OT: Need help setting up network file server. [message #106914] |
Tue, 10 August 2004 07:19 |
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Krazyfoxx
Messages: 194 Registered: February 2003 Location: WV
Karma:
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Recruit |
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I work for a surveying/engineering company (draftsman), and we have four “workstations� or individual computers networked on an 8 port switch along with two HP plotters (a 36� and a 42�). The problem is that yesterday, the hard drive on one of those computers went down and now we have to send it away to get the data recovered (min. $700.00). Out of those four comp.’s, I’ve built three with the other being a Gateway, but I know nothing about building or setting up a file server. I’ve tried talking my boss into having one installed in the past since we have GPS info, drawings, and other data spread over all four stations, but he would never listen. Well, now he’s had this brilliant idea of installing a file server to centralize and back-up all our data! Anyway, I could use some advice from people in the know about whether or not I should tackle a project like this or leave it to the “professionals�. If it’s not that difficult, please give me some recommendations as far as what components to use and the best way to set it up. I’m not even sure what info/specs someone would need know to give advice, so I’ll put down what I know and if there’s anything else needed I’ll add it. Current workstation specs:
WS #1 & #2: Intel D865PERLL MB, P-4 3.0 GHz, 1,024 MB DDR400 Ram, WD Raptor 75Gb serial 150 HDD, NVIDIA Quadro4 750XGL video card, onboard Intel 82562EZ(ET) 10/100Mbps Ethernet, Win XP Pro
WS #3: Intel D850EMVR MB, P-4 2.4 GHz, 768 MB 1066MHz RDRam, WD SE 80Gb ATA 100 HDD, ATI Radeon 8500LE video card, 3Com C905C-TX 10/100 EtherLink card, Win XP Pro (this one had bad drive)
WS #4: Gateway Comp, P-4 1.5 GHz, 768 MB PC800 RDRam, 60Gb UATA 100 HDD, NVIDIA RIVA TNT2 video card, 3Com C905C-TX 10/100 EtherLink card, Win 98SE (necessary to run older versions of AutoCAD and other software)
The switch we use is a 3Com Dual Speed Switch 8. WS #2 has a dial-up modem in with internet connection sharing enabled and an Epson Stylus Photo 1280 (lpt shared) printer connected. The two plotters have network cards and plug directly into the switch, so with the plotters and four stations we have two ports remaining. If we can set up a server, we would like to put the modem in it, connect the Epson to it, and use it to store our e-mail (it is also being stored on WS #2 right now) along with all our data (currently somewhere around 150 GB total). Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
Semper Fi
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