I am the office manager for a three-person income tax office. Our computers are connected on a peer-to peer network, using cables and the ethernet ports. We use Win XP Home Edition.
I have purchased a 4th PC with a dual core processor, and I want to use it as a server for the three pc workstations. (It, too has WinXP installed) Due to space issues, and security reasons, I'd like to set it up without the monitor, keyboard, etc, and access it through my workstation.
For ease in administration, I want to load the network-aware tax software we use onto the server, and make the three workstations the clients. The server will also act as the internet gateway. Here are my questions:
1 We have months of inactivity at our office, so I don't really want to keep the server on 24/7. Do I need server software like Win NT 2003, (or something else) to allow my people to come in and flip the "on" switch on the server w/o having to worry about troubleshooting at boot-up? (they won't have a monitor or keyboard or mouse at the server) Or am I forced to keep the server on all the time?
2 I'd like to be able to access the server from home and troubleshoot, if necessary. Is that possible?
3 What do I need in terms of software/hardware to make this work? I'd like to stay at or under $1,000.00, if possible.
Please, any answers, and/or suggestions you kind people might have would be much appreciated!
I have purchased a 4th PC with a dual core processor, and I want to use it as a server for the three pc workstations. (It, too has WinXP installed) Due to space issues, and security reasons, I'd like to set it up without the monitor, keyboard, etc, and access it through my workstation.
For ease in administration, I want to load the network-aware tax software we use onto the server, and make the three workstations the clients. The server will also act as the internet gateway. Here are my questions:
1 We have months of inactivity at our office, so I don't really want to keep the server on 24/7. Do I need server software like Win NT 2003, (or something else) to allow my people to come in and flip the "on" switch on the server w/o having to worry about troubleshooting at boot-up? (they won't have a monitor or keyboard or mouse at the server) Or am I forced to keep the server on all the time?
2 I'd like to be able to access the server from home and troubleshoot, if necessary. Is that possible?
3 What do I need in terms of software/hardware to make this work? I'd like to stay at or under $1,000.00, if possible.
Please, any answers, and/or suggestions you kind people might have would be much appreciated!