Networking PCs - I'd like to create a home network, in the style of school and office networks, where a user can log on to the network, instead of logging on to a local PC, but access the same files and have the same settings as on another one.

Building/Programming machines - I'd like to build a machine that can pick BL orders, and could be used by large BL stores. Something along the lines of one of those coil vending machines, but goes back further, stores more parts, can read a text file of different part #s and 'pick' the order into a crate.

I'm a complete novice, so any guidance would be much appreciated.

Thanks

For the vending machine, something like that could be done fairly easily. Each part would just be a series of bags on a turning coil, which drops the bag into a box below. A small computer could be used in the machine to control everything, and a program could be written easily to receive input as text files and convert it to instructions for the coils. Each bag would probably have to have like 5 or 10 parts in it though, so you don't have to have 60 bags in each order (I think it's possible to set up bricklink orders to only take orders in certain increments). Since the coil system isn't very precise, you might want to have some sort of weight sensor underneath to make sure the right number of bags are dropped in. Obviously for any large number of part types, this would have to be quite large...

For the networking part, to be able to log on a network = you need a server (windows home server edition) and do the necessary setup (example: http://www.howtogeek.com/57729/how-to-make-windows-home-server-into-a-domain-controller/). Frankly its lots of work and maintenance down the road, and isnt cheap.

If your aim is just to get storage and have files to be accessible to all home pcs, all you need is a router which handles dhcp so that it can assign an ip to any pc connected to it and a NAS. 2 - 4 bay NAS is a good start.

If I may offer on the home networking front: I have a windows SBS2011 - its a lot of work and the DNS knows how to be a pain a lot of the time. Unless you are going to benefit from the domain - i.e. email with Exchange, printing, web services; a linux system or simple NAS would always be better.

Good luck!

Doink

How many machines do you really keep in your house that you'd see that much benefit from this?

Just share files. Settings can be ported from one machine to another if necessary.

networking eh , well i used to have 4 comps to lanparty , but thats long ago,

What operating system are using for your machines?

What operating system are using for your machines?

Actually, it's time for a quick update. I now have:

2 x Desktop running XP

1 x Desktop running Windows 7

1 x Laptop running Windows 7

1 x Desktop running Windows 98 (!) (This doesn't have to be networked)

1 x Netbook (in my Amazon basket - so not here yet!) running Windows 7.

Sounds like a Windows server is the way to go for your environment. If Windows Server cost is an issue, you can try something like SAMBA. http://wiki.samba.org/index.php/Samba4/HOWTO

I am currently administrating a network of 30 clients, 2 servers and several printers and other network devices spread across two locations. We are using windows server platform (currently 2003 and 2008 and changing to full 2008 environment soon). I have also some experience with linux, but for unexperienced user i think windows server is the way to go.

So, if I understand correctly, all pcs are allready on the network? With that you can already use sharing, remote desktop and several accounts (and settings) on each computer. Only thing which is not possbile is to have the same account spread across all computers and for that you need server.

Setting up windows server is not THAT difficult and there are several nice giudes on the internet and if you are using new, "fresh" system you can experiment a little. So, you have to install it, set up domain, DNS and DHCP, set up active directory, create users, assign them place on the server, create new user account on clients and move their files and settings to server. After that you try and log on to their domain accounts and thats it.

Edited January 4, 201213 yr by Cwetqo