[deathro]

I have a small office network in my basement, it all runs off a hub. Were having a really hard time sharing files, the last time we set up a new computre it took us weeks to get all the info from one comp to the other, now when Outlook gets an email it's the first computer to get it, is the one that gets to see it.

I think a server would really help us, I heard you can turn a computer into a server using "REDHAT". I basically want to be able to access information from any one of my three computres, share it with each other and pull up others files.

Can someone tell me how to set it all up really easily?

[Sevoma]

You can have a network running the way it is now. All of the computers need to be a member of the same domain. I don't know how this is done on windows, because I use linux.

The problem with Outlook is how it works. When Outlook finds an email on a server it downloads it and then deletes it. This would cause the other computer not to recieve it. Make it delete the mail on the server when you choose and you should be ok.

[deathro]

okay so I can run the computers on the same domain, now I do have windows does anyone have any idea how to do that, and a little more info on the outlook thing, how to stop it from deleting from the server.

Thanks guys.

[Law]

Originally posted by deathro
I have a small office network in my basement, it all runs off a hub. Were having a really hard time sharing files, the last time we set up a new computre it took us weeks to get all the info from one comp to the other, now when Outlook gets an email it's the first computer to get it, is the one that gets to see it.

I think a server would really help us, I heard you can turn a computer into a server using "REDHAT". I basically want to be able to access information from any one of my three computres, share it with each other and pull up others files.

Can someone tell me how to set it all up really easily?

Just configure Outlook to leave a copy of the email on the server...that's it.

What exactly seem to be the problem with your Windows environment? Too slow? I don't understand..try giving us more information.

[Law]

Originally posted by deathro
okay so I can run the computers on the same domain, now I do have windows does anyone have any idea how to do that, and a little more info on the outlook thing, how to stop it from deleting from the server.

Thanks guys.

Here's how to configured outlook
http://support.mcihispeed.net/mu/500.../8418.mci.html

Scroll down to step 10
It should be obvious.

[redhorns]

Hey for a faster sharing of files you might want to install a switch instead of a hub. A hub basically is a very slow network connector and is a broadcast type connector i.e. all packets go to all machines. A switch is smarter (these days they are dirt cheap) and faster and have less/neglegible collisions. This way you would have a faster file sharing network.

Again you do not need a server to do the file sharing. File sharing can be set up very easily on a windows network. Its as simple as rightclicking on the partition/folder that you want to share and choosing sharing option in the menu. All other computers can access your machine from their network neighbourhood or by simply typing the following in the run command -
\\ipaddressofthemachinetoaccess\sharename

For mail, you can configure outlook to leave a copy on the server and that way all computers can download the mail from the server. Law has provided the link for configuring outlook in the above link.

Cheers
Manvir