Most cost-effective internet access for 12 rooms?

Seanchai

I'm in a school which needs some twelve rooms to be set up for internet access. 8 of the rooms or in the one area, while four are 40 -50 metres away. There is UPC cable in a nearby, related, house, but we need to set up a separate UPC billing account that can service these classrooms.

We are wondering how much this will cost. In my own home the one internet access (Eircom broadband) supplies the entire house for the one price. Money is not plentiful so cost will be the deciding factor. Does UPC, for instance, charge for each separate room?

If they do, does anybody know of the most cost effective way to get internet into each of these rooms? Thanks.

watty

Ask here http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=259

You need one Modem. A router and a managed switch with enough ports.

You likely have one 16 way switch (maybe manageged) at router with a Cat5e cable (max 100m) to a Switch or switches in each of the 12 rooms with enough ports for one cable per PC. These cables also can be up to 100m

UPC charge for the package. The number of rooms isn't relevant. The speed and amount of data used per month is the important aspect.

The biggest system I setup was 4 servers and 450 workstations on one network.

you might want to buy a "vlan" connection off them to HEAnet and have HEAnet filter your internet access.

Or you might want a PC with 2 x 1Gbps ports beteen the UPC modem and your switch as a Proxy / Firewall to filter the traffic instead of an ordinary router.

With a load of Kids and teachers, I'd seriously think about a proxy or profession router thats logging stuff. Or letting HEAnet do it.

Also the number of rooms isn't important. But the number of PCs and how they are managed.

You need professional advice and support, not a Forum

P.S. I have no axe to grind as it's more 6 years since I gave up doing this kind of work for anyone. 1995 to 2003 was enough!

JDxtra

UPC is for residential use. They offer business packages, but you'll probably have to call them.

I thought all schools would already have broadband through a centralised and managed scheme. Don't take offence, but it seems a bit bonkers that it's left up you to sort it.

watty

Only the secondary schools.

maybe it's a Primary school.

Seanchai

watty wrote: »

Ask here http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=259

You need one Modem. A router and a managed switch with enough ports.

You likely have one 16 way switch (maybe manageged) at router with a Cat5e cable (max 100m) to a Switch or switches in each of the 12 rooms with enough ports for one cable per PC. These cables also can be up to 100m

UPC charge for the package. The number of rooms isn't relevant. The speed and amount of data used per month is the important aspect.

The biggest system I setup was 4 servers and 450 workstations on one network.

you might want to buy a "vlan" connection off them to HEAnet and have HEAnet filter your internet access.

Or you might want a PC with 2 x 1Gbps ports beteen the UPC modem and your switch as a Proxy / Firewall to filter the traffic instead of an ordinary router.

With a load of Kids and teachers, I'd seriously think about a proxy or profession router thats logging stuff. Or letting HEAnet do it.

Also the number of rooms isn't important. But the number of PCs and how they are managed.

You need professional advice and support, not a Forum

P.S. I have no axe to grind as it's more 6 years since I gave up doing this kind of work for anyone. 1995 to 2003 was enough!

Thanks so much, Watty. That was very informative. I rang HEAnet, specifically its NCT School Helpdesk number, and the guy there was informative. He said it shouldn't cost that much so now, I have to get quotes from IT people so that's my next google. (It's a secondary school, but a small one.)

Moonbeam

watty wrote: »

Only the secondary schools.

maybe it's a Primary school.

Nope,Every school does.
Public or private,primary or secondary.

Moonbeam

Seanchai wrote: »

Thanks so much, Watty. That was very informative. I rang HEAnet, specifically its NCT School Helpdesk number, and the guy there was informative. He said it shouldn't cost that much so now, I have to get quotes from IT people so that's my next google. (It's a secondary school, but a small one.)

NCTE
What shouldn't cost that much?
Getting a new connection or loads of wireless routers?