How to set up a TEST network?

esuhl

I've already got a home network with wired and wireless PCs set up. What I'd like to do is to set up a test network so I can have a play around with Windows Server 2003 and Active Directory, but WITHOUT messing up my main PCs.

Is there some way to set up two networks using the one switch that I have (built in to my router), or do I need to buy a separate hub/switch for the test network?

If I have to get a second hub/switch, is there a way to provide Internet access to the test network?

Sorry if these are really dumb questions - as you can probably tell, I really don't know much about networking... yet!

Thanks ever so much for any advice!!!

shutton54321

esuhl wrote:

I've already got a home network with wired and wireless PCs set up. What I'd like to do is to set up a test network so I can have a play around with Windows Server 2003 and Active Directory, but WITHOUT messing up my main PCs.

Is there some way to set up two networks using the one switch that I have (built in to my router), or do I need to buy a separate hub/switch for the test network?

If I have to get a second hub/switch, is there a way to provide Internet access to the test network?

Sorry if these are really dumb questions - as you can probably tell, I really don't know much about networking... yet!

Thanks ever so much for any advice!!!

Theres a free program called virtual pc and you can have different o/s systems running and it wont affect the pc. Although you need at least 1-2gb ram

albertross_2

If you are planning doing it on a different PC, just plug it into the router, it shouldn't affect your existing network. If not, try virtual PC as suggested.

esuhl

I've got VMware and 2GB RAM on my main PC, but I really wanted to use the spare PCs that have been given to me - one as a server, one as a client.

If I just plug them in to my router along with my main PCs, won't Active Directory start controlling all the computers on the LAN?

Oh... hang on... do I just log on locally on my main PCs (so Active Directory won't configure them), but onto the test domain on my test PCs... is that how it works?

DrBenway

esuhl wrote:

I've got VMware and 2GB RAM on my main PC, but I really wanted to use the spare PCs that have been given to me - one as a server, one as a client.

If I just plug them in to my router along with my main PCs, won't Active Directory start controlling all the computers on the LAN?

Oh... hang on... do I just log on locally on my main PCs (so Active Directory won't configure them), but onto the test domain on my test PCs... is that how it works?

You are right, AD wont interfere unless you log into the domain.

You'll need to be careful about duplicating stuff like DHCP servers etc...

albertross_2

Active directory won't "take over" anything, it will just ignore your existing PC's. If you imagine an average workplace, there are hundreds or thousands of PC/Servers of different sorts plugged into the network, plugging in an AD server would cause chaos if it started interacting with every piece of kit on the network without your say so.

esuhl

Brilliant! I can't believe it's that easy - I've been scratching my head over this for weeks!

Thanks for your help, everyone! :T

DrBenway

your head scratching is just about to start for real.

windows server products are not intuitive and can be a real pain in the a***.

browolf

albertross wrote:

Active directory won't "take over" anything, it will just ignore your existing PC's. If you imagine an average workplace, there are hundreds or thousands of PC/Servers of different sorts plugged into the network, plugging in an AD server would cause chaos if it started interacting with every piece of kit on the network without your say so.

you'd need windows xp pro to connect to a domain for starters.

DrBenway

browolf wrote:

you'd need windows xp pro to connect to a domain for starters.

Not true.

Win2k, and Vista are fine.

Win95, Win98 and NT4 can also he hooked up with dsclient.

dickibobboy

shutton54321 wrote:

Theres a free program called virtual pc and you can have different o/s systems running and it wont affect the pc. Although you need at least 1-2gb ram

Not true. Well maybe :P. I have not tried vmware so... But i have been trialing Microsoft Virtual PC 2004 and only have 256 ram. I just lower the ram on my vpc and it runs fine. But bigger ram would be a big suggestion expecially for windows server.