How do I set up lab of 40 computers on 2 campuses located 5km apart?This is for a school project?

Question

Each lab should have 40 computers connected to a network. An additional machine will be used as a server. It is expected that both campuses will be connected to facilitate remote queries. Assignments/grades will be posted for student viewing only. Sharing of workstation files are required. Laptops with wireless LAN to connect to network. Lecturers will be able to have class over LAN with AV presentation. printing will be at the server location. UPS at both sites. Lab should have all conduits in place. A proposal is to be presented for equipping these labs to meet the requirements.

Answer 1

How do I set up lab of 40 computers on 2 campuses located 5km apart?This is for a school project?
Each lab should have 40 computers connected to a network.

First I'm not a professional but since at the time I started this answer no one replied I'll offer what info I know.


Q: Are these actually full functional computers like regular desktops or laptops or are they merely dummy terminals which send their requests through the main server ?

If they are terminals (dummies) then route them all through the main server which handles all the processing.

If they are individual computers then they each handle their own processing and only need server (and likely internet) access.
Depending on your budget and preference, but you'll likely use ethernet to hardwire each desktop computer into the local network by using routers and or switches.

A router is a device that can split one internet and or server feed [data to and from ] into many different computers. (Just like a wireless router except a normal router has wires).
The cable is called ethernet cable and it plugs into your nic card, aka network interface card.

Allowing the computers from one lab to another lab for communications should be done over the internet.

If security and access are issues then you may want to route all lab computers to go through the main server which then contacts the other main server.
The servers can be setup to only allow access from certain machines/IP's, etc.
There are many software and hardware (firewalls for example) settings that help do this.

Allowing students to access view of grades [or their projects] is handled easily enough by storing the grades/student info in a database. If you want students to only be able to view their own grades/records then give each student a password and login ID. If you allow any student to view any other student's info then they all can have the same login info/password.

If you want to allow students to be able to access this information via the net from any computer then it would fairly easy to make a website/web page using MYSQL and PHP to do this.

Your PHP code would control what access the students have, if that's too difficult for you to learn how to do, or you don't have the budget to pay someone to do that (it's not very hard) then you could simply have separate databases one that only stores the 'viewable' grade for the students and not the actual grades used for the teachers. Then disallow student access.

As you can see there are many solutions to each problem so you really should think about this in more detail before you commit to any one solution.

One of the best and most common and inexpensive databases to use is MYSQL.

Sharing of work files is solved because you're on the local and remote network already.

You only really need to choose what means of file transfer you'll use.
Which software product or to use a built in method, depending on OS of choice.


For example Mac OS X has ftp, sftp SSH, and probably other means built in for file transferring, or remote login/control built in.
Also, OS X comes with the ability to be a web server via Apache, one of the most of the most widely used web serving software around.

Personally I'd stay away from running Windows or Linux. Windows because it's not very secure and Linux because it isn't very user friendly.
Mac OS X is built upon Unix which means it's completely reliable and professional grade. The Mac GUI (Graphic User Interface) is very user friendly while running Unix under the hood.

It doesn't sound like students should be able to access other students projects at all, or at least directly because this could lead to problems.
(malicious students doing harm to other student projects, students copying/cheating from other students projects,etc.)

OS X is a multiuser operating system where each user can setup his/her own accounts on the same machine and their projects would be 'protected' from other users who don't have the account/password.
Files are protected by permissions.

This makes multiple users sharing the same computer for completely different projects easy and efficient.
Since this is a lab setting I assume there will be more than one class, or one student per machine.

Another strong point to NOT use Windows is because of the lack of security and Window's major vulnerability to viruses and other problems.

Don't take my word for it, take Microsoft's [the maker of Windows] word for it.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/usatoday/microsoftfinds60infectionrateinpcs

Here's a snippet of that article.

"icrosoft scanned the PCs of 5.7 million consumers and small-business owners who used its free scanning tool from January 2005 through March 2006. It found:

• At least one "backdoor Trojan" - malicious computer code sneaked onto PCs - on 3.5 million computers, 62% of those scanned; most functioned as bots communicating over a private messaging channel to a controller.

• About 20% of the PCs checked during one period had been cleaned, then re-infected, most often with a different kind of bot.

• About 35% of the bots were implanted when victims opened attachments sent via e-mail, instant messages or peer-to-peer websites that share data files. Most of the rest spread with no action by the victim required."

Just imagine your administrator for your schools having to constantly deal with problems due to Window's Vulnerability.

No thanks.

Also, all the new Macs have the ability to not only run OS X (the Mac OS) but also Windows if you ever need to, or for whatever reason your school decides to switch operating systems. (Macs can also run various flavors of Linux so I hear).

A 'PC' can't do that. The term PC actually means personal computer but most people misuse the term to mean 'a personal computer that runs Windows'.


Give Apple and Mac a look, they offer many different machines, including eMacs which are designed for schools/educational use.

Depending on budget I like the mac mini's with an LCD screen or an iMac with a built in LCD screen.

If you need tons of power (which you likely won't) then you'll want something with a little more juice, like a very powerful powermac but I suspect you really won't need that kind of power.

Http://www.Apple.com/hardware



Regarding your server needs, if your server's main use is what you're telling me, just simply file sharing to approx. 80 students then just about any new computer should be able to handle that, assuming you get enough storage (hard drive space).

Serving doesn't take much processing power at all in most cases, and only when you have many thousands of concurrent users would you need a high end machine like a powermac or Xserve.

For what it's worth, many people are successfully using Apple's Mac mini's as their business and personal web servers.

For administrative uses you'll definitely want to buy Apple's Remote Desktop 3, unlimited.
Here's a link for you to read about it.
http://www.apple.com/remotedesktop/

The bottom line in choosing is this :

Mac's are far better than anything else on the market, they MIGHT initially cost you a tiny bit more than a Windows or Linux system up front but you end up saving tons of more money the longer you use them because you don't have all the other problems that Windows and even Linux will give you thus you greatly reduce the time spent for administration; the headache of fixing users computers, the downtime from various viruses/worms,etc.
Your students will also be more efficient as the MAC OS is easier to learn and use.

Regarding your AV lectures, again Mac OS X to the rescue.

Read about Mac OS X's quicktime streaming server and quicktime broadcaster.

http://www.apple.com/quicktime/broadcaster/
http://www.apple.com/quicktime/streamingserver/



Printing at the server location is not a problem.

You should really spend a lot of time reading about what Mac OS X can do.


A proposal is to be presented for equipping these labs to meet the requirements.

Whoever is to make this proposal needs to do their homework and if time is limited you need to seek an experienced person.

I've given you tons of good info and that's a great start, reading through Apple's website should answer almost all of your needs/questions.

Apple also has a free tech/posting forum where you can ask other experienced users for about the Apple products specifically in real world uses.

Tell them what you're needing to do and learn from what they say.

http://discussions.apple.com/index.jspa



Btw, I don't work for Apple but I've used Apple computers on and off since the 1980's.


After you do your homework and make your decision please let me know what you've chosen and how it goes.

HTH.

Answer 2

First of all... I think that is a rather big project, and I hope you are not wanting anybody to do your homework for you.... now, if it was me and without the classroom hours that you have I would say....

you need a T1 or T5 business class internet service at both locations. you need a server class server with a server class OS on the server location, two routers and a bridge for a VPN, to connect both clusters. Share permissions on each one of the workstations to share files, a printer server on each one of the loations so they can print, webcam to capture streaming video and encoding to broadcast, maybe even VoIP.
obviously, static IP on the server location to set up RAS, but is better to do a hardware setup, because software VPN's are super slow and not good for AV.

about the quality of the routers, VPN's, and bridges, they would have to be managed routers, sysco if possible (very expensive).

the name brands and specs for each piece of equipment... the usual suspects... Dell optiplex, Compaq, etc... the samething for the server. Windows Advanced Server or Unix. and Sysco routers, and a good team of sysco certified network ingeneers...

how to set all of that up? I guess that is your homework...

that is if you want to connect over the internet... but you can go with fiber optics across both campuses and it would be a faster network.

Answer 3

install both loabds, with each lab had its own server, on both campus set a dsl T1, ask isp (dsl provider) to setup you a vpn at isp server computer, and both of your network segment will be connected through this vpn.

no need for extra ........work and money.

Good Luck

Answer 4

At that distance, you should use fiber-optic cable, or T1 cable. A gate way at both ends. A server at one end would be ok. And of course a router on each end also.

Answer 5

Try, http://www.radmin.com/ recommend that I really like. Fast and safe program for remote control of computers. Advantages, high speed, reliable security system.

Answer 6

Use visio and draw the pictures and make a proposal that way!

Answer 7

MNevara - you did her homework.. its too long i dont have time to read whole of it right now :P

Answer 8

Do your own damn homework!......grrrrrr