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Session: 1449

Teaching Local Area Networking Using Samba Instead of Windows

Gary D. Steffen

Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology Indiana University – Purdue University Fort Wayne

Abstract

The increasing cost of computer server software, such as Windows NT/2000, can prohibit its use in laboratory settings. Furthermore, the system hardware requirements for these software packages can far exceed current institutional laboratory computer hardware. The same principal techniques for local area networking can be taught using Linux with Samba at a fraction of the cost. A look will be taken on how existing Windows NT/2000 server experiments can be replaced using Linux with Samba.

The initial presentation discusses the significance of Samba in the local area networking environment. Included is a description of history, availability, and cost of maintaining a Samba based network. Consideration will then be given on how existing Windows Server experiments can be modified to use Samba in its place. Important experimental issues such as domain controllers, shares, printing, authentication and security will be addressed. Included is local area networking experiments based solely on Samba that provide comparable educational benefits to Windows experiments.

Introduction

Local area networks (LAN) technology once thought of only for large companies is appearing in all realms of everyday life. Small computer networks pop up all over the place from large international corporate entities to private home networks used for Internet access. This broad range of applications has brought the instruction of LANs to the forefront of computer engineering technology.

Indiana University – Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW) has been offering a Local Area Networking course for several years. A leading problem with the instruction of such a course has been the constant update and maintenance of the Network Operating System (NOS) software. Like many universities, it’s been a struggle to properly fund needed licensing and hardware requirements of these products.

Microsoft, a leader in NOS products, has always been our main tool in the education of Local Area Networks. These include the Windows based server products of NT, 2000 and XP. “Proceedings of the 2003 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright © 2003, American Society for Engineering Education”

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Steffen, G. (2003, June), Teaching Local Area Networking Using Samba Instead Of Windows Paper presented at 2003 Annual Conference, Nashville, Tennessee. 10.18260/1-2--11795