures of what I have: it's stupidly messy!

 

The most important thing you need to remember - BACKUPS. Make sure in whatever setup you have, the files are backed up somewhere - so they can be restored if something goes wrong!

We'll need pics before we can help!

 

What are your plans for e-mail? Might be best to just stick a Windows SBS in, or just a standard 2008 server running file and Active Directory services.

 

Pictures don't work.

 

Pics don't work.
I do this as a day job.
As you only need file sharing and are. Savvy with pc I would say just in stall home server 2011 set up some shares and you can remote via Rdp then too. Also u an have raid 5 redundancy aswell as backing up too USB hdd or nas I wouldn't bother with tapes in your size... But do it in rotation.
I wouldn't encrypt the disk as it will be more hassle than it's worth.
Just keep the file sharing server in a locked room.
Regarding SBS unless u plan to have exchange and log-ins and policies there is no need for SBS for at the moment and the prices will rocket. Specially if you don't know how too configure it yourself.
But as a previous poster said backups are most important so keep vital data on a network share which had raid and backups.
Cheers

 

right click on pics open in new tab

 

Looks like all you've got are a load of switches, and a lot of CAT5 cables. Not much else.

God knows what those boxes on the wall are.