[Yr11 Information Technology] network case study problem - how to solve this?

[Tran, Vi V]

Hello,

  This is my first yr teaching Year 11 IT. I have a network case study problem that I'd like to ask about as I'm not too good at the networking aspect. This problem is taken from Question 4 (Vitta curriculum support CD 2007-2010), Networks worksheet 2, but I can't seem to find the solution to the worksheet.

  I'll describe the problem below:

BMR is a small consulting company with 4 professionals and a secretary. They have an office suit in a large city building.

Each staff has a PC and printer. The BMR CEO and secretary has a laser printer and the other consultants have colour injet printers.

When the consultants needs a laser printout they need to save it to desk and give it to the secretary to print, and also consultants cannot share files.

The consultants are frequently on the road, and have to copy files needed to the firm's one "loaner" notebook computer. If they needed an unexpected file on the road, there is no good way to retrieve it.

All PCs have modems, only one dial into the Internet at a time and telephone access is very slow for large maps they often have to download.



My question is:

1) If the consultant want to have a notebook that is able to access the files stored in the office, then would they need to have a WAN network card installed in the laptop, and also what sort of wireless connection would they need to use? Is it via 3G (too expensive??) or can remote access be or does the company need to set up an intranet for the consultants to access the files on the computers in the office?

2) Would a client-server configuration be the best solution, especially if consultants want to access files on the road through WAN connections? Or would peer-to-peer connection do?



Any suggestions on how to solve the "on the road" aspect of the problem will be helpful.

Thanks in advance.

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