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Windows 2000/Network architecture...

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I want to get some different ideas on how best to configure my current network. I have 10 WAN locations, but all locations are within 5 miles of each other. Most locations have 1-2 nodes. 1 location has 25, 1 has 15. Our central office houses 80% of our employees (has a fiber backbone). All are connected via high speed wireless (256kb-756+kb) and are behind firewalls. Currently, all 250 PC's (NT and 2000 boxes) are in a Workgroup...however I am setting up two 2000 servers at our central office. One is already setup as a DC(1.3 gig processor with 1 gb memory). I also have a server with dual 1gb processors and a gig memory. I wish to use this (dual processor)box as an Exchange server and another DC. Both are in a test environment at present. My goal is to create one single domain, but I would like some feedback on how to go about this. Obviously, the amount of WANS and differing subnets create some complications. I am an NT guy and am a rookie on 2000. We are working on a very limited budget...so please keep this in mind. Obviously, it would be nice to create 11 sites with DC's in all...but 6 of the sites have 1 pc/1 printer. Presently, all sites come thru our central office for firewall VPN authentication. Basically, we are a Hub and Spoke architecture. Netbios is turned off. The remotes do not need to see each other. They only need to communicate to the central office (that holds 80% of the employees). I have created my domain. I have setup AD and DNS. I would like to know more on adding remote WANS to the domain. Bandwidth has not been a problem. There is not a lot of file sharing. Extremely light users on network. **Advantages and disadvantages? Thoughts and advice? Any advice or suggestions or instructions would be extremely helpful. I am still reading MS Press books on Win2000...so I am not at all an expert. Thanks again!!

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by joseph moore

I have a Visio architecture file I would like to e-mail you. Feel free to contact me with your contact info.

by christotg

Frankly, I'd leave it with a single site. If you are willing to move to a dual-hub & spoke design, then make two sites with one DC in each. Single site admin is far simpler though. If you have dealt with sites in Exchange 5.5 for a while you should be familiar enough with the administrative headaches.

- You need the NT boxes and the Win2k boxes to see the servers, so don't be too quick to remove NetBIOS. Without it, the NT machines will not be able to see the servers.
- WINS on the DCs might be useful for the NT boxes since you have multiple subnets.

Those are the primary issues. I think that if you leave it as a simple installation you'll be happy. You don't have enough complexity to worry about a complex logical setup.

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