On (28 Jun 97) John Donohue wrote to Janet McCain...
 JM> I have been given the task of setting up a small office
 JM> system and while I have been working with computers for
 JM> many years I am completely ignorant as far as networks
 JM> are concerned.  I would like to list what I want to accomplish,
 JD>                      ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 JM> Would someone PLEASE comment and tell me if I am on the right track
 JM> here. Thanks so much for your help.
 JD> Before I could comment on your hardware choices, I need to know what
 JD> this network is going do DO. Is it's purpose to;
 JD> - share access among workers to a joint productivity package like MS
 JD> Office? - share access to a joint business database ?
  The above is the main purpose.  We wanted to set up a dedicated
  server system, rather than peer-to-peer.
  They don't really need to share hardware resources, but would be
  a nice plus, if not too expensive to implement.
  They will probably not be on the internet, but if so, would be
  just a PPP.
  This is going to be in an optometrist's office.  Three computers to
  be linked - one (which I assume would be the server) would be in the 
  main reception area, where the front desk staff work - 
  The second would be in the OD's office, so he can do what he needs
  to do without coming out in the main public area.
  The third would be in the Optician's lab so she could look up
  prescriptions, etc. and keep track of the inventory.
  The three pc's are on the same floor.  One would be about 30 feet
  from the server, the other, about 45 feet away.
  One other question here - I have been doing a lot of reading and
  see things that I don't quite understand.  I mentioned that
  we want to use the existing 486 computer as one of the systems
  that we want to link.
  I know I need to add more ram but my question is about the fact
  that the 486 is VESA, not PCI - will that cause problems, and
  what is the workaround for that situation?
 JD> Other significant factors here are
 JD> - how much money is/can be allocated to this project
 We would like to be able to accomplish this for around
 $6500-7000 if that is not a joke.
 JD> Not so many years ago, I (and probably a lot of others in this echo)
 JD> was exactly where you are now. Fill in the details, and we can all
 JD> probably make some useful suggestions.
  I do appreciate any help I can get.  Just as a matter of background
  here, I am not an employee of this company.  The owner is my
  daughter's fiance and I am known as the computer "expert" there.
  I set up his first office system for him and trained his staff
  to use the software pkg.  I am a 60 year old grandma who has
  been using computers for about 16 years - purely for pleasure
  and personal satisfaction.  I enjoy a challenge - I took this
  on as a problem that I could solve with help and I figure that
  at the very least, by the time it is over, I will have learned
  something.  
  Janet 
  (I can also be reached quicker at jmac@bv.net)
...    jmac@bv.net          http://www.bv.net/~jmac
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