vega55

Am setting up a server/client based network with 1 server and 20 host pc. can anyone suggest me whether i should buy a switch or hub. Are these devices available for 20 PCs. THanks

heatwave

Switch, because a hub repeats to all devices on the network but a switch is smart and only sends the stuff to the intended destination.

blackhawk

Defenitely go for a switch. There really is very little place for hubs in the modern network. They make switches from 4 ports on up to 100s of ports, so you will be fine. Just buy more than you think you will need to that it is easy to upgrade or add in some more devices when needed.

vega55

So, if i want to share an internet connection where should i connect the main cable; to the server or switch

heatwave

If you need to, you can buy more than one switch and hook them together, or get a router and hook the extra switches up to that.

I got a $13 eight-port switch from Newegg, and it works perfectly.

blackhawk

To share an internet connection you will need to either connect the WAN link to the server and run routing services on the server, or buy a router. I would just go with a router, in which case it would be like:


WAN ---> router ---> switch ---> all PCs (workstations and server)

vega55

Ok. should i need to do any sort of configuration with the router or just connect it to the switch. else should i configure it when setting up domain controller for the server.

heatwave

There is no yes or no answer here. As mjc mentioned it all depends on how complex you want to make the network. More complex switches and routers will take some level of configuration. As you are setting up a 20 user network with a server I would opt for a more configurable package, meaning a switch and router (seperate devices) that can be setup how you want them.

blackhawk

Depending on how much you want to spend you can find switches and routers with just about any even number of ports.

Will all of the machines be wired or do you want to add wireless capabilities?

Also, make sure that there is a firewall between the network and the Internet...this can be a dedicated machine or the router.

There are also ways to set it up to isolate the server from the internet...it just depends on how complex you want to make the network.

heatwave

I can't help with the technical setup as I am currently struggling with my own network settings

But, to get your head around the physical set up needed look at this link.