New Mac Suite advice.

[jimbo1976]

Hi Guys, I need your advice...,Bit of a novice when it come to networking so any help would be appreciated. Have to set up a new Apple suite of 25 new Imac + mini mac Server in a secondary school. (controlled wirelessly) BT fibre Business Broadband with 1 static Ip address. The web filtering company requires a static Ip for filtering. So my question is...... can this 1 static address control the network for all the machines. If this address is put into the airport extreme how are the other machines ip address worked out......Sorry for the stupid question.

Cheers Jim

 

[techound1]

The router itself gets the static IP and uses DHCP to assign individual addresses to each computer. Each computer then accesses the internet via the router, which is via the static IP.

 

[jimbo1976]

Cheers for the advice. Just 1 more quick question. Would you set up wired or a complete wireless network.(just the airport and the mini mac server controlling all) I have the option of both. The room will be used for photoshop editing etc.

Thanks again.

 

[phrehdd]

Cheers for the advice. Just 1 more quick question. Would you set up wired or a complete wireless network.(just the airport and the mini mac server controlling all) I have the option of both. The room will be used for photoshop editing etc.

Thanks again.

Somehow your topology seems a bit under par. Servers should control the desktops and as well their access to the network and Internet. That means your Mac Mini is in control of the desktops and the Airport is not. Skip wireless for the most part and connect via Cat 5e or 6 Ethernet. This is the fastest access they will get.

Security - you should consider a better firewall than the AE. Also, wired or wireless, use reserved DHCP for each machine. This is akin to giving them a DHCP counterpart to a static IP. Each user should have his/her own log in.

While I am a Mac fan, I never considered the AE as a good device for a router in a business or school. There are better alternatives that are more robust and with better admin tools.

Your list of equipment should be

Firewall
Router
switch
Mac Mini
desktops

Wireless option - always encrypted, again reserved DHCP. No GUEST access.
Consider access points or bridged AE's.

Some routers come with excellent firewalls built in (AE is not one of them).

 

[jimbo1976]

Cheers,

Thks for the advice. I will look into the wired option and the security issues.........