Opinion on Windows 2003 server and tcpip networking 1

[bithead9]

Hi folks,
I am interested in th best practices for this setup. One windows domain sevrer that does filesharing and DNS/DHCP for a LAN. It handles all the authentication as well as some network applications. There are perhaps 200 computers attached. Some network printers and wireless routers. Would it make sense to disable the DHCP/DNS on the windows server and let the router/gatway do that ? It seem to me that a hardware device is better (performance wise) than a windows server. We experience some occasional slowdowns and I thought that getting non essential services OFF the windows sever might help the overall network traffic. If each computer does not have to hit the local DNS sever and merely goes over the internet that would free up the local sever to do LAN stuff. And not act as a resolver for internet addresses. What do you think ???

 

[Dinkytoy]

For 200 people I think you are probably asking a lot of that one server, although I don't know the spec and how hard it is actually working (external storage etc).

I assume you are running AD and have 2 domain controllers as well. If not then you really want to do that if you are then you should already have internal DNS on your DCs and can get this off this app/fileshare servers.

I wouldn't look to move DHCP to your Gateway/Router since this is already handling all your outbound traffic, I'd always to move this to a server.

I would have an additional server available for your network apps and DHCP or one for fileshare/print services. Again this would be seperate from any DC.

In short I would have 4 servers, 2 x DC with DNS. 1 x fileshare/print and 1 for netapps. DHCP could really run on any of these and leave the Gateway/Router to focus on it's own job.

Then again that's just me .

 

[burtsbees]

I would also VLAN some things off, i.e. printers, servers, departments, etc. to break everything up into separate broadcast domains, and just route with a /24 mask so everyone can get to everything.

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[burtsbees]

Also, best practices and Windoze do not belong in the same sentence, IMHO.

Security best practices and TCP/IP DEFINITELY do not belong in the same sentence...lol

But what is a person to do? Disable port 139?lol

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[Torturednacho]

Best practice is to not have DNS and DHCP on the same box....

 

[burtsbees]

Best practice is to break up that collision domain...200 people, collisions, and yes---definite slow-downs.

How much RAM in that server? What kind of router at the edge? If you tax that CPU, it will slow you down even more (router), as IP takes a lot of CPU cycles...

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