Posted by: David Dittman
December 29, 2007
Issue #320

Infrastructure Part 2

Welcome back for the second part of our Infrastructure talk.

Alright, last issue we discussed a very popular problem facing most businesses these days: “How do I create an IT infrastructure without breaking the bank?”

We discussed a scenario that involved a company that doesn’t have a brick and mortar building, but instead works mainly with consultants and off-site employees.

In the end I showed how a person could have a fully functional shopping cart, plus an IT infrastructure that would rival any large company, complete with remote computer access and conference calling, for less than $3000 a year or about $250 a month.

Well, this will work for most business owners that are essentially a one-man-show. But what happens when you have employees and a building?

Today I’m going to discuss that exact scenario.

Scenario 2: You are a small business that can’t afford a full-time IT staff, but you have employees at your location and you need a reliable IT infrastructure.

Well, let’s take a quick inventory of what you need as a business.

In this scenario, you will want an internal network for your company.

What kind of network do you need?

To answer this question you have to first define what your core needs are as a business.

Here are some basics you will want:

• E-mail
• Share Files with both clients and employees
• Meet with Clients and Consultants through teleconferences
• Remotely access the files on your computer when you are traveling or away from your desk

Now I talked about most of these issues in part one and they still hold true in this scenario.

Instead of rehashing out what I already covered I’m going to talk about the biggest difference between the two scenarios: An internal server.

What kind of operating system do I need?

Let’s take a second and discuss Linux.

Linux is an operating system environment that is an alternative to Windows.

On the surface Linux makes some sense because instead of spending thousands of dollars on Windows software, you can buy Linux at a fraction of the cost or, in some cases, free.

So I can save thousands right? Well, not necessarily … In order to use Linux you need one key quality that most of us do not posses: the knowledge to install and maintain a Linux server.

No problem, right? I can just hire someone, right? Well, not necessarily. It’s much easier to find people that are trained in Microsoft’s server environment. So if you implement a Linux environment, expect to pay more for the manpower to help keep it up and running.

Now if you are a huge company that has fulltime IT personnel than, this is not a problem. If you have limited IT resources I would recommend not using Linux. It sounds good on paper, but can be a big hassle in practice.

So that brings us back to Microsoft.

A Windows server essentially comes in three flavors:

• Microsoft Small Business Server 2003 (Standard and Premium Editions)
• Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition
• Windows Server 2003, Web Edition (which is designed for dedicated Web serving and hosting)

There are some more options within each of these, but for the purposes of this article I’m going to keep it simple.

Of those three options, you will want The Small Business Server 2003. In some larger infrastructures that have multiple servers you would want to use the Standard Edition, but in our example we are going to have one server to run our entire internal network.

Alright, we have decided on an operating system, Microsoft Small Business Server 2003 Standard Edition.

Licensing is confusing …

As you buy software for your business, licensing will be a constant issue for you to grapple with. Unfortunately, licensing varies with every software company. There are two basic types of licenses that you will run into with most companies.

• Volume Licensing
• OEM Licensing

Volume licensing allows you to buy multiple licenses of software, usually giving you a price discount per license.

OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) Licensing consists of one license to use the software on one computer.

To explain further, let’s use an example …

Let’s say I have four employees and myself and we all need a copy of Office 2007.

Now, you could go to Best Buy and pick of 5 copies of Office 2007. All of these copies will have different serial numbers and they will all cost the same amount. In this case you are using OEM Licensing.

Another option available is Volume Licensing. In a nutshell, you buy an installation CD for Office 2007 and then 5 licenses. That means that you use the one installation CD for your five different computers.

You’ll find that Volume Licensing makes more and more sense, the more employees you have. For example, if you need 30 copies of Office 2007 you will save a certain amount per copy, thus the more you buy the more you save. For the most part, if you buying 5 or more copies of a particular piece of software you should look into volume licensing, it will probably save you a few bucks.

This brings us back to our operating system purchase. In our scenario we have one server, so we can get away with an OEM license for the server.

Never, ever forget: Bill Gates likes money. So not only will you have to buy the one copy of the operating system, but you also have to buy individual licenses for each user on your internal network.

This is usually done in packs of five, and some amount is usually included in your initial purchase of the operating system.

So if you have 10 employees that will be using your internal network, you need one copy of Microsoft Small Business Server 2003, with 10 user licenses.

Whew …

Time to pick a server

Now that we have figured out what operating system we need, we will need a server to house it. I could write a book about all the different options out there, but I’m a fan of Dell.

I like Dell, because they have a lot of different pricing and leasing options and other businesses use them. It’s usually a good sign that something is reliable if a bunch of people use them, and more importantly, go back to them over and over again.

Keep in mind that the server you need is dependent on the needs of your network.

Remember you are not the first person to buy a network. At Dell, for example, you can basically pick a server that is in your price range that includes all your server software needs.

Now, I went to Dell and put together a machine that has all the requirements needed by Windows and includes the operating system with 10 user licenses.

Here is a pdf of the summary.

At this point we now have the most vital link to our internal network accounted for.

So what’s next?

We have a server, so we need a way to network all the computers to this server and then let the server work its networking magic.

To use wires or not to use wires?
That is the question!

When trying to decide whether or not to go wireless or stick to a wired solution you need to consider several factors.

• Do you own the building you are running the network in? Can you drill holes and install outlets for wired solutions? If you can’t make any alterations to your current building, a wireless solution might be your only choice.
• Does the building already have up-to-date wiring? If so, this can reduce your costs and make a wireless solution not as necessary.
• Will you be moving relatively often? Wireless solutions tend to move around easier.
• How spread out is your office? If you have a very spread out office or a few floors, you will probably need at least a few wired access points to ensure coverage throughout your office.

In general, I would recommend having all your desktops wired to your network, instead of using wireless adapters. That doesn’t mean that wireless doesn’t have its uses, of course. It just has some setbacks.

My biggest beef against wireless is that it isn’t reliable enough yet. The fact of the matter is wireless will go down at some point, and if you don’t know how to fix it you will have to hire someone – fast.

That being said, in many cases you can have tech support of your wireless network walk you through most issues to get you back up and running. The question is do you have time for that? If you don’t, consider a wired network very seriously. When you’re using wireless, mark my words, you will lose your network occasionally.

The solution in most cases is to have both a wired solution and a wireless solution. Here is an ideal setup.

You will use ethernet cable to run from your wired routers to each of your employee’s desktops. This will ensure reliability and the quickest speeds to your desktop. Now you can run one or more wireless access points that will also give your employees the flexibility of using a laptop. This is especially convenient if you have people coming to you for a meeting or whatnot who need laptop access.

Once again, the pricing and specifics gets a bit hairy because everyone has different needs. In most cases you can get away with Linksys (Cisco’s sister company) or equivalent products.

Here’s an old adage that really bears repeating when it comes to networking components: You get what you pay for. For reliability, I would suggest buying Cisco products. They cost more and are somewhat harder to configure, but once configured they will work and keep on working.

Well, I hope this helped give everyone an idea of some of the elements you will need.

In the final analysis you should probably hire someone to do the whole shebang. The DIY to networking approach is all well and good, but your data is not something you want to be monkeying around with yourself unless you’ve got a good knowledge of what you’re doing.

When hiring a networking professional, just make sure you do your homework and don’t let them take you for a ride.

Here are some basic prices to use a rough guideline:

• 1 Dell Power Edge Server with operating system: $2,250
• 1 Cisco 1801 Integrated Services Router for your gateway: $900
• 1 Cisco 24 port switch: $700
• 1 Linksys Access Point: $79

The four pieces above will work for a small network of about 50 people or less.

Now all you will need is someone to run the wires. Most electrical contractors will do this. You just need to shop around your area to check prices.

I hope this helps as you shop around for solutions, be sure to leave comments or send me e-mail if you have any questions.

Thanks and have a great weekend!

Editor, Working IT Out
THE TOTAL PACKAGE™

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5 Comments »

1. Comment by Remko van Rhijn — December 29, 2007 @ 9:06 am

   Hi David,
   Thanks for your insights. I am sorry to say this, but I did miss one important issue. You talk about Linux and Windows, but there is not a single mention of Apple\’s OSX. Which is much easier to connect and especially maintain, than your proposed Microsoft solution. I am the last to start a MS versus Apple discussion, but my own experience is that Apple makes it much easier for small companies to have a smooth running network than MS. In fact, with the new Leopard that came out this summer, setting up a network with a remote server has become easier than eating pie. Please tell me why you feel MS is a better option.

2. Comment by Don Winfield — December 29, 2007 @ 10:13 am

   Hi David,

   My mind just goes to IP Intellectual Property.

   My mind returns to to IP every time I try to remember what IT stands for.

   I believe Clayton has warned about using jargon and abbreviations without explanation.

   I could have decided a lot sooner if the article was pertinent to my projects if you had stated what IT was.

   I know I\’ve heard it what it means. I am blank on what the abbreviation stands for.

   For your consideration. Define your jargon. Thanks.

   Don Winfield

3. Comment by Remko van Rhijn — December 29, 2007 @ 10:28 am

   Hi Don,

   I think I can help you out already. IT stands for Information Technology. It is commonly used to describe everything that has to do with computers and the digital manipulation of data (information).
   IP, when used in relation to the internet, usually stands for Internet Protocol - in other words: \’the language which enables computers to communicate via the internet\’.

   Hope my explanation is clear,
   Kind regards,

4. Comment by Geoff Bryan — December 30, 2007 @ 9:34 am

   Since the Cisco 1801 is already equipped with Wi-Fi capability, why the additional Linksys access point?

5. Comment by David Dittman — January 1, 2008 @ 8:12 am

   Thanks for the comments and questions, I have been out of town so sorry for the slow response.

   In regards to MS versus Apple, it’s more a decision about whether you are more comfortable with Macs or PCs. Personally, I have had trouble making the two systems communicate consistently in a networked setting. That being said, Apple has a track record of ease of setup and also for improving upon their last model. I think if you are more comfortable with Macs then you should use a Mac solution, but most businesses use PCs.

   Also, Geoff is correct about the Cisco 1801 having wireless capabilities and in some settings where the office space is relatively small you won’t need an additional access point. I have found however, that most buildings need at least two access points setup at opposite ends of the building to achieve maximum coverage. Your server, router and switches are usually at one end of the building and then the other access point on the other side.