Need network advise

Hi,

I need an advise on the following scenario. I m trying to build up a LAN that will have 5 PCs that will all be connected to a switch.

PC1, PC2, PC3 will run Win98 SE and they will just work as workstations. PC4 will run Windows 2000 Pro or WinXP Pro and it will work as a fax server and may be as a file server. About PC5 I m not really sure if it should run Win2000 or Linux since I want to use it as a gateway to allow Internet to PC1, PC2 and PC3 (not PC4). Also PC5 it could work as a file server as well.

My main problem is that I really need security from external threads! I m not really afraid of any internal threads (from the intranet). So I really need an advise on which is the best way I should setup my network so that PC1,PC2 and PC3 to be able to serf to the Internet and have email as well but also to be safe so that no-one from the Internet (hackers etc) to be able to access the fileserver.

Any advises?

Thanks

Athan

 

it really depends on a few things . 1. what type of router do u want to use and 2. how much are u willing to spend if you are going with a linksys you do all your config on the web page i don’t know the i.p off the top of my head you will all so need a good fire wall there are a lot out there on the market rite now if its a small home network your looking for go with a Norton’s fire wall there easy to use and config . if your looking for a larger more costly network that’s my specialty !

 

When it comes to networking, the KISS principle applies. KISS stands for Keep It Simple Stupid. When I first started out as a technician, I would love to play around with networking stuff. Sure it was fun to see this and that when it works, but then when things started to go wrong and I had to spend so many hours just trying to figure out which component of the network is responsible. So if you are a young buck, heed my advice and stick it to the KISS principle. That is, if you are setting up a network for someone else. If it's your home network, then knock yourself out and play with it. That's how I learned all this networking stuff and still learning. There is a saying I like to use working as a paid technician: "If you don't follow the KISS principle in your job, you can KISS it goodbye."

The simplest way for this network of yours is to connect everything to the switch if you already have one. Then connect this switch to a router. (You may need a crossover cable for this). The switch is responsible for sharing of files while the router which will be your gateway, will forward any Internet bound traffic from the LAN. If you do not have a switch already, buy a router that has a switch built-in.

If you don't want PC4 to access the Internet, simply assign it a static IP, one that outside the scope of the DHCP server's range of addresses, and do not put in the IP of the gateway (ie the router) in its TCP/IP setting. Without the gateway IP, this PC will not able to accress the Internet.

When everything is setup and is running fine. Go to www.grc.com and do a ShieldUp test to see if that site can "hack" your PCs. If the test results say that all ports are closed or stealth, then you have a pretty secured network.

Have fun.