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I have been contracted to run a small-size business network for 250 users. My Client already bought 250 Thin-Client computers to be run on a client-server network, before reaching out to me.

The requirements are:

  1. star-topology;
  2. client-server technology;
  3. STATIC IP addressing for all devices
  4. firewall enabled
  5. no hubs (only switches/routers and access points).
  6. IP Cameras + DVR enabled

My Client wants me to present a list of network devices that I need to run the network. I have not installed this large a network before.

My intention is, with a 1000Base T network, to run the thin-clients and the server on workgroups of 6 SWITCHES (48 ports each). Each SWITCH will be connected to a 16-port ROUTER. The ROUTER will be connected to internet, since it already has inbuilt firewall functionality. But I am confused on what to do...since the Thin-clients do not have storage devices, they only get resources from the SERVER through the Terminal or Remote Desktop Interface, and probably, the NICs on the thin-clients might not support 1000Base T.

How do I run this kind of network for this amount of users? Please help me out. Thank you!

Cybernetiquettes
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    Hire a professional who knows what they are doing. – Paul Oct 26 '21 at 14:18
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    How come you mention hubs? Static IP on 250 clients, why? Yo should have "separate networks" for the cameras and clients. I hope there is more than one server for all those clients. – NiKiZe Oct 26 '21 at 14:31
  • I was thinking of running of running a single server for the 250 clients – Cybernetiquettes Oct 26 '21 at 16:48
  • @NikiZe, I am considering 6 x 48-port switches for 6 workgroups. All 6 workgroups will be connected to a 16-port Router. The Router will be connected to the Internet. The Server is on one of the Workgroups. – Cybernetiquettes Oct 26 '21 at 16:51
  • Thin clients are normally used as terminal clients - so you'd need a terminal server/VDI to start with. – Zac67 Oct 26 '21 at 16:53
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    You are asking a free Q&A community to do planning and designing work for free and then you have a customer who'll pay you for that work. You have to instead lend this customer to one of us, we know how to do our work for which we are getting paid. – Nikita Kipriyanov Oct 28 '21 at 12:26
  • @Nikita...LoLs! Your distance is quite unreachable. That's why you have me to breech the gap for your ideas. When I get the pay, I will definitely send something to you... that is, if your ideas are inevitably implemented... – Cybernetiquettes Oct 28 '21 at 12:43

3 Answers3

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IF you're going to have about 250 concurrent users, you're going to need some server power. However, I'm more worried about the link to your VDI instances. When you have 250 users, running over a 1Gbit/s line, your users are going to have a hard time. I would recommend you to at least go with a 10Gbit/s link to your VDI infrastructure if you're using a graphical setup that is. On a terminal setup, you'll be fine. Are we talking Windows here, or Linux? What kind of VDI infrastructure are you looking at? Is a monthly cost a solution? Or do they want a once-off big sum of money for a big server? If you're going with a local server, keep in mind that it will easily get to 20000$ for a setup for 250 users, excluding Windows their licensing costs.

jonasclaes
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  • thanks for your reply. The OS is windows. All thin-clients will use RDP from a windows server. I want to have 6 groups of 48 thin clients per switch and all 6 switches connected to a Router. The server will be on a switch also. – Cybernetiquettes Oct 28 '21 at 13:54
  • With RDP, you will need many servers to support 250 clients. – Ron Trunk Oct 28 '21 at 14:46
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  1. The proper way to build such a network is to use a central layer-3 switch and as many access (layer-2) switches as required for the number of ports. The layer-3 switch enables you to split the network into multiple L2 segments/IP subnets and route between them. If that's not required, an L2 switch also does the job. Make sure you're setting up managed switches unless you're dead sure you won't ever need them. Feel free to add a second central switch for redundancy.

  2. For the server, you'll need some requirements: a file server? SMB? NFS? capacity? a terminal server? capacity? redundancy? applications? You'll also require some kind of backup. And a UPS, of course.

  3. Static addressing for 250 clients is not a good idea. The standard is to use a DHCP server. If non-dynamic addresses are required you configure reservations. Of course, you'd use static addressing for all servers, switches and firewalls.

  4. To the central switch you connect a decent firewall for WAN/Internet routing. Make sure the firewall meets the requirements for bandwidth and concurrent sessions from the clients. Feel free to add a second firewall for redundancy.

  5. Repeater hubs are long obsolete and cannot be bought new for more than a decade.

  6. Again, define the requirements and go shopping. Make sure you calculate sufficient storage for DVR.

How do I run this kind of network for this amount of users?

E.g. MS Windows uses Active Directory to handle users and privileges.

Of course, product recommendations are explicitly off-topic here.

From the way you asking, I'd seriously recommend hiring an experienced professional. I've merely answered your question to show you the rough scope of detail questions that need answering.

Zac67
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  • thanks for your contributions. But let me ask you something here... if I am using a Router with Switches, why do I need a physical firewall hardware? Shouldn't I configure firewall on the Router? However, what do you mean by ..."Make sure the firewall meets the requirements for bandwidth and concurrent sessions from the clients..."? – Cybernetiquettes Oct 26 '21 at 17:41
  • Enterprise grade firewalls and routers are usually separate products, as opposed to inexpensive home routers that often combine the two. Make sure the firewall has the resources and capacity to operate during maximum usage. – Ron Trunk Oct 26 '21 at 18:06
  • @Cybernetiquettes You use layer-3 switching (cheap & fast) inside your network and a firewall to connect to the hostile Internet. Most firewalls/UTM appliances are basically routers, but with heavy emphasis on security. A WAN router likely requires to use NAT (for IPv4 private-to-public routing), using NAT sessions - you need it to handle sufficient sessions for your users (e.g. 100-500 sessions per user, depending on use cases). Also, for a 100 Mbit WAN link, the firewall needs to be able to productively process 100 Mbit/s. – Zac67 Oct 26 '21 at 18:16
  • @Ron Trunk, thanks. from your suggestion, I will get a separate Firewall device then, and attach it btw the Router and the internet – Cybernetiquettes Oct 28 '21 at 13:56
  • @Zac67, thanks for your resp. That means, I will get a firewall device that supports upto 100mbps and above. – Cybernetiquettes Oct 28 '21 at 13:58
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In addition to @Zac67's good points, consider:

  • You need better specifications: How many users will be accessing the server at one time? 200 concurrent clients need a big server (maybe more than one).

  • How many clients will be wireless? How big an area? You may want a controller-based wireless network.

  • Will there be remote users (e.g., working from home)? How will they be connected?

  • Consider if a cloud-based solution would be less expensive or at least easier to maintain than a home-grown one. All the major cloud providers offer VDI solutions.

Ron Trunk
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  • 250 concurrent users all participating with a wired client to the network. No wireless. However, there will be network jammers. It's for a examination purpose. – Cybernetiquettes Oct 28 '21 at 14:00
  • If this is a temporary solution (one or a few exams) I strongly recommend looking at a cloud provider for your server. – Ron Trunk Oct 28 '21 at 14:43
  • Not sure what you mean by network jammer, but if you're talking about a cell-phone jammer, they are illegal in most jurisdictions. – Ron Trunk Oct 28 '21 at 14:44
  • They are illegal in Nigeria. https://technologytimes.ng/jam-phone-signal-in-nigeria-risk-jail-term/ – Ron Trunk Oct 28 '21 at 14:50