The sharing of the files; make it so.
September 14, 2007 4:31 AM Subscribe
Small office Networking, hardware/software recommendations please. Sort of long, sorry!
Summary: one central office, one satellite office, one satellite retail location. Central office and satellite office are in the same building in different rooms, store is located across town. All are wired for/with broadband. Total of 4 computers, 2 in main office, one in satellite, one in my store.
I've already got filesharing for the computers in the same building, as they're part of the same subnet that's no issue. They print to each others printers, drag and move files, etc. Now here's the question:
One computer is leaving and another needs to take its place. We run a piece of custom MS Access based software that will ONLY work on an XP Pro install (or vista), NOT XP Home.
Two of the three remaining computers have XP Home, but I have upgrade discs for them. My laptop (the store computer) is Vista Business Basic. The new computer...what should it be? Vista Business Basic? Ultimate? Hrm?
It will host the main database, the rest of us will log in remotely, which leads me to the second part of my question.
I've used VNC but never VPN, and have no idea how to do it. I'm sure I can figure it out. However, will the new computer suffer usability issues if people connect to it remotely while he's trying to work? VPN doesn't take over the screen like VNC does, does it?
I'm assuming I'll have to make a rule @ the router to allow remote connections on port X to that system as well, and that's not an issue. I guess...just tell me what I need to know.
Do we need *another* box to act as a server? This database is used infrequently (maybe 5-10 times a week), and it's not particularly resource intensive. It DOES need to be hosted in one place and accessed remotely though, as its got basically all information for the entire NPO.
We *could* likely put together a low-powered machine to host the stuff that I could put @ my store to save space at the office...what is anyones opinion on minimum specs?
Summary: one central office, one satellite office, one satellite retail location. Central office and satellite office are in the same building in different rooms, store is located across town. All are wired for/with broadband. Total of 4 computers, 2 in main office, one in satellite, one in my store.
I've already got filesharing for the computers in the same building, as they're part of the same subnet that's no issue. They print to each others printers, drag and move files, etc. Now here's the question:
One computer is leaving and another needs to take its place. We run a piece of custom MS Access based software that will ONLY work on an XP Pro install (or vista), NOT XP Home.
Two of the three remaining computers have XP Home, but I have upgrade discs for them. My laptop (the store computer) is Vista Business Basic. The new computer...what should it be? Vista Business Basic? Ultimate? Hrm?
It will host the main database, the rest of us will log in remotely, which leads me to the second part of my question.
I've used VNC but never VPN, and have no idea how to do it. I'm sure I can figure it out. However, will the new computer suffer usability issues if people connect to it remotely while he's trying to work? VPN doesn't take over the screen like VNC does, does it?
I'm assuming I'll have to make a rule @ the router to allow remote connections on port X to that system as well, and that's not an issue. I guess...just tell me what I need to know.
Do we need *another* box to act as a server? This database is used infrequently (maybe 5-10 times a week), and it's not particularly resource intensive. It DOES need to be hosted in one place and accessed remotely though, as its got basically all information for the entire NPO.
We *could* likely put together a low-powered machine to host the stuff that I could put @ my store to save space at the office...what is anyones opinion on minimum specs?
Response by poster: I've heard of Hamachi before---if I, say, connect to his computer with it to open files, whatever, is it going to take over his desktop, or just operate in the background as another logged in user?
And...should he get vista business? business ultra? What?
I'll keep reading. Thanks.
posted by TomMelee at 11:04 AM on September 14, 2007
And...should he get vista business? business ultra? What?
I'll keep reading. Thanks.
posted by TomMelee at 11:04 AM on September 14, 2007
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posted by ReiToei at 5:23 AM on September 14, 2007