Network/RAID Storage with wireless network

Hi there,

I'm hoping someone more knowledgeable can help me out with some questions about using NAS and wireless networks.

I need to know if it's possible to have a NAS connected to a wireless router so that the users on that wireless network can access files on the NAS, and have some kind of security scheme to restrict access of particular files to particular users. The issue is that the computers on that network also belong to a wired network at the same time, connected to a domain in the network.

Basically, a subset of the wired network would also have access to the wireless network, but trying to keep the networks separate so they can be administered by a different person and keep them autonomous. Any insight on if this is possible would be appreciated.

Also any recommendations for different NAS units (with and without RAID) would be appreciated.

"I need to know if it's possible to have a NAS connected to a wireless router so that the users on that wireless network can access files on the NAS, and have some kind of security scheme to restrict access of particular files to particular users."

Yes you can have a nas on a network [doesn't matter if wired or wireless]. Whatever OS is on the nas will decide what file level control you have. MS Storage Server nas would be more like a windows server.

You do not want to consider nas without raid. Minimum is mirrored.

I think you are going to have a difficult time implementing this plan. The quazi domain access will be your greatest hurtle. I would have just put it all into AD and delegated someone to maintain those accounts you call wireless.

"I think you are going to have a difficult time implementing this plan. The quazi domain access will be your greatest hurtle. I would have just put it all into AD and delegated someone to maintain those accounts you call wireless."

I agree with you, but one of the requirements is that the networks be separate. How complicated is it to have a computer that normally belongs to a domain, also have access to a different network (wireless in this case) simultaneously?

You are confusing topology access with domain/group access. In other words you don't divide up a network based on 10mb or 100mb or wireless access when it comes to user server access.

What you want is a wireless based workgroup but also with wireless access to the domain network. So physically the two networks are connected. What is there to stop a wireless workgroup member from accessing the wired network? Nothing.

On the other hand if you physically separated the networks, and you have two gateways, one wired and one wireless, a wireless connection could using a vpn client access the wired networks vpn firewall router and access the wired domain network via a secure tunnel thru the wireless network.

Alternately you would have to place a router [cisco pix not a soho router] between the wired and wireless networks and control access via ACLs. That will be a lot of work to maintain.