Do I need a Server? 1

[Barnacle]

I have a friend who works out of his house. He has a small manufacturing business that is located in a shop about 50 yards from the house. He wants the shop's computers (2 or 3) to be able to run Quickbooks from the one computer that is in the house.

Would a wireless network work for this application? Would the speed or distance be a problem? Would I just share the Quickbooks data folder from the computer in the house or would I need to setup a separate server to do this?

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[karmic]

You don't need a server to do sharing of quickbooks. Have the database on one system and connect via another. No problems there...

Wireless on the other hand is another issue. Get a cable run if you can. In my experience, running any database over a wireless network is slower than cold molasses running uphill, you won't be impressed by it...

Good luck

~ K.I.S.S - Don't make it any more complex than it has to be ~

 

[rphips]

As karmic says Run a cable from the PC in the house to a
8 port hub (like lync-sys) in the shop - attach the other pcs to the hub and set up a workgroup with all pc in the workgroup

Then share the app

Is there going to be internet connectivity?



bob

"ZOINKS !!!!!"

Shaggy

 

[Barnacle]

Thank you for the ideas! I think you're right, running a cable would be best. Is there a limit as to how far of a cable run you can do without having problems?

I'm not sure if they are going to need internet connectivity or not. I'll find out today.

 

[rphips]

Cat 5 utp cables goes up to 100 meters but some attenuation does accur.

Coaxil - upto 100 meters used mostly in cable tv and its hard to find coax nic cards

Fiberoptic - way to expensive


Cat5e used for 1000 gb transfer ? does anybody know?



bob

"ZOINKS !!!!!"

Shaggy

 

[rphips]

If you are going to have internet capabilities then you might want to look into a NetGear ProSafe VPN Firewall instead of a hub

This way you can connect the Netgear firewall to the device (uselly a cable modem. All other PCs get connect to the netgear and you set your access rights and DHCP in the netgear and your rocking.



bob

"ZOINKS !!!!!"

Shaggy

 

[airbourne]

CAT5E does transfer at 1 GBit, or 1000 MBit, but attinuation is still a problem with long cables. Also, you can only transfer at Gigabit speeds if the hardware supports it. Remember that your entire network speed is only as fast as your slowest link.


Here is how I would setup the situation:

(cable modem)---(firewall router)---(my computer)
|
|(50 Yards of CAT5 cable - protected)
|
(100 MBit Hub)
|
|
(computers in the shop)


The Firewall Router gives out IP addresses. The Hub passes all traffic. All computers are connected to the same LAN. All computers have access to the internet.

 

[airbourne]

Probably the most important part of any choice you make is how you protect the single CAT5e or CAT6 cable you run to the other building. Moisture, cold, heat, lawn mowers, kids, trucks (that hit low hanging wires) are just a few hazards that are possible in any gauntlet (the path a cable is run outside of a building).

I would check with someone that does cabling for a living about this.

I have this same setup as I described to you in my house and it has allowed me to network every room in my house. However, I don't have to worry about the cable getting damaged.

 

[dkediger]

Also - if the shop has a separate power feed than the house - ie: comes off a different transformer or power meter, you will likely encounter ground looping issues if you use Cat5.

Usually its just an annoyance, but it can cause hardware failure.

 

[airbourne]

Can't you fix that problem by using a 3 prong grounded plug and a surge protector?

 

[JimPletcher]

Another concern for outdoor wiring is the Sun.

I've seen plastic melt from prolonged ultraviolet exposure.

If you can't get wiring rated for outdoor use, protect it from the sun.

 

[fs483]

Why not put Internet access in the shop and another Internet access at home then connect the home pc to the shop's PC by VPN. It's safe and secure. It does however involve additional long term costs.

 

[vbrocks]

If you have a clear line of sight between buildings you can set up a laser link and do it that way. .....

 

[airbourne]

I like akwong's suggestion. If you are a company that does even a small amount of business, and you need quickbooks multi-user edition, get two internet connections.

The only two problems I see are:

1. The internet connection may not allow quickbooks to be shared, or will be shared at a slow speed.

2. Depending on your skill level with computers, VPN can be a hassle.

I would still look into the wire or wires to the other building. weigh the cost of each solution. I'd run a CAT6 shielded from roof to roof. But NEVER near a power cable. the interfereance would be horrible. Not near generators, ac units, anything that could product EMI.

I'm not a fan of wireless or infared technology, but some are. wireless can be slow (not for 4 people though) and hard to secure (or if you forget to secure it). Anybody with a wireless card that is nearby will detect you, even if they don't have ability to connect.

 

[Barnacle]

Thank you for all of the great ideas! I went out to the company last Friday. They have one computer in the house and 3 computers in the shop. They have already run ethernet cable between the house and the shop (sorry, I didn't know this when I asked the question). It's blue ethernet cable, but I'm not sure if it's cat5 or cat6.

They do not need shared internet access at this point. They are probably not in an area that could get DSL or Cable Modem, so I think VPN is out of the question. Since the cable is aleady there, I'm going to put a switch in either the house or the shop and assign static ip's to each PC. Then I will install Quickbooks on each Shop PC and get them access to the Quickbooks data folder on the PC in the house.

Does that seem like the best solution?

 

[dkediger]

Ground looping can essentially only be addressed by isolating the circuits - go wireless or use optical.

Essentially, it exists when two different systems are electrically connected and the two systems do not share a common ground for the power sources. By definition, one system's ground will be "better" than the other, so interference (short term) and equipment damage (long term) will be introduced as the weaker grounded system tries to ground to the better grounded system using whatever electrical connection it has available - in this case, the Cat 5 cable.

The degree of looping is dependent on the amount of difference between the grounding points, and in most cases isn't significant. I could see the case however, with manufacturing involved, that if the shop is fed a main 480 line and it is then stepped down to provide 120, that the system would see that as a significantly superior ground versus the house current.

The electric utility could probably quantify the amount of difference, but they could also potentially disconnect one or both locations if the Cat5 isn't installed to whatever code exists.

In order to mitigate any potential problems as the setup exists, I would get a cheap hub/switch to use at the incoming point for the Cat5 in each building. Only have two Cat5 lines connected to each hub/switch: The Cat5 between buildings and a link to the main switch for for each building.