Windows 2003 Network - Linked to 75 PC's (advantages/disadvantages?)

  • Thread starter Thread starter Neil Mansell
  • Start date Start date
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Neil Mansell

Hi all,

I just have a rather varied question for you all regarding networking.
I have my own idea's but wondered if i had forgotten anything and whether
anyone had any different or new idea's... so here goes...

I have a small network of about 75 computers. I need to link them to a PDC
running Windows 2003 Server SBS (this will also run their outlook email,
etc..)
All desktops will probably be Windows XP or 2000 (maybe a few 95/98 but
these will be a separate issue later!)

My question is whats the best way to link all this together.
I need 30-40 of the machines to be limited on internet access and network
access (i can do this via Active Directory i believe)
but have I forgotten anything...

Like whats the main difference between Windows 2003 Std and 2003 SBS?
I know SBS has the IIS/Exchange etc etc part but is it limited in any other
way for 75 desktops linked to it.

Any idea's and suggestions would be great -
please post on here as well as to my email (sometimes I do not have time to
read all the newsgroups) ([email protected])

Thanks...
 
Look hard before you go with SBS. It will be a single domain controller (no
such thing as a PDC since W2K), and cannot have another DC in the domain.
Also cannot create trust relationships to other domains. It does not have
(and you can't install) terminal services except for remote administration.
Be sure to check on the maximim number of CALs you can install. If you can
live with the limitations, the pricing is right with exchange, SQL, etc
included. If you are really going to install and run exchange on it and also
have it function as a file server and other server-related services, make
sure your hardware is up to it.

....kurt
 
Neil,

SBS 2003 has a hard limit of 75 simultaneous connections. You could have
more user IDs and mailboxes,
but only 75 of them could be working at a time. You _can_ have another
Domain Controller or server,
but the SBS2003 server will ALWAYS be the 'Master' for all of Active
Directory's various management
roles.

As Kurt points out, you cannot run Terminal Service as an application on
any Windows 2003 Domain Controller
(including SBS), but you can remotely administer the server using Remote
Desktop. To sort of return some
of the function of Terminal Services, SBS has a very nice Remote User
portal that can allow your users
to access their own desktop PC from a remote location using a web
browser (Internet Explorer please,
this is Microsoft after all).

PC
 
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