DIY Home Network With Server - Help

[HankWils]

Hi All. This is my first post.

I am currently in the process of building a home network and I'm looking for some advice.

Here's the plan which is subject to change depending on the advice you guys give me:
The network is for home use and will have about 3-5 desktop PC's connected to a central server.

I intend using the central server to give each user space to store their files and allow each user to access their files from any PC in the house. I also plan on storing a large amount of MP3 files that any user can access. There will be one B&W laser printer and one colour inkjet connected to the server which any user can use.

I have an old Dell PIII 450Mhz PC which I intend using as the server - will this be sufficient for my needs or is upgrading a MUST? If so what is the minimum spec for this application. I'll probably have a 80Gb hard drive on the server initially as this is apparently the maximum it can cope with. If it brings the benefits I expect I'll arrange more storage.

I'm currently using a wireless Wanadoo livebox to allow the PC's to connect to the internet (ADSL) and I intend using this to network all the desktops to the server.

I have windows server 2003 already installed on the old Dell PC and the desktops are all using either XP or XP Pro.

I'm capable of reformating and reinstalling windows and playing around with the internals of a PC but I've never set up a network with a central server.

I want to set the network up so that when a user logs in to a desktop they will have a drive in my computer which is their allocated storage on the server. They should all be able to listen to MP3s stored on the server and also be able to store files on the desktop hard drive.

Can anyone help me with the above and help me bring some method to the madness in this house?

 

[DJ-CHRIS]

Okay were not the best at networks in these forums, I am taking up a simmilar task

Yeah the dell will be fine, and it should handle hard drives of over 200 gig as well.

To see a harddrive in my computer, you need to share a folder (or drive) on the hell PC. You than map it as a network drive.

EDIT: I can help ya more, but I would prefer MSN or AIM, their will be a bit of trial and error though

 

[HankWils]

Thanks for the reply. Check your PMs for my msn username.

I think I can set up the fileserver and printserver OK I just can't find any information on how to set up the users or how to set up the logon so that when they do logon the appropriate storage allocation and MP3 folder appear as drives in 'my computer'.

I suppose I could probably set it up so that any user with the correct username and password could view the files in 'my network places' and set up access for anyone to use the MP3 folder but I really want it to appear in 'my computer'.

 

[NeoExtreme]

The Dell will handle sever 2003 fine but do not expect supreme performance out of it.Do you wish to have a domain set-up or just a workgroup? You can create multiple volumes (via disk management)to share for each person and map it to each computer.With this set-up you can have disk qoutas so that they do not go over the disk space.Make sure you set-up the server with a static IP that way the mapped drives will still be valid.As far as sharing MP3s just create another volume partion and share it with the right permissions.

 

[HankWils]

That sound like what I want to do but I don't know the difference between a domain and a work group.

All I know is what I want to do (detailed above) I'm trying to find out the best way to do it. Sorry for being a bit stoopid about this.

 

[NeoExtreme]

The main deference between a domain and workgroup is domain is group of computers that share a centralized security.Workgroup is every machine is resposible for the security.In a domain, users authenticate through the server and then depending on the permissions set of what network resources they use.Setting up a domain would make the administration part easier to set up.In a workgroup everyone else is resposible for the permissions to thier machine.What version of 2003 server do you have?

 

[HankWils]

I have enterprise edition but I have can get web edition or standard edition through the academic network.

My friend has mentioned something about roaming profiles? Any idea what that is?

**************EDIT**************
I've also been thinking. I have Outlook 2003 which I only use on one of the desktops. My partner and I both enter our shifts & appointments etc in the calendar. I take it that if outlook is installed on the desktop and not the server that anyone logging on to that actual desktop will see the same calendar and not different versions for each user?

 

[NeoExtreme]

Enterprise edition can become a domain controller and much more,so that is good.Roaming profiles are only good for if the user is going from computer to computer,so when they log in they have the same settings as if they were setting at their own computer.This however this will hog up more space on the hard drive on your server.The users probably have larger hard drives on their systems.How much ram do you have on the Dell Enterprise Edition requires a min. of 128 MB but recommended is 256MB.

 

[HankWils]

I've got 312 at the moment I think.

 

[NeoExtreme]

On the outlook,if they sign on with your account then they will see the calander but if they are signed on with their own account then they will not see it.

So basically you need to decide wether you would like it to be a domain or workgroup.Then I can help you out further with the decision.

BTW,is this just for regular home use or is it a small business?