Building a network in a small office.

[SMHarman]

Whats the best way to do this. I know the basics - I need a router and runs of CAT5e, I guess a patch panel and wall boxes, but I suppose the bit I get confused on is how many cables.

Do I only need to run one to each room of the building (it is a small 800 sqft office with 5 rooms) or should I be running a cable from the panel for each device on the network.

Are there any other considerations if I am putting VoIP phones on the network?

I was thinking the Linksys BEFSR81 would probably be an adequate router. Or should I get a gigaswitch like the Linksys EG008W. Or could I just use a WRT54G and avoid the need to get a separate wireless access point, though this only has 4 ports, so I would need hubs to combine the cables from the rooms?

Initially this will be a file and printersharing network, in time I would be planning to add a Windows SBE2003 Server to run exchange / outlook etc. Web hosting would all be external to this environment. It would connect to the world through an NTL cable or ADSL (which is where with BT you can add two VoIP telephone numbers).

Thanks - advice is appreciated.

[Florence]

This might be a good place to start but if you are in need of more help I have a large report for college on networking. try this first (http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/networking/default.mspx)

[SMHarman]

I'm past that and have comfortably set up the home network 3 wired / one wireless PC, one wireless device etc.
Its the cable infrastructure I need some guidance on, how many cables should I be thinking of running from the router to the offices, one per room, one per device (PC / Printer / Phone) / desk / more ?

Am I right in thinking that I can just plug a hub into the socket at the room level to split the cable from the router to the room to attach more devices - what problems will this cause by comparison to running multiple cables to each room.

Joining the dots once those dots are in place I am comfortable with it is how many dots I need!

[Paul K]

If you use a hub per room then aren't you sharing the bandwidth of one cable between all users in that room??

[SMHarman]

If the network is 100BaseT is that going to cause a problem though? A VoIP phone only uses 128k on HQ. Do 10Mb cards slow that cable and all devices on it down to 10Mb. Dunno - thats why I'm asking.

[Strzelecki]

you could always have a switch in each room and then have each switch running to the router in a star topology, it depends on how many machines will be in each room, but they'll all get 100Mbs bandwidth that way, you just need to make sure you get a router with al least 5 ethernet ports (for the link to each switch).

[Caspar]

I'd propose this:

Cable/ADSL Modem/Router plugs into a large port switch.

You then run one cable per machine and plug into that switch, including Servers and workstations, in a star topology.

Any servers should be plugged into the gig ports, if you have any on the switch.

If you wanted Wireless then buy a modem/router with wireless! If you buy a router with a switch, don't use the switch part...just run a cable from the router to the main switch...giving the switch's interconnected devices Internet access.

Disable the router's DHCP ip allocation...and setup one of the server's a DHCP server.

Make sure you setup a domain controller and assign users that way.


In term's of a patch panel...it really depends on your office layout...but they are usually advisable :tu: Basically you run a cable run your switch into a port on the patch panel...and then the corressponding port at the other end of the patch panel goes into your PC....thus you can move ports around the office floor...but not rewiring the office as you go!

so all the PC's plug into the patch panel and a corresponding cable goes from the patch panel into the switch...and then you have 1 cable coming from the modem into the switch.

1 switch per subnet...get a large one for further expansion, at least a 16 port.

Printers, well if you can get network aware printers, ones with network interface ports...then just plug them into the switch, via the patch panel.

If you have a normal desktop printer...then you'll need to set it up as a local printer on one of the machines and then sharing it to the network.

Software-wise...

in additonal to the nominal Windows 2k3 on the server/s and WinXP on the dekstops...you'll also need...a firewall.

You can either always opt for a hardware firewall to sit in between the moden and the switch...and/or ;) a software firewall on each machine...and def the server/s. Block everything you don't use ;) Alos install anti-virus on all machines, including the server/s.

[Stuart]

Whats the best way to do this. I know the basics - I need a router and runs of CAT5e, I guess a patch panel and wall boxes, but I suppose the bit I get confused on is how many cables.

Do I only need to run one to each room of the building (it is a small 800 sqft office with 5 rooms) or should I be running a cable from the panel for each device on the network.

Are there any other considerations if I am putting VoIP phones on the network?

I was thinking the Linksys BEFSR81 would probably be an adequate router. Or should I get a gigaswitch like the Linksys EG008W. Or could I just use a WRT54G and avoid the need to get a separate wireless access point, though this only has 4 ports, so I would need hubs to combine the cables from the rooms?

Initially this will be a file and printersharing network, in time I would be planning to add a Windows SBE2003 Server to run exchange / outlook etc. Web hosting would all be external to this environment. It would connect to the world through an NTL cable or ADSL (which is where with BT you can add two VoIP telephone numbers).

Thanks - advice is appreciated.

As long as the cable runs (from Switch to PC/Printer) are likely to be less than 100m, then I would recommend installing multiple sockets in each room. Double what you currently need (so, if you actually need two sockets in a room, install four - it should provide some future proofing), and connect each of these to a central patch panel. Remember, you don't need to buy switches for all the sockets.

Ideally, the patch panel (and server) should be placed in it's own air conditioned (if not air conditioned, well ventilated) room. If an extra room is not available, you can buy glass fronted patch cabinets (http://rswww.com is probably the best place). The Krone MiniLan (can't provide a link, but click on "Cables & Connectors", "Networking/Communications" then "Krone Connector system") seems a good system, but it seems to be a 10 inch rack, so your options for mounting switches and hubs may be limited.

Regarding hubs and switches. I would recommend you use Switches, with a Gigabit uplink to the server (if possible). If the server has two NICs, then connect one to the Cable/ADSL modem. You can then use Internet Connection Sharing (I believe - I haven't tried it on 2k3) to share the network connection with the internal LAN>

[Nemesis]

1 switch per subnet...get a large one for further expansion, at least a 16 port.

Unless your using a router/switch combination that can handle vlanning.

[zovat]

Personally I would recommend running a cable per device.

One reason behind this is that although you only have 10Mb cards, if you have too many devices on one hub then you may get performance degradation.

If you choose to put only 1 cable per office, then put in switches rather than hubs, as these will limit any bottleneck effect.

The other reason for using a cable/device is flexibility.....
If you get someone who needs a couple of extra devices in that room for a week or so (or even permanently) then you can add a switch to an existing cable, however, if you already have a switch, and add a switch to one port of the existing switch (daisychaining) you will reduce the bandwidth avilable to those devices dramatically.

Oh and cost - a bigger router/switch and a few extra cables will cost less that a smaller router and a number of switches/hubs for the rooms.

(and apart from anything else, it just looks nicer when all the switching/routing kit in centralised)
If you are installing VOIP phones, most of these have a "hub" connector themselves, so that you can run both the phone, and the PC off of the same cable.

If you are going to have a printer shared from the PC, then no network required, but that will slow down the PC if others print to it.

Where possible, I would run the printers on a seperate cable from the patch panel. This is mainly because printers can take up a lot of bandwidth, and I hate the idea that a room can go slow because of a printer.


As always, these are my opinions only..

[MovedGoalPosts]

Sounds like your office is not that much different from mine, maybe a tad smaller.

I think the telling thing is your intent to upgrade one day to a SBS based network. That guides what you need now.

Simply put you need a cable to each workstation, router, and standalone network devices such as printers. If your printers are going to be attached to PCs then only one network port is needed.

Your network needs to be joined at the centre with a managed switch. This needs at least as many ports on it as there are ever likely to be computers or other stuff attached. A managed switch has a better ability to avoid "clashes" of data around the network, so will run faster. Most switches wil at least offer 10/100 speeds, and some have Gigabit available. The switch should auto sense the speed and also if the connection is full or half duplex (uses all eight or only a few of the CAT 5e connectors). Typically printers only run at 10 speeds whilst modern computers will do 100 or 1000 connectors. Thus the managed switch will sense and allow fast file transfer but slowere ptint data movement.

Realistically, our network operates at 100 speeds for file transfer, quite compfortably with 20 PCs. The most I might consider, given the costs, is a gigabit link from the server to the switch, anything else may be underutilised, and limited by the speeds of your server or other hardware.

If you think you might need a cable in the future, put it in now. The extra cost of pulling two cables compared to one is not a lot, while doing it at the same time, and tearing your office apart. Adding cables later can bump costs due to the disruption.

I know nothing about VOIP, so don't know what that might need but extra cables is most likely.

If thinking of SBS2003, consider that the preferred network setup is for the server to have 2 NICS (thus two network cables), one to the LAN switch, one to the internet router. You may also want to use the shared fax facility, meaning a phone line needs to be near the server too.

[Caspar]

Ideally, the patch panel (and server) should be placed in it's own air conditioned (if not air conditioned, well ventilated) room. If an extra room is not available, you can buy glass fronted patch cabinets (http://rswww.com is probably the best place). The Krone MiniLan (can't provide a link, but click on "Cables & Connectors", "Networking/Communications" then "Krone Connector system") seems a good system, but it seems to be a 10 inch rack, so your options for mounting switches and hubs may be limited.

..you can also try buying things like metal cabinets from ebay ;)

such as:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=1484&item=5762250545&rd=1

[MovedGoalPosts]

I got most of my patch panel stuff, wiring, connectors, tools, simple connection tester and even a small cabinet from Screwfix and then built the network from there.

[Stuart]

..you can also try buying things like metal cabinets from ebay ;)

such as:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=1484&item=5762250545&rd=1


True...

[Matth]

A 10/100 router, feeding one line to each room, going to a 10/100 switching hub would work quite well, the switching hub would aggregate 10Mbit locals to a 100Mbit downlink.

If you start pulling multiple 100Mbit throughputs, then it falls apart! - BUT:
If there is only one 100Mbit server, it still doesn't matter... a single LARGE switched hub/router can handle multiple crossing traffic without conflict, ONLY if the sorce and endpoints of both are different - if all traffic hits the same endpoint, there is no chance for it to cross independently, so you still end up with only one aggregate throughput anyway.

Another odd tip, the "router to router" trick.

By taking an incoming connection through one router, you have a zone which is "NAT-firewalled" from the internet.

If you chain a second ROUTER, you have a zone which is "NAT-Firewalled" from the outer zone - ideal if you wish to create a "visitors" internet access which will not compromise the inner zone.

[SMHarman]

Thanks for all the advise guys - I think I will run two (or three in some cases) cables to each room, then if the need for more devices arises I can add cable (if easy) or hubs if not. Initially there will only be two - three people in the office so this should be adequate. This much cable will all hapily fit into a SOHO 8 port router for now and this will support file and printer sharing happily, when the SBS server goes in then I can set that up for DCHP etc.
At least I know how much cable to buy now.

[poolking]

Remember there are 2 types of cat 5 cable, solid for flood wiring, i.e. the wiring from the rj45 wall ports to the patch panels and stranded for patch cables.

[Matth]

Remember, either mark the ends of the cables, or apply a short to the end of one and then probe for it with a meter at the other end - THEN MARK.

If your running the cables, run some extras, and then if not all circuits will be "live", then it is essential to know which is which.

The larger the main switch is, the better, and you could split servers (print/file etc.) to benefit from traffic isolation in the switch.

PS. April the 4th (it MAY be a hoax, as I saw the news on April 1st) - Dell are reported to be offering a reasonably capable base unit ... e-code 305-PE0410 for £99 ... if true, probably good for office servers and office PC's - better still if you wanted a Linux office, as that price is without OS.

[zovat]

PS. April the 4th (it MAY be a hoax, as I saw the news on April 1st) - Dell are reported to be offering a reasonably capable base unit ... e-code 305-PE0410 for £99 ... if true, probably good for office servers and office PC's - better still if you wanted a Linux office, as that price is without OS.
It is true - just had tyhe Email from Dell, telling me it is available for today....
Celeron Proc, 80Gb Sata drive, CD-Rom and 256Mb memory..