Small network to setup

E

Eric L

0
Holla!

I have a question for you computer inclined savys out there.

I work at a welding supplies store. I must maintain a network of 5 computers which have access to a file server that has our client/inventory database.

This file server is a standard pc used by our accounts receivable/boss. The rest are used by anyone.

I'm not into networking a whole lot and am wondering if the setup I have made is decent for this business. Everything works fine but I feel like I don't have it setup like businesses would.

I have Win XP on all machines including the file server, should I put a server version of windows on it or is this only needed with a higher volume of computers attached to the network?

Should my file server be way more powerful than the rest of the computers? The volume of work done on the computers here isn't that high so I'm unsure if I should do this.

We have 3 printers on the network. One is a DOT matrix printer (it prints with impact so you can print on carbon paper) the rest are standard windows printers. Because I have to use the DOT matrix server in DOS mode for printing invoices, it is tricky to setup on a windows xp network, any tricks to make it work? The computer at my desk can't make invoices because of this and it's a little inconvenient.

I have never used Windows Server so I don't really know how it works or if it's complicated to learn. I want to make sure this business has a proper setup 'cause I might be leaving soon haha.

When I first got hired, the computers here we're all PIII' 500MHZ :yelrotflmao:

They we're still doing invoices via an old, no, VERY OLD out-of-date point-of-sale software. I spent about 2300$ dollars and upgraded all 5 computers to dual cores and upgraded their point-of-sale software - now I want to work on the network setup and the printer setup and make it easier to work with.

That is all.

:action3:

good day
 
Depends. Is the file server being used continuously, or only occasionally? I would monitor resource usage over a period of a week or so and accommodate for (if necessary, that is) 3x peak (burst) usage.

I would make it a unix box, but for the purposes of a basic (see: tiny and uncomplicated) network, XP will be more than fine. Especially since your boss wouldn't be too happy about having to work with an emulated OS, I think. But you might wanna bump max open connections on the "file server" from 10 (the xp default) to 30 or 40 or so, to be on the safe side.

You could take the opportunity to get paid for teaching yourself some stuff and doing some tinkering, though, if you don't have a whole lot else to do.
 
Since its the bosses' PC doing the file hosting, no, do not put a server OS on it. XP Pro is ok for the small volume you are doing.

I would google "making DOS printing work in a Windows workgroup"...see what you can find there. I have not owned a printer for almost 10 years, and never had to print thru DOS...it should be doable, you may need to do something to make legacy emulation work.
 
Thanks guys.

I will stay with Win XP.

As for the DOS printers, there is a way I found to make it work via a DOS command line, I made a batch file with it - but the problem is that when I do this I have to make another command line for when I want to use the windows printers...this is pretty inconvenient and not something I want them tinkering with. I think I will need to make a print server or something...that's another thing I need to learn :action:
 
Some types of networks :-

- Peer-to-peer Networks ~ 5 Computers
- Client-Server Network ~ 20 Comps File/Print/Mail
- Application-Server Networks - costs a bundle unless you use Linux

If you know how to use Linux/Unix a complete windows server can be replaced by a free Linux one.
 
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