Linked IT

Which Version of Windows should I have ?

Darren Grant — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 22:00:09 +0000

Every business should purchase workstations/laptops with ‘professional/business/enterprise’ versions of Windows operating systems not ‘home’, the reasons for this is if later you decide to implement a server into your network it will not integrate seamlessly/join the domain and do not have the ability to connect via ‘terminal services’, both these functions will hinder integration with a server-client environment.

Operating Systems Small Business should have/buy

Windows XP Professional
Vista Business
Vista Enterprise
Windows 7 Professional
Windows 7 Enterprise

What is a UPS and do I need one ?

Darren Grant — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 21:43:18 +0000

UPS- Uninterpretable power supply, a UPS is a electrical device that sits between the mains power supply and your server/workstation, providing power in the event that the main supply fails. Depending on the capacity of the UPS, a UPS can supply power from 5 minutes to several hours. Generally in the case of server/workstations the UPS has monitoring software installed on the server/workstation to provide a clean shutdown of the operating system protecting files and the operating system from corruption, having a UPS that provides hours of operation are expensive so the focus for small business should be providing a clean shutdown to protect from corruption.

Offline/Stand By - This type of UPS will switches to battery power when the mains power fails (Black outs).

Line Interactive – This type of UPS provides filtering of the mains power from over/under voltage (brown outs) as well as battery power during mains power failure.

UPS can be used by other devices like routers, switches or even telephones systems.

Does my business need a server ?

Darren Grant — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 21:26:16 +0000

No, If the purpose of a server is to simply provide file and print services then a workstation will be ok, as long as there will be less than 10 peers.

Yes if your business requires more advanced features

File Sharing
Centralized / automated backup
Printer sharing
Email services
Integration of smart phones to email
Virtual Private Network (VPN) access
Terminal Services
Database Services
Integrated authentication (same username/password for all services)

Servers operating systems are more robust, and offer the above services either standard or as add-ons.

Windows Small Business Server 2008 (SBS 2008) is a server designed specifically for small business with upto 75 users. SBS 2008 can provide all of the above services and more.

IT Network Design

Darren Grant — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 05:22:15 +0000

At Linked IT our approach to IT Network Design is:

* We listen to what your IT Network requirements are for your business
* Prioritise your IT Network requirements for your business
* We assess your current IT Network and layout
* We make design decisions based on you requirements and priorities

With all IT networks we design the following are always considerations

* Securing all network entry points (internet and wireless)
* Securing servers/workstations from virus’ and malware
* Locking down workstations so users can not install unwanted software
* Protect your network/users from email bound virus’ and malware
* Backup stradegies
* Disaster recovery

Each business has different requirements or interpretations, so a one size fits all approach doesn’t work. With some business’s mobility means remote access to a line of business application is the number one priority, while for others mobility means being able to access email at home or on smart phones as the number one priority, or for other business’s its both.

Network Implementation

Darren Grant — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 05:16:54 +0000

At Linked IT our approach to IT Network Implementation is to install and commission your new or expanded IT network with as little disruption as possible. The addition of new workstations or printers has minimal impact for everyone except the immediate person gaining from the upgrade.

If the situation is a new server that will impact on everyone, planning and testing is part of the process. We always plan for the unlikely event where we need to rollback so part of every implementation we undertake has a ‘get out of jail card’. This minimises the day to day operation of your business.

What is a server ?

Darren Grant — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 07:06:53 +0000

Servers - A server is any computer that provides essential services to users on a network, either private (LAN/WAN) or public (Internet)

Examples of the type of services are

Access to files and folders
Access to print services
Email using SMTP/POP3/IMAP or Exchange
Website hosting for intranet or Internet websites
Line of Business applications for database application
Internet security for firewalls and proxies
Authenticating logons
Terminal services
VPN access

Servers can have a single function providing a single service this is generally what happens in large network environments, this will allow many users to utilise a server more efficiently.

Are more likely scenario in small/medium buisness is that a server will have many services available for users, file sharing, print services, email services and authentication etc

A server can be a simple desktop with a shared folder on a LAN for users to access shared files this type of network environment is called ‘peer-to-peer’. If the operating system in this scenario is a Microsoft Windows desktop then you will be limited to a maximum of 10 concurrent connection, ie 10 other ‘peers’.

When you use a Microsoft Windows Server based operating system this is called ‘client-server’, the number of users is only limited by the license / license type and physical hardware. There are other operating systems like linux that provide the same services without the license fees or restrictions on connections.

What is a POE switch / POE Injector ?

Darren Grant — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 06:58:24 +0000

POE Switch- A POE (Power Over Ethernet) switch is a normal switch but has the additional feature to power devices over the same Cat5e or Cat6 cable used to interconnect with the rest of the LAN. POE switches are only capable of powering low power devices like VoIP telephones, Wireless Access Points, print servers and digital surveillance cameras, these devices will need to be designed to support POE. The POE switches are a little more expensive than normal switches but are usually a necessity when conditions demand powering mulitple devicesor in difficult locations.

POE Injector - A POE (Power Over Ethernet) injector is used to power a single POE device over the same Cat5e or Cat6 cable. This is a less expensive option to purchasing a POE switch if only one or two devices need to be powered this way, you will require a POE injector for each POE device.

What is a switch ?

Darren Grant — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 06:49:27 +0000

Switch- An ethernet switch is a network device used to interconnect workstations, servers, routers, network printers and wireless access points using cat5e or Cat6 cabling.. There are differnet speeds in which they work 10Mb/s, 100Mb/s and 1GB/s. 10Mb/s switches are obsolete now, we suggest you upgrade you switch if your LAN has one of these. The latest switches are auto sensing so the can determine the speed 10Mb/s, 100Mb/s or 1 GB/s or whether a cross-over cable would otherwise be necessary. They have various pory configuration 4 port, 8 port, 16 port, 24 or even upto 48 ports.

What is the difference between a router and a firewall ?

Darren Grant — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 05:18:25 +0000

Router - A router is simply a device that connects two or more networks, it allows traffic form one network to flow (route) to one or more networks, eg. a router is required for you office LAN to connect to the Internet

Firewall - A firewall is a device (sometimes software) used to block traffic from entering a network or maybe a single device like a computer. Every network should have a firewall that protects unwanted traffic from entering the LAN from the Internet.

All basic modem/router/firewall devices used to connect to the Internet these days have a basic firewall configured out of the box, they will allow all traffic initiated from the LAN (your office) to connect to the Internet, but any traffic initiated from the Internet will be blocked. If you have mail servers, web servers or even VPN servers these can then be allowed to enter the LAN by manual configuration.

What is SHDSL ?

Darren Grant — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 04:51:00 +0000

SHDSL - Symmetrical High speed Digital Subscriber Line - A data communications technology that delivers high speed Internet access over copper telephone lines, where the upload/download speed are the same (symmetrical), ISP’s in Australia offer the following speeds 512k/512k, 1M/1M, 2M/2M, 4M/4M, the speeds avalaible at the customers premises will be qualified after a customer has placed an order, SHDSL services are ideal and recommended for SME’s wishing to run Mail Servers, VPN connection, Remote Administration, Terminal Services, VoIP telephones. SHDSL services are almost always supplied with modem/routers and are managed by your ISP exclusively, they also have static IP address allocation.