switches, firewalls, routers??

[eggyhustles]

So im doing this project for my class for the end of the semester and i cant decide what way to go ...(im wiring a highschool btw)

I need to know whats the best solution for a user group of about 500 users...money is not an option, wont be an option...

switches, firewalls, routers??? what should we use? we will also have to take group policies into consideration since with hs kids we run the run of getting viruses from them downloading crap.


Were trying to configure it as if everyone had their own laptop. what would be the right way to go about this? School is 4 stories.

 

[Rip_Uk]

Sounds like a wireless solution

 

[eggyhustles]

what exactly would be needed?

 

[Rip_Uk]

You would need to look into some equipment such as wireless routers and access points that would cover a large scale, I'm just looking at some expensive Cisco equipment now to find out more about it.

take a look at what I'm looking through, the Cisco 5500 series: http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps10315/index.html

The wireless controller and 20 wireless access points can be bought from this website for nearly £20,000. http://www.micomonline.co.uk/products.asp?partno=AIR-CT50-1140E20&go

 

[donadoni]

i would stick to having a wired network and split it into two networks
teachers & pupils.

this adds security & stops students getting access to staff data.

router with 2 ethernet ports.

router ethernet port to firewall

firewall to switch/es

switches to desktops



if the reports a bit more advanced you could use VLANS instead of two router ports.

 

[Geoff]

i would stick to having a wired network and split it into two networks
teachers & pupils.

this adds security & stops students getting access to staff data.

router with 2 ethernet ports.

router ethernet port to firewall

firewall to switch/es

switches to desktops



if the reports a bit more advanced you could use VLANS instead of two router ports.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but having different VLAN's would mean that teachers could never use student computers, and vice versa correct?

 

[donadoni]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but having different VLAN's would mean that teachers could never use student computers, and vice versa correct?

no they would still have there accounts on the domain controller but they shouldnt need to log on to other computers anyway.

 

[Geoff]

no they would still have there accounts on the domain controller but they shouldnt need to log on to other computers anyway.

You obviously don't work in a school. Teachers need to use student computers quite often. I realize they will be able to login, but then they wouldn't have access to their data right?

At the schools I work at we never have issues with all the computers being on the same network and domain, we just use permissions to control who can access what.

 

[donadoni]

You obviously don't work in a school. Teachers need to use student computers quite often. I realize they will be able to login, but then they wouldn't have access to their data right?

At the schools I work at we never have issues with all the computers being on the same network and domain, we just use permissions to control who can access what.

id imagine the teacher would get the student to log in and do whatever needed or they could have a limited student account. but any way its no real life its a small project:good:

 

[Rip_Uk]

thats right, you can assign simple groups with permissions to control access to resources, you use group policy to control what the students can and cannot access and you assign them quotas for disk space.

 

[Rip_Uk]

i would stick to having a wired network

For what reasons would you choose a wired network over a wireless network?

 

[Geoff]

id imagine the teacher would get the student to log in and do whatever needed or they could have a limited student account. but any way its no real life its a small project:good:

For instance at our schools we are replacing teacher laptops with updated version as part of our lease agreement, so they do not have their own computers for a few days, so they must use student computers if they want to access their data. Also, teachers will sometimes let students login to their computers if they need an additional computer for class.

For what reasons would you choose a wired network over a wireless network?

Bandwidth is a huge reason. Having hundreds of computers connected over the wireless cause lots of dropped connections, slow transfer rates (especially if multiple people are doing heavy network-intensive apps or file transfers). A good setup would have both wired and wireless for laptops and desktops.