Setup Lan Game Center

[ridhuankim]

Hello, everyone. This is my first post in THG. Please help me.
I am setting up a new cybercafe with 51 computers.
1 is server and 50 is client for customers.
Previously, I used winxp for server and used cybercafe management software to control clinets with fixed IP address.
My problem was, when a client prints a document, I won't know which client printed because when I open the printer properties, the client is displayed as guest only.

Q1. How to know who is printing? (I hope clients automatically logins to my server when booted and with a uniq name so that I am informed who is printing.

I had to install all the games and softwares on the client and whenever the client has a problem, I had to restore each client with DriveImage(from PowerQuest).

Q2. Can I install just one copy of software on my server and clients will run them? What do I need to do? Will it be possible for lan games?

Q3. In case if client computer have problem, can I recover the client from the server? automatically? what do I need?

My area (in Malaysia) have dialup connection only for internet and I only can get 31.2Kbps and definately it is not enough for all clients.

Q4. Is there any solution to provide faster internet connection? I used CProxy for internet cache and was quite good but it has expired and I need something better. What do I need?

Q5. How to connect 3 hubs? I heard about uplink but I don't know what and how.

Sometimes the customers will bring their diskettes with the potential of virus infection. I had to install AVG6.0 Free Edition on all computers. Server will update the virus definitions and clients have to manually update from server's AVG folder (else all clients have to update from internet which is not ideal for my area condition.)

Q6. How to install a antivirus software on the server and clients will be automatically protected?

Q7. I have some folders on the server (MP3, VirtualCD, etc) and I want them to have a fixed drive letter on all clients (ie. Z automatically. How?

Q8. If there is any cybercafe management software that you would like to recommend, please do.

Thank you all for reading this post and thanks again in advance for your advice.

 

[Ryan_Plus_One]

I think your best bet would be to higher someone who knows what they are doing to help you set up and manage your establishment. However, I will answer some questions for you just because it makes me feel smart.

1. Instead of logging on as "Guest", you can create one account for each computer. Allow only that account and the administrator account the right to log on locally. That way you can make anyone on computer one log on as "comp1" or whatever.

2. It is possible to run terminal services on a server, and this would allow the server to let some clients run software remotely. However this does not seem feasible for your application for a number of ways. Licensing and performance loss issues just for starters.

3. To recover a client from a server, your could use a network boot disk for each machine and connect to a share on your server that contains a copy of the operating system and application packages. That driveimage utility from powerquest that you mentioned may help you.

4. No, not really. The only thing you can do is get more phone lines and more modems. Multilinking modems together may help you, but it looks like you're going to be slow no matter how you slice it. Proxyserver or not.

5. Ethernet hubs/switches can be "stacked" on top of each other by using the uplink port. You just connect the uplink port of one switch to a different switch. This may require a crossover cable if your switch doesn't cross for you. The uplink port should be unmistakably labled.

6. My work currently uses a SonicWall firewall/router that will not let any machine go outside of the LAN without having the Mcafee AV software installed and updated within the last 30 days. I highly reccomend this firewall solution for your network, however there are probably other less expensive auto updating solutions out there.

7. Go onto the server that contains the local files, share the folder, and then map a network drive on your client computers that points to that folder. (Right click 'my computer', map network drive) Be sure to configure share permissions AND NTFS permissions correctly.

8. Seriously though, higher someone to help you out. I've never been to Malasia....

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