Connecting two sites (Two Networks)

[Biker]

We are looking at connecting Two sites together on one Domain, but they are around 2 miles apart. Both sites have their own network.

 

I have been looking at Leased Lines and Ethernet extentions, both both have high running costs.

 

Would a VPN be more practical? If so can I have one Domain or will I have to have two domains with Trusts in place?

[DMcCoy]

How are you going to structure the network? If the only thing that will be kept synchronized is Active Directory, then the use of sites and services to make the clients talk to their local servers should be fine. If you are going to be requesting data from the other network then you need to make some estimates of how much and how often.

[Domino]

We were in a similar position a few years back, and went the structed fibre - leased from bt- route.

 

have to say, its changed the way we use IT, its completely transparent to the network, with a DC at each site.

 

I'd thoroughly recommend it, even with the high costs

[Biker]

At the moment I'm looking at synchronizing Active Directory and having access to user area's. Any specific Software can then be run from the local servers or installed on the local Work Stations.

[binky]

What about a microwave link?

[dhicks]

See this other thread from a couple of weeks ago, might be handy:

 

http://www.edugeek.net/index.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=12875&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=15

 

I think we came to the conclusion that a private SDSL line would be a good way to link two sites, which came to around £700 a year.

 

--

David Hicks

[FN-GM]

We used a fibre leased line works fine. Take a look at this

Z

[localzuk]

At the moment I'm looking at synchronizing Active Directory and having access to user area's. Any specific Software can then be run from the local servers or installed on the local Work Stations.

 

Having access to user areas will bring your bandwidth usage up significantly.

 

For any reasonable usage I would say that the most basic option would be to get ADSL2 connections in and VPN tunnel across, but this may well be a bottleneck still.

 

Realistically, you should be looking at leased line.

[kylewilliamson]

3Com do some excellent wireless gear for this sort of job.. depends on how high up you can get planning permission for and wether you can either..

 

a) obtain line of sight

b) get a relay station along the way that has line of sight to both

[m25man]

MegaPost,

 

If your a state school connected to your Local Grid surely your broadband provider wil be able to provide you with routed access.

 

I manage a 2 site school 3miles apart, site 1 has 100mb into the LGFL the other 10mb. Each Site has 2 subnets, 1 Curricular + 1 Admin.

These connect into the Metro VPN using LGFL 10.xx.xx.xx IP addresses via the Extreme Networks L3 Switch at each site.

Each segment has a route programmed allowing traffic from any segment to any segment. So connectivity is transparent between sites.

I think the 100mb line is 18k pa (including all of the usual LEA Broadband stuff) and the 10mb about 6k

So 24k pa for internet/broadband & intersite connectivity.

 

If you have to provide your own, IMOHP, any other option should be based around a leased line.

SDSL is limited to 2Mb and is still badly affected by distance from the exchange.

 

If the users can be homed locally at each site then your inter-site replication traffic will be minimal.

 

At another site, on a single 2mb SDSL, we also run domain replication across SSL-VP in 3 countries with Exchange hosted in the UK servicing remote clients using RPC over HTTP with a bit of sharepoint and RDP thrown in.

Works brilliantly and the bandwidth used is minimal.

BUT WE ONLY HAVE 20 USERS AT MOST with probably no more than 5 or 6 concurrently.

 

I would never consider this solution suitable for a school with a typical role of 1200 and 350 PC's.

 

BT Business are really trying to steer people off of SDSL (they are trying to dump this service over to the consumer division) they want to concentrate on selling leased lines and private circuits to business.

I just got a quote for a 2 on a 10, (2mb on a 10mb Circuit) for less than 3k pa with an SLA, however your installation costs can vary depending on what you have underground adjacent to your site.

 

It can take months to get a new fibre blown if you have the tubes in the first place, otherwise you wait for ever.

 

There are a few ISP's that offer SDSL Burst (A specially modified Alcatel Router) capable of upto 20mb, http://www.fluidata.co.uk/products/purefluid.htm

when I as the BT rep about this they said that they could offer a similar service despite the fact I could find no references to it on the Broadband Business Site or get a price out of them!

[Biker]

We can't use Wireless as we are in a conservation area and we don't have line of sight.

 

I'm looking more and more at the leased line / Private Networks route. Can anyone give me advice on this route ie Pro & Cons plus what speed to go for?

[gwendes]

Damn - there goes the excuse to eat Pringles

[joe90bass]

Same here as M25man says. When I arrived we had two seperate networks. As both sites could be accessed via our 10MB link through our LA I made them into one domain, I also have all user areas on our storage server in the upper school, works fine!

 

It's defnintely worth looking into before purchasing your own setup!

[Biker]

Unfortunately we are an independent School and don't have access to the LA network.