Systems Design Question HELP!!

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NessKMK

New Member
Hi. I am currently a college student and am required to take this class called IT300 Management Information Systems, which I know very little about. I thought I had everything under control until I sat down to right my final paper. Now I am confused.

I am having a hard time figuring out if I need a router, a switch, or simply a hub in my systems design. Or if I need any of them.

What we have been asked to do is come up with a systems development plan for a fitness center with 5 locations which will track participation and have the ability to design custom workouts for members. At each location the front desk, the trainer's office, and the manager's office will need a workstation. In addition, the workout floor will have at least four touchscreen monitors for members to enter information into. Everything I have been researching suggests that the best solution would be a wireless device server that connects each item (i.e. host computer, file server, printers) to the Ethernet and allows them to communicate with one another. Do I then still need a hub or other such device? I think the problem is I don't really understand the capabilities of a device server. If I have the touchscreens on the workout floor connected to a device server, which allows Ethernet connection to the file server, do I still need to have a processor for each touchscreen or will they function off of the Ethernet connection with the file server?
I am sure that by asking these questions I am showing my complete ineptitude, but I am feeling overwhelmed. I have an "A" in the class, but this final could make or brake me. If anyone can offer some advice, in laymans terms that would be wonderful. Everything I can find on the internet is a little more technical than I can completely decipher.

THANKS!!
Vanessa
 
I'll try to help,

Do you have to make your own program for that? Or do you have to use a certain program? Are your trying to set-up a wireless network?

NessKMK said:
Everything I have been researching suggests that the best solution would be a wireless device server that connects each item (i.e. host computer, file server, printers)
Click to expand...

Perhaps this would work: You network them computers, and use one computer to make that "host file". By Maping a space in the harddrive you can make a virtual network drive wich might be what you need.

You can do that with windows XP by clicking the start menu, then right-click on "My Network Places". Then you can select Map Network Drive. Then simply select the folder you want to use and assign a drive letter.

I used this trick to make a networked e-mail system (using thunderbird, by making the local directory in the virtual network drive) for my family, so we can access e-mails from both computers in my network.
 
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I just have to write a systems development plan...

Thanks for trying to help. I just have to write a 3000 word systems development plan. I don't actually have to do any of this; but I need to make sure what I am writing would actually work if someone hooked it up. The application software for this plan would either be written by the IS technican, or I found a good company called Aelthion that sells software for fitness centers. What I need to figure out is if the network topology I am suggesting will work. Am I missing a piece of essential hardware? Or do I have a piece of hardware that I don't need? Keep in mind that I can use a word processing and spreadsheet program, but that is the extent of my true knowledge of computers. I am B.S.ing my way through this course and am barely hanging on to an "A". I understand very little about computer networking and programming. Everything I am learning in this course creates another question in my mind and I feel that like unless I have all the answers nothing makes sense.
 
Ok. From what I understand you need to know the necessary device to set-up either a wired, or wireless network for your scenario.

Definitions: There's two different kinds of devices to connect computers through ethernet.

But first Ethernet: Device that allows computers to communicate or connect (you know network ;)), new computers has them intergraded in the motherboard (do you understand all parts of the computer?).

Now first device:
Hub: Device that allows to connect more than two computers. Now a hub will receive data packets from a source (i.e. a computer) and simply broadcasts these packets to all devices on the network.

Second device:
Switch: An other device that allows to connect more than two computers, accept this one receives the packets and re-transmit them to the right destination, so they're considered more secure/faster.

But there's another:
A router: An other device that allows to connect more than two computers, and is much like a switch, accept the broadband routers; you can connect the internet to them.

For your scenario, I would recommend a router. You can get a wired one, or a router thats both wired and wireless.

What else; Network cables would be usefull (they are technicly called CAT-5 or CAT-6 or RJ-45 cables)

That about covers networking.

Oh, you might need multiple routers if your connecting more than four computers (usally router can connect four computers, I beleive you can get some that connect eight though). Some routers can be connected to each other to allow more computers on a network, or LAN (Local Area Network)

:: OR on second thought ::

You can get a switch with like 12 or more, for professional networks!

Does Aelthion make custom programs? If so They can design the pogram to work on your network just fine! :D

EDIT: A few ressources of information:

http://compnetworking.about.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_network
Nice: http://www.windowsnetworking.com/articles_tutorials/Networking-Basics-Part1.html
http://computer.howstuffworks.com/home-network.htm

EDIT2:

Here's D-Link Switches, they range from 4-ports to 48 port, so you can find what will fit your scenario.

EDIT3: I think this is my longest post ever... ;)
 
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you need 1 router at each building. This connects the internet to the local lan.
One port of the router goes into the internet, other one goes into the switch.

All the computers plug into the switch, and the router does also.

now you have a lan with an attached internet connection.

do the same for the other sites. If you want to simplify the inter office connectivity implement MPLS (google it) it will let you connect all the internet lines to the ISP, and they will put all 5 connections on a switch at the CO.

This lets all your sites talk toeach other securly without VPNs
 
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