suggestions on the best way to setup small business net

[thefabe]

My older brother has (had) a small construction business in Texas. I say had because after hurricane Ike it grew by leaps and bounds. He now has an office with 4 computers and needs to have them setup in a network. Noone their is vey computer literate and he wants me to fly out and solve this problem. I have zero experience in setting up a network, although I have done a bit of research on it. What I would like is some input or suggestions on what you teckies would suggest as being the best or easiest way to get all the system to work together. At the moment when an estimate is created on 1 comp, they are emailing it thru attachments to another or something crazy like that. He's freaking out because he can't get the office organized enough to keep up with all the documents required to get the jobs and keep the customers, insurance companies, engineers and inspectors the paper work they require thus has lost some jobs because of it. Thanks in advance. Fabe (edit) would someone please move this to the disscusion threads? I just realized I put it in the wrong one Thanks

 

[zigzag3143]

the fabe

How long do you have to figure it out and set it up? have you ever wired an office?

You are gonna need some serious planning

Ken

 

[thefabe]

Well I'm planning on flying out after the 13th. I have to go to my Pain managment Dr. and get my triple scripts written for a couple of months. in case I want to stay awhile. And no this will be my first. I was thinking down the lines of just getting a 4 port router and running their cable router to it then wireing each computer to it. But I'm sure their is other ways I don't have a clue about. What I'd really like to do is to hook them up thru a small office server. That of course I would have to build. I know one of the first things I probably have to do is to get then all on the same OS, 1 is on Me I think and the others on XP SP3. Fabe

 

[zigzag3143]

Well I'm planning on flying out after the 13th. I have to go to my Pain managment Dr. and get my triple scripts written for a couple of months. in case I want to stay awhile. And no this will be my first. I was thinking down the lines of just getting a 4 port router and running their cable router to it then wireing each computer to it. But I'm sure their is other ways I don't have a clue about. What I'd really like to do is to hook them up thru a small office server. That of course I would have to build.

here is the first step that you can do now. with or without Rx. get a copy of the floor plan where the desks are and where he wants the computers put. You can then see if it can be wired or if it has to be wifi. you can also figure out how much cat 6 (use cat 6 not 5e) cable you will need. four port router, or course, where does the internet come from? how far away? is it ethernet? or optical?

fabe feel free to Pm me if you need.

Ken

 

[thefabe]

Well right now he just moved into a 5 bedroom, House, and is using the lasrgest of the bedrooms as the office. I think the room is 15ft by 14 ft. And the cable comes right out of that rooms wall to the router. the desktop is L shaped covering 2 walls (duh) with individual work spaces equaly spaced and partioned. ethernet