Howdy. Anybody around here have any experience with thin client networks?
I have an assignment where I am supposed to design a complete computer system to serve 3000 students, with only $200,000. (only. heh.) I think a thin/zero client network would be an elegant way of getting it done, but I have no experience with them and it’s hard to find any information about them from someone who isn’t trying to sell them.
So, here are my questions:
–Are they cost-effective? I’ve checked into a couple of sites and it seems like, by the time you add a monitor and keyboard, you don’t really save that much over a PC. (I could get low-end PC’s for <$1000 each)
–Do they require a special type of server? Can an existing server be upgraded to do the job? The school for which I am designing this already has a server that I would like to use if possible.
–Do they require special network connections? The school already has broadband/wireless to each room, so I’m looking for something that can use the available network rather than starting from scratch.
–Better yet, can anyone refer me to a better source of information than vendors or wikipedia?
You may find that a lot of the work has been done for you. Take a look at the links below.
And why would you purchase a high performance PC for a terminal? We were able to find plenty of inexpensive or even free older computers that made fine terminals. Many schools can get a LOT of old computer equipment from local businesses and from parents. I contacted a local business that was moving into smaller offices and was able to get enough free monitors for an entire computer lab at our local elementary school plus a couple of high end printers. Put you money into high quality backend servers and network equipment.
Yes, you can save a lot of money and – in the long run – save a lot of administration time, but you will have to get up to speed on the software, find the right kind of software for an educational environment (it’s out there) and spend the time to educate teachers and support staff. In any project like this, you have to make a good initial impression with teachers and parents to make it work. (It seems like kids take to it like ducks to water.)
Don’t forget that you may have local people in the community or in local computer clubs that will volunteer. Don’t forget to have someone knowledgeable who can cover for you or you end up as the single point of failure.
Many people will ask why you are not using Windows. Have good answers ready. I am a former UNIX administrator who has worked in a mostly Windows environment for many years. I have no doubt that a well designed Linux environment requires less administration and is more stable than a Windows one once you have it in place. But you may be forced to have some Windows clients for specific software as we did. That’s OK. They can still use the same servers for storage and services.
