What network to use for more than 300 computers?

Answer 1

internet Access Point > Server > 24 Port Switch > 20 Computers

Internet Access Point > Router > Switch > 20 Computers

Internet Access Point > 24 Port Switch > 20 Computers

Theres 3 options just off the top of my head. These arent your only options either.

Option 1If you have 20 computers, definitly you want to look into a server. Get Windows Server 2003, I would say get Windows Server 2008 but it's still relatively new and you might find it hard to get somebody to set it up for you.

If moneys tight, get Windows Small Business Server. If money's even tighter, get a Linux server. I have heard some good reports about Debian.

Whatever OS you chose, make sure the server has 2 network cards, an incomming one and outgoing one. If you choose to go with Windows, get yourself set up with IAS aswell.

Option 2If you decide against a server, then get a Linksys WRT54G router version 4, flash it and put some decent firmware on it. Make sure you get version 4, some versions don't take too kindly to being upgraded.

With your router you can do some really cool stuff, VPN, QoS, port forwarding, port triggering, port blocking, DHCP, DNS, mess around with subnets properly, set up a DMZ, you get to play around with wireless etc..

But you loose out on the domain part that the server would have provided. Its going to be harder now to manage those computers, look after updates, keep them secure and everything now has to be done manually with every computer.

Option 3Not one I'd recommend, although it depends whats sitting at your Internet Access Point. For example, you don't want a direct line comming from the Ariel on the roof to your switch and then to the computers. I have seen this done before and I don't know why, but for some reason it took about a year before they got hacked. Having a switch as your internet gateway isn't the smartest idea in the world. Though like I said, it depends on whats at the Internet Access Point. Maybe you will get away that set-up, maybe you wont. I don't know what sort of internet connection you have.

Answer 2

You can use standard Ethernet. You would probably need several switches, and you might consider dividing the network into smaller networks ("subnets"), for administrative purposes, as well as to reduce the broadcast domains.