Designing a Wireless LAN - PLEASE HELP!

[adakat02]

Hello there,

I am new to using Comptuer Forums and am after some help on creating a LAN for a feasibility report due in a couple of days.

The scenario is:
To design an evidence collection system for use onboard ships. The system is to consist of a central computer for storage and processing of large amounts of data/evidence (server), 2 ruggedised laptops each with GPS system to be taken away from the ship with digital cameras (for evidence gathering) The laptops will need to be able to transfer information to and from the central computer (on the ship) via wireless technology within line of Sight range. The following IP address is to be used to subnet: 220.199.22.0

The minimum requirements for the LAN are as follows:

a. Hardware to be compatibile with eachother
b. computers to be networked via wireless technology
c. data will require a public key encryption of at least 128bit
d. a redundancy plan
f. colour printer to provide photo quality prints and a high resolution scanner

I have been looking into sending data via GPS, is this a good way to go? If so, what exactly will I need? I dont want to forget anything? I have so far...

On the ship:
* Server, Monitor, keyboard, mouse
* Windows 2003 Server software
* Networked Printer
* Networked scanner
* GPS receiver
* GPS antenna
* GPS software

For evidence gathering:
* Ruggidesed Laptop
* High resolution camera
* GPS mouse
* Windows XP or VISTA Software
* GPS software

I am not too familar with TCP/IP over GPS so I am not sure what I am missing (if anything) Any help would be appreciated

Adam

 

[KSoD]

While this is a very interesting situation you bring up i am not sure that many people here will know how to setup or even what is needed for setup of a GPS sending and recieving unit.

We are mainly Home Users with our small networks here. Maybe Dr. IP with the knowledge that they have might know something about this solution.

But from what i read it seems you might have it all set already. I might suggest Windows Server 2008. As that is one great piece of software. The only other thing i can see is some kind of GPS sender/reciever for the laptops. To transfer the data. You got the mouse and keyboard. But nothing to really transfer any data.

 

[mikesgroovin]

This is a fairly complicated scenario. I haven't worked with a server and client based network involving GPS. I have, however, worked with a server/client based network involving ships. I was involved in setting up the wireless technology on the Washington State Ferry system. Basically, there were dead spots across certain bodies of water that we need to cover. But, instead of working with GPS, we went with a cellular solution. We setup VerizonWireless antennas on top of all of the ships (this was the most fun I've ever had... on top of a Ferry will it was in service LOL) and then had a base uni-directional at each dock. The uni-directional in either dock would have a strong enough signal to propagate data back to the station LAN and back to the WAN. But, it never left our atmosphere LOL.

In my opinion, GPS is already involved (to some extent) with Wireless technologies from cellular services in a lot of current phones. But, to setup is extremely expensive. It's more efficient to use a wireless technology thats already built up.

I ramble a lot, but will get down to your question. The hardest thing that you want to work out right now is the IP and Subnetting schematic. The technology used to achieve your schematic is 2ndary. Get through the root of your work/theory ALWAYS on the IP layer. Hardware and which technology to use should always come last. Conceptually build your network on paper (not to scale) with IP addresses and subnetworks involved to get what you want to get done.

I've had similar scenarios in school and through the Cisco academy, much of which I'd like to forget but, if you are looking for a point by point answer, your answer resides in other places than forums to be quite honest.