[Tiauguinho]

Hello guys,


We are currently on the way to install a whole new network on our Office and i need your help on a couple of things, since im a noob on this Server Administration things and dont want to make any mistake at all. WE are going to buy a Xserve, that will be a File Server and our WebSite hosting solution.

We have installed CAT-6 (to support Gigabit Ethernet) cables all over the office and all lead to a small room where the server will be with all the stuff that concerns computers. We will have around 8 Macs and 2 Printers. All of them on the ethernet cables.

1. What equipement do you recommend for connecting all the stuff there and share the DSL connection? A Switch and a Router? In what order? Xserve <->DLS modem & Router <-> Switch <-> Macs and Printers ? What brands for the Switch and Router do yu recommend?

2. I was once told that to separate the DSL connection( so that no one would enter my Xserve from the net and make it isolated) i would have to have 2 Ethernet cards on the Xserve, so that one would be my Local Network and the other for the WebSite. Is this correct?

3. Our Website is being done in Flash (which im developing) and will work with PHP and MySQL for the database needed for the Webstore(PHP and MySQL are trully new for me and Im currently learning both). How does the Mac OS X Serve handle both? Is it too complicated to set this up too? If so, does the Mac OS X Server Manual contain a explanation on how to set this up?


Thanks in advance


Tiago

[m.brown]

Originally posted by Tiauguinho:
Hello guys,


We are currently on the way to install a whole new network on our Office and i need your help on a couple of things, since im a noob on this Server Administration things and dont want to make any mistake at all. WE are going to buy a Xserve, that will be a File Server and our WebSite hosting solution.

We have installed CAT-6 (to support Gigabit Ethernet) cables all over the office and all lead to a small room where the server will be with all the stuff that concerns computers. We will have around 8 Macs and 2 Printers. All of them on the ethernet cables.

1. What equipement do you recommend for connecting all the stuff there and share the DSL connection? A Switch and a Router? In what order? Xserve <->DLS modem & Router <-> Switch <-> Macs and Printers ? What brands for the Switch and Router do yu recommend?

2. I was once told that to separate the DSL connection( so that no one would enter my Xserve from the net and make it isolated) i would have to have 2 Ethernet cards on the Xserve, so that one would be my Local Network and the other for the WebSite. Is this correct?

3. Our Website is being done in Flash (which im developing) and will work with PHP and MySQL for the database needed for the Webstore(PHP and MySQL are trully new for me and Im currently learning both). How does the Mac OS X Serve handle both? Is it too complicated to set this up too? If so, does the Mac OS X Server Manual contain a explanation on how to set this up?


Thanks in advance


Tiago

You might want to post this also over at Apple's Xserve pages and AFP548.com.

3. Our Website is being done in Flash (which im developing) and will work with PHP and MySQL for the database needed for the Webstore(PHP and MySQL are trully new for me and Im currently learning both). How does the Mac OS X Serve handle both? Is it too complicated to set this up too? If so, does the Mac OS X Server Manual contain a explanation on how to set this up?

Very easy:

To enable PHP

read this article

You can enable MySQL using the built-in limited GUI tool (Applications > Utility) but the MySQL is also 3.x.x so you might want to get the latest version from:

MySQL

Remember - always set a root password, and use another user for running your database (don't mean to be patronizing :-))

If you are running a store from your site you might want to look at eShox 2.0

I've never used it but it does look like an esy to use store.

Hope this helps,

Mike

[Swiss Bob]

Originally posted by Tiauguinho:
What brands for the Switch and Router do yu recommend?

I've been running an Intertex IX66 for nearly a year now with no problems whatsoever. It's pretty versatile so should work well in any small business ADSL setup. Support is exceptional - the best I've ever come across.

http://www.intertex.se/ (look for the model with ADSL + 2 ethernet).

http://ix66.techarena.org/forum//index.php (support forum, frequented by the Intertex developers).

HTH

[Camelot]

Originally posted by Tiauguinho:
What equipement do you recommend for connecting all the stuff there and share the DSL connection? A Switch and a Router? In what order? Xserve <->DLS modem & Router <-> Switch <-> Macs and Printers ? What brands for the Switch and Router do yu recommend?

Go with whatever brand your ISP provides/recommends.

It may not be the best, but when there's a problem you won't have to deal with dumb support personnel saying stupid things like "I'm sorry, we don't know xyz-brand routers so the problem has to be somewhere in the router and not us. Go talk to xyz-brand"

In any case, the DSL router will be at the edge of your network (where the lines come in). Connect the inside port of the router to a switch and hang every other device off that switch.