Peer-peer or client server?

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I have networked 4 PCs (Win 98 & ME) in an advice organisation where I am a volunteer worker. This is so that printers can be shared. We now want to extend the network to up to 16 PCs, and share access to an Access-based database and some other applications. The question is should we continue with a peer-peer network, or switch to a “managed” network using a Windows 2000 server? Is there anywhere I can find a good description of the advantages and disadvantages of each approach?

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Very brief outline here.

I would take slight issue with their ‘server disadvantages’:

Dependence – When server goes down, operations will cease across the network. – presumably you would have data stored on a single PC anyway, so the same would apply. However, a true server can be configured more easily for raid support on your HD’s.

Expense – Dell, for example, sell entry-level servers for the same price as a basic PC.

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Just a thought – you might want to ask the question about sharing access to the Access (no pun intended) database and what system is best. I could swear I heard someone muttering about this exact situation at work a few weeks ago.

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Catharine I agree. In a former position we used an access database for scoring credit card applicants. The system fell over all of the time, and in frustration we called in some pretty big guns to look over all of the code – including Microsoft themselves. All agreed that the programmer had done a sterling job and that there was nothing wrong with the code. It was agreed in the end – reluctantly I might add – that Access is not a great shared system. I had 10 users banging away all day, and if 2 users happened to press enter at the same time the system would crash. My

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Thanks for your advice everybody. Are you saying that Access is no good with multiple users period, or that it it only works properly on a dedicated sever?

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I’m saying I’d advise asking the question on the access forum. Your original question was about whether to choose a peer-to-peer or server based network. Lot’s of experts in that forum that can tell you what the implications of your choice will be.

Cheers

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