🚀 go-pugleaf

charath@cs.tamu.edu (R. Charath Ram) writes:

>I'm posting this message for a friend of mine who does not have access to the
>net. Please post all replies to *MY* address and I will make sure he gets them.

Ok, here goes...

>We anticipate having to increase our system to at most 8 terminals within the
>next 1 year and then not have much change in requirement for about 2-3 years.

>1. What are the benefits of going in for a peer-to-peer network (LANtastic, etc)
>as against a dedicated file-server type network (Novell)?
The LANtastic setup will be much cheaper, probably.  I've worked w/ both, and
either would serve.  If you expect much expansion over what you mentioned, you
might as well go for the novell solution.  If not, then LANtastic would be
fine.

>2. Does a peer -to-peer network necessarily require that all machines have
>identical capabilities? We are not very keen in investing a lot of money to
>upgrade our terminals to 386 ATs (or 286 ATs). However, our vendor has assured
>us that it will not cost us much to upgrade our terminals to diskless Novell
>workstations (based on 286s)
No, the stations on the LANtastic system do not have to be the same.  I've done
an installation for a company about the size you're talking about, and all you 
need is a mahine that can take the network card.  When setting up LANtastic
you do not have to make all of the machines available to every other one.  You
can set up only 1 machine as a server, and then you have essentially a novell
type setup, with the exception that the server is not dedicated, and can be
used as a workstation as well.  Setting up novell, unless you're talking about
novell lite, will requre a dedicated file server.  While its popular these  days
to try and get the biggest fastest machine available for a server, it really
isn't needed for a network of your size, no matter what they tell you.  You
could get by w/ novell 2.x for a 286 machine as the server, and performance
would probably be adequate for your # of users.

Drop me a line if you need any more info.


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