General questions from a newbie

[expat42451]

I am helping friends who own a hotel try to straighten out a network that has been added on for a number of years (i.e. chaining wifi-routers together &c) until it doesn't work reliably.

The system as is being re designed, will have 6 wifi appliances connected to a switch which in turn will be connected to the internet through the modem. When the hotel is full there are between 90 and 100 clients in residence. They anticipate using a D Link DGS 1100 16 port switch.

In addition to this- they have a video security system that they want connected to the D Link--and they want access to the security system from the WAN side i.e. outside the hotel. From my understanding, there are to be no control functions that will be needed. Also I understand that the video system will require 1.2 Mb/sec of bandwidth. Their current ISP contract provides for 3 Mb/sec.

My first take is that what would be optimal would be to set up a VPN to access the security system. However the D Link doesn't seem to be VPN capable. What other alternatives might one be able to use to access the security system from the WAN side of the switch, particularly in a way that doesn't leave a port exposed on the WAN side? Their current ISP service is fixed IP.

Additionally, any comments on their selection of the DGS 1100-16....or other recommendations - would be appreciated.

Many kind thanks for the read and any info you choose to offer- I am by no means a network tech-only trying to help out friends.

Regards

Expat42451

 

[L&LD]

Seems to me they need to upgrade their ISP provided service along with the hardware side of things.

90+ clients sharing 1.8 Mbps does not seem like anything would work with today's internet requirements (even for email).

 

[sinshiva]

ah, might need some clarification, as this isn't coming from a tech. it sounds like his options are actually 12 or 25mbit. somebody else may want to chime in on a business class router, but in all honesty, it sounds like a decent soho products would work, too, along with a halfway decent business class switch

 

[expat42451]

sinshiva

Thanks for the reply. The cabling is pretty bad as well and part of the system is getting re cabled with Cat5e.

Regards

Expat

 

[sinshiva]

it sounds like proper cabling will benefit them most. i'd say what they intend to use as a switch sounds like it should work out fine. with the bandwidth they'll have, it seems like pretty much any recently made off the shelf product would be sufficient as a router. (for example, the asus rt-n66 series should be more than enough for their internet connection) i don't keep up with the small business products, though and i'm sure suggesting an off the shelf router would be frowned upon lol

out of curiosity, what do they intend to use for their wireless access points?

[edit] an aside, they probably want a router with something like untangle that makes customers accept their usage policy and whatnot

http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/lanw...ful-open-source-utm-untangle-gateway-reviewed

also

http://www.untangle.com/appliances

with their connection, it looks like the u10 or the u50 would work out fine

 

[expat42451]

Sinshiva and L&LD

Please accept my apologies for being late getting back to you. Why will become apparent as you read..........

We ended up with a D Link DES 3028 managed switch. After lots of weirdness it looks like the plans are to buy a router to go between the switch and the modem......plus the security system is going to be given its own modem/ISP connection to the outside. It turns out that the security guys want 2 ports at 1.2 Mb/sec so with 3 Mb/sec obviously combining the two isn't going to cut it. We are up to 8 wi fi appliances- 2 new ones plus the ones from the old system plus 2 desktop computers.

I have considered the idea of a "roll your own" router/firewall , having built a couple a number of years ago and used Smoothwall (among others) on them.

That having been said--we are in are in Quito, Ecuador. The hotel is run by a couple of sisters and their mother and none of them is at all technically savvy. The security system guys have been taking them to the cleaners and the past sysadm as well, chaining wifi routers together &C, using cable extenders and lousy cable and stuff like that. I checked on their reception desk computer a couple of days ago and it had not had any "second Tuesday"(Win 7 professional) updates in 8 months. All of the wifi appliances have (until now) never had firmware updates - most of the appliances are either Cisco or Trendnet. We have re cabled almost everything with Cat5e and added a couple of more wi fi's (all run back to the switch) so now we have useable wi fi signal to about 95% of the rooms. So far its stable as well.

They have a fixed IP. After fighting with the addressing headache I decided a router would be the way to go and they have approved it. I have been offered the sysadm job but have declined- and interviewed one candidate on their behest today for that job. The question of the past sysadm--or lack thereof- makes me hesitant to build a router for them out of an old computer although there is at least one here......to give you an idea of how things are.

One of the security system guys, when he heard I was in the market for a router, said he was an authorized agent for Microtic and offered us an RB 951-2n router saying it would be sufficient for what we were doing.........online it is $45. He offered to sell it to us for $250----right. So I am still in the market for a router. Have been considering the D Link DSR 250 here

http://www.dlink.com/us/en/business...vices-routers/dsr-250-unified-services-router

but there is not one in Ecuador. I very much like the idea of Untangle- I have seen this before but have not used it-- but I question how well it might not survive on an old platform with no maintenance.

To say that its been interesting is an understatement. Any router recommendations would be appreciated and again my apologies for having been late getting back but well....its been interesting.

Expat

 

[expat42451]

Since the last post I went over Untangle in some detail. That is really impressive-- Thanks for recommending it.

Expat