How do I setup my small network, easy and secure?

Japester,

thanks for the links.  The whitepaper document will be very useful.  Thanks for taking the time to help me get started.  It looks like I chose to start at the right place.

I think I will go the firewall and 2 nic system.  The Watchguard Firebox looks to have four or five ports that it manages independently, so I'm assuming that my SBS network would connect to the server and then to the firewall thru one of the ports, a wireless access point could connect thru another, (keeping it completely separate and unable to access the sbs network) and yet another port for my other network of computers to access.

I'm not running a public website.  I do access my pc from home with RAdmin though, I assume I would still be able to do that, or would I need to use SBS's remote access software?

Based on your last point, do you think I should consider ordering the server with no OS and purchasing it separately?  I considered do that anyways, it sounds like the way to go.  Any major drawbacks to not having it preinstalled?

thanks again, Lance

The router/firewall will have two IP addresses, one for the WAN/Internet another internal.  In the case of the firewall + 2 NICs that would be configured to be its own subnet that either passes all ports to the SBS, otherwise certain ports or ranges of ports can be forwarded to the SBS.  This isn't a complicated to implement as it might sound.  If your router/firewall supports uPNP its ridiculously easy to set up.

As far as whether to buy SBS retail or have the OEM edition bundled with your server, one isn't better than the other as long as you understand the licensing restrictions.

As I said, the OEM version is tied to that mobo the minute you click "Accept" on the EULA screen on the first boot.  If that motherboard ever fails, you can have it replaced by Dell and the SBS OEM license would transfer to the new motherboard.  Under warranty, this costs you nothing.  Out of warranty this will cost you whatever the the going rate is.  (As an example, a Dimension 8100 motherboard replacement out of warranty is approx. $400.)  Normally, you would probably just replace the system (or pieces of it) at that point, but the decision is not as straight forward if you were to lose your OEM SBS license in the process.  I think the cost for the extended 2nd and 3rd year is $149, $49 for a "parts only" 2nd and 3rd year.  FYI, you usually can't add this later.

If you have the retail version, as long as you uninstall from the old server, you can legally reinstall on the new server so you could migrate your SBS license to a faster server later if necessary.  With your new 1600SC that's probably not as important to you as is to me on my 400SC.  Even still, Dell's current $399 price on the SBS Standard is a hard deal to pass up.

Message Edited by theJapester on 03-17-2004 03:03 PM

"I think I will go the firewall and 2 nic system.  The Watchguard Firebox looks to have four or five ports that it manages independently, so I'm assuming that my SBS network would connect to the server and then to the firewall thru one of the ports, a wireless access point could connect thru another, (keeping it completely separate and unable to access the sbs network) and yet another port for my other network of computers to access."

Here is a very good diagram detailing how to setup SBS 2003 with the hardware firewall and two NICs on the SBS 2003 box.  For your particular case, you would want to put the Watchguard Firebox where the router is in the diagram.

http://www.smallbizserver.net/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=52