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Server Solutions, or, Networking 101
DeadOnArrival
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
So here's the deal, I'm quite a technical person, and once I'm familiar with a technology I literally become an authority on it. I'm my entire family and friends' go to 'computer guy', and whilst it's annoying that I get confronted with every query from "What ISP should I use?" to "How do I download music?" I take pride in the fact that I know what I'm doing. So it pains me to come before you today with a startling revelation. I know next to nothing about networks, servers, and the interaction between client and server computers.
The reason is thus: I have always in the past just had my own computer - and everyone I know has just had their own computer. My networking knowledge never had to extend further than how to use a DSL modem/router to connect a computer (or computers, in the case of setting up a wireless router) to the interwebs.
The situation now is that I just purchased a new HTPC (in parts of course, to build myself) which will be going into the living room, and in addition, I will shortly be buying a new gaming computer for my own personal use. My current gaming computer, which I am using right now, I have decided to transform into a server. I'd like this server to be the connection through which the interwebs is accessed and be able to share it's hard drive storage wirelessly with the other computers in the house, as well as the printer. My plans haven't really extended past that yet. I'm also not sure on what OS my server should use. Is Linux a solution to hook up Windows 7/XP clients to, or do I need to use a Windows Server OS for that?
In summary:
Current Situation:-
* Old gaming computer, connected to Internet via RJ-45 to Router. Currently runs Windows XP Pro 32bit.
* Laptop, connected to Internet via 801.11g to Router. Running Windows XP Home 32bit.
Desired Outcome:-
* Old gaming computer = New File/Print/Internet Server. Unknown OS.
* Laptop, remains the same.
* New HTPC running Windows 7 beta, connected wirelessly to server.
* New gaming computer running Windows 7 beta, connected wirelessly to server.
There you have it. Please help me PA. How do I network?
PS. I do have some concerns with a wireless connection for the gaming PC. Is 801.11g/801.11n fast enough latency-wise to avoid ping issues, or should I be connecting this up the good old fashioned way via RJ-45? It's possible for me to do this, as the server and gaming pc will be situated in the same room.
TLDR; I need help with my first home network, because I'm dumb and I've never looked into this stuff before.
The reason is thus: I have always in the past just had my own computer - and everyone I know has just had their own computer. My networking knowledge never had to extend further than how to use a DSL modem/router to connect a computer (or computers, in the case of setting up a wireless router) to the interwebs.
The situation now is that I just purchased a new HTPC (in parts of course, to build myself) which will be going into the living room, and in addition, I will shortly be buying a new gaming computer for my own personal use. My current gaming computer, which I am using right now, I have decided to transform into a server. I'd like this server to be the connection through which the interwebs is accessed and be able to share it's hard drive storage wirelessly with the other computers in the house, as well as the printer. My plans haven't really extended past that yet. I'm also not sure on what OS my server should use. Is Linux a solution to hook up Windows 7/XP clients to, or do I need to use a Windows Server OS for that?
In summary:
Current Situation:-
* Old gaming computer, connected to Internet via RJ-45 to Router. Currently runs Windows XP Pro 32bit.
* Laptop, connected to Internet via 801.11g to Router. Running Windows XP Home 32bit.
Desired Outcome:-
* Old gaming computer = New File/Print/Internet Server. Unknown OS.
* Laptop, remains the same.
* New HTPC running Windows 7 beta, connected wirelessly to server.
* New gaming computer running Windows 7 beta, connected wirelessly to server.
There you have it. Please help me PA. How do I network?
PS. I do have some concerns with a wireless connection for the gaming PC. Is 801.11g/801.11n fast enough latency-wise to avoid ping issues, or should I be connecting this up the good old fashioned way via RJ-45? It's possible for me to do this, as the server and gaming pc will be situated in the same room.
TLDR; I need help with my first home network, because I'm dumb and I've never looked into this stuff before.
DeadOnArrival on
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I'm not sure what you mean. I can't replace my router with a computer because the router gives me the wireless and WAN (DSL) connectivity, right? The server is is the computer the router will be connecting to via RJ-45. Though I am thinking about upgrading my 801.11g router to 801.11n.
Unless you wanted to use the server as a firewall, router, or proxy, there is no need for traffic to "pass-through" the server. That is why Krikee asked the question; you said you want to do this yet there is no need for it.
You can set up linux as a standard samba file share that windows machines can access. You'll have to look up the details on that though.
Unless you have a lot of interference, you aren't going to notice any lag from the wireless connection.
Since the gaming rig and the server will be in the same room, interference shouldn't be a problem for me. I had thought of using the server as a firewall for the whole network, but the router itself has a firewall, so is there advantages/disadvantages to disabling it on the router and running it through the server instead?
Right now I'm using my wireless router for the internet, and so is the laptop downstairs, but they have no other network connectivity - they can't see each other on the domain so file sharing and such is impossible. How do I alter this, is it inside of Windows XP or is it a router setting?
There isn't a huge advantage to running the firewall on the server and ditching the router unless you need a much more complicated firewall set up, or want to do some serious learning about networking.
You're talking about a domain and I think you mean workgroup. A domain is fairly complicated and massive overkill for a home network. But the settings are all inside Windows.
Though I might like to try my hand at setting up a domain server, as having all user accounts managed on one box and being able to to set permissions per user account rather than computer in use would be a nice advantage for me.
Stop stupid people (well, stupider than me) from doing stupid things to make things break.
You can do some of the functions of a domain at home with Samba. But it's not exactly entry level stuff to learn. For full on Active Directory...that's going to cost you. You'll need to have a Windows Server OS and a few other things.
If I may be so bold as to suggest that perhaps you'd be better off learning a more intermediate step. Have you looked at the study materials for the A+ certification? It's not the highest end, but it's a decent introduction to make sure you have a good grounding in the basics of how everything works.
First you'd find out the IP Addresses of the machines. On each machine, open a command prompt window and type in "ipconfig /all" without quotes and hit <Enter>. Note the IP Address.
The other component is the share path. Windows machines have a default share for each drive for administrative purposes. It's "DriveLetter"$, so if Windows is installed to C:\, the default admin share is C$.
If both the laptop and the desktop have an administrator user called "Administrator" with the password "password," then if you were logged onto the laptop as "Administrator" and in the Run command window you put "\\DesktopIPAddress\C$" (without quotes) and hit <Enter> a window would open up displaying the contents of the C drive of the desktop. If the user credentials differ between the laptop and desktop you would be prompted to supply credentials for an administrator user of the target machine to access the administrative share.
This method does not follow best practices for basic networking, but it'll let the laptop fetch/post files to the desktop and vice versa. Your wireless encryption key is the only thing preventing those not connected to your network from intercepting data, and letting users access shares with the "Administrator" means they could accidentally do extensive damage.
The proper way to share files in a workgroup environment would be on each computer designate/create a folder(s) for sharing and then create non-admin accounts for each user and grant them read/write NTFS permissions to the folder(s). Then "Share" the folder and assign sharing permissions (change/read) to each user to whom you want to grant access. So when the laptop user tried to connect to "\\DesktopIPAddress\NetworkShare" he would get prompted to submit credentials to access the share.
Funny you should mention that. I'm already studying for the A+ exam. My A+ study book has a chapter on networking, it's 21. I like to read in order though, and I'm on chapter 12.
I'll be doing Network+ after A+, so the knowledge will be mine sooner or later anyway. Might as well get my hands dirty now.
Over the years, (been playing/working with computers for 25 years) I've picked up bits here and there about networking and thought I should be able to figure it out. I did have success with windows 98, but when they pulled the plug on that extremely stupid friendly O.S., I was thrown into a world of unfamiliar terms, jargon and gobbledygook.
I've been plugging away with Linux for over 2 years and the networking side of it seems straight forward on the outside.
However, setting up a Samba server on Ubuntu has taken me two weeks of getting very little. None of the terms used make any sense to me and neither do their functions.
I wish the best of luck for anyone who tries this. Since I have had very little luck, it must be going to someone else.
I've configured samba the best I can, and can connect the other Linux boxes to the shares. However, I cannot connect by the name used in the smb.conf file. Nor can I even connect by using Linux discovery methods or prompt, as it tells me "Timeout On Server". I have to use "smb://<server address>/<share folder>/" to gain access. The best I can figure is that Samba can do so many things that it has no idea what to do, and if I don't know what to tell it to do and not to do, I'm stuck. To make things worse, I have yet to find anyone(or)any-literature that actually knows(or)shows what Samba is(or)does(or)works-with to make a proper network user share-space. And yes, I even have Linux manuals to aid me in my insanity (I have yet to see anything written in a Linux manual that works the way it's supposed to.).
Funny, I tried to learn programming in "C" once. Spent three months on it. None of the programming specified in that manual worked either. Kinda weird.
I'm beginning to think that people who write manuals and school books fill them with meaningless jargon to make fun of me because I don't know enough about their software to spell-check and trouble-shoot their mistakes. Those of us who actually want to learn and teach ourselves are left in the dark wandering aimlessly through the effluence of unnecessary and pointless tidbits that fall from the bootstraps and fat-tables of the guru gods. To understand hardware, all I need is a screwdriver and a soldering gun. What do I need to understand software? A guru god and some truth serum? Will a six pack work?
And so I pray to the networking guru gods, "You've had a hearty laugh on my struggles. Can you now enlighten me so that I may share resources with my family? Or is it all in vain?"
Again, Good luck to those of you who wish to learn the software end of networking.
If in my ignorance or anger I have offended anyone, then be satisfied that I did not say what I am really thinking. o_O
Now to sit back and think of springtime while killing stuff on runescape. :P
MelonDrift
Steam/PSN/XBL/Minecraft / LoL / - Benevicious | WoW - Duckwood - Rajhek
Are you talking about the Vista Polling Lag issue where it lags searching for new wireless networks every 60 seconds?
If not, then your problem is interference. Either you have obstructions that are creating a really weak or multipath signal or you have some devices in the vicinity that are running on the same frequencies. The most common are 2.4 GHz cordless phones. But I've seen other WiFi devices like laptops start blasting out noise when they are searching for an access point and can't find one.
Critical Failures - Havenhold Campaign • August St. Cloud (Human Ranger)
Melondrift is the one in need now. Maybe you should make a new thread melon? People are still answering my queries which are no longer relevent.