Situation: a brand new server box, a copy of Windows Server 2003 Enterprise, and a lack of Network Admin expertise. The install location is not a business location, but a home with cable broadband and a NetGear router, to which three independent non-network PC's connect and access the Internet. Several questions arise in how to configure the new server box. FYI, the purchase has already been made, and my help has been enlisted to assist with setting up the new server box. The server is desired to be a game server, allowing remote access to players, accessing the server through the built in game client, not server logins. Remote game admin users will be given server login accounts, and restricted access, limited only to the defined game share in the filesystem, accomplished by creating security groups which define the restrictions. 1. Access issues. a. How does the DNS have to be set up to make the server essentially just another independent device on the router, but function as a point of presence on the Internet, to which remote users can connect using either IP or registered domain name? Its network domain would be itself only, not including the other PC's sharing the connection. Is this possible? If not, what kind of setup is going to be required? What are the "gotchas" with this approach? (I understand that a static IP address will almost assuredly be needed) b. It is desired to give the remote game admin users access to the Remote Web Desktop. Are there special considerations, or speclal configurations needed for this? c. The server will mostly be administered via Remote Administration terminal service. The users in the server box location are non-technical. Are there special setup considerations? 2. IIS andFTP a. The server must be configured to allow FTP access, at two levels. Anonymous FTP connections should be able to download files only, and the remote game admin users should be able to upload, move, delete as well as download files in the FTP area. How would this be accomplished? b. The server will have IIS web services configured as well (I realize IIS installation is required for FTP, above). There will be web applications created to assist remote game administration, file management, and database access (MySQL will also be installed as the database product). Are there special considerations introduced by the DNS setup described above? 3. Pagefile The server box has 2 quad core Xenon CPUs, and 4Gb of RAM. Are there special considerations on a dual CPU box in setting up the pagefile? Is a single 8Gb static pagefile sufficient? 4. RAID hotswap (this isn't strictly a Windows Server question, but while we're at it...) The server box will be using a RAID 5 array of 4 500Gb hard drives. The Intel Matrix software will provide the RAID functionality. Are there issues with hotswapping drives on disk failure, or "gotchas" to be aware of? The virtual disk space will be partitioned into a 100 Mb C drive (OS only), a 150 Mb D drive (for applications) and an E drive (the rest of the space, approx 750 Mb, for data, game folders, web folders, etc.) That's probably plenty for now. Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

Hello, please see inline for response..post back if you have any more questions1. Access issues. a. How does the DNS have to be set up to make the server essentially just another independent device on the router, but function as a point of presence on the Internet, to which remote users can connect using either IP or registered domain name? Its network domain would be itself only, not including the other PC's sharing the connection. Is this possible? If not, what kind of setup is going to be required? What are the "gotchas" with this approach? (I understand that a static IP address will almost assuredly be needed)-Go to command prompt and do an ipconfig /all on the server, get the ip configuration info and assigned the info as fixed ip for the server. -Go to your Netgear router interface administration etc and configurea port forwarding. You will need to forward about 3ports: 80 for access to IIS, 21 for FTP and 3389 for remote desktop/terminal services connection. For outside users to access any of these services, give them your public IP address obtained from your ISP and the respective port number. (It will be adviseable to obtain a fixed public IP from you ISP or use OpenDNS to configure dynamic IP). You can find your public IP from your router interface.b. It is desired to give the remote game admin users access to the Remote Web Desktop. Are there special considerations, or speclal configurations needed for this?If the remote admins require to manage users, yes give them access but limit it to the respective functions. You can configure local policy to give them only needed accessc. The server will mostly be administered via Remote Administration terminal service. The users in the server box location are non-technical. Are there special setup considerations?It depends what they will be managing and addittional setup might depend on this2. IIS andFTPa. The server must be configured to allow FTP access, at two levels. Anonymous FTP connections should be able to download files only, and the remote game admin users should be able to upload, move, delete as well as download files in the FTP area. How would this be accomplished?You can accomplish this by setting up the file share permissions as neededb. The server will have IIS web services configured as well (I realize IIS installation is required for FTP, above). There will be web applications created to assist remote game administration, file management, and database access (MySQL will also be installed as the database product). Are there special considerations introduced by the DNS setup described above?NO, just open the required ports4. RAID hotswap (this isn't strictly a Windows Server question, but while we're at it...)The server box will be using a RAID 5 array of 4 500Gb hard drives. The Intel Matrix software will provide the RAID functionality. Are there issues with hotswapping drives on disk failure, or "gotchas" to be aware of? The virtual disk space will be partitioned into a 100 Mb C drive (OS only), a 150 Mb D drive (for applications) and an E drive (the rest of the space, approx 750 Mb, for data, game folders, web folders, etc.)RAID should be hotswap but I will suggest instead of a RAID 5, you configure a 2 RAID 1 Arrays Isaac Oben MCITP:EA, MCSE