AgentZero said:
2) I want the machine to connect to the wireless network, but not have any access to/from the internet. Is there an easy way of doing this?
Any linux distro should include a firewall which you can configure to limit traffic to your local network only (by default, most local networks use the 192.168.*.* address range which is reserved for private use - those addresses should never appear on the Internet itself so limiting traffic to that address range should work).
Your wireless router should include a firewall also, so if you have the ability to configure that it should be possible to block access to/from your server from the Internet. Wireless networks are subject to eavesdropping so try to ensure that you use the best encryption possible (WPA if you can).
AgentZero said:
3) What would be the best way of getting the most storage capacity for my dollar. I'm looking for something in the 1-2TB range, and it can be stuck in a big case, so multiple HDs is not a problem.
Wait till after Christmas - prices always drop then.
AgentZero said:
4) Assuming I'm using SATA drives, how easy would it be to RAID together several volumes into one big one? Would I need a separate RAID controller?
No, as Linux has the ability to handle RAID in software (see
Ubuntu Help: FakeRAID HowTo). Getting a motherboard BIOS that offers RAID is of no benefit and can complicate issues. A dedicated RAID controller may offer better disk speeds, but your bottleneck is going to be with the wireless connection anyway so it would offer no benefit.
AgentZero said:
5) With a server like the one I'm describing, where can I afford to skimp, and where should I invest money...I want to have a pretty reliable & zippy wireless connection, so what sort of wireless card should I look at? And what about the CPU and RAM?
Well, wireless is going to be the main speed problem. You could work around this by using
wired connections for as many PCs as possible (so fewer have to share the wireless bandwidth) and maybe try adding a second wireless network (ensuring that its router is configured to use a channel at least 5 away from the main router) and configuring some PCs to use that instead.
As far as wireless standards go, 802.11a should offer the best performance (802.11g has the same speed in theory but is vulnerable to interference from 802.11b, Bluetooth, HomeRF, videosenders, microwave ovens and anything else using the unregulated 2.4Ghz frequency band) but will cost more. 802.11n may be worth looking into once the standard is firmed up, but "pre-N" routers command a hefty price premium at the moment, with no guarantee that they will work with future standards-compliant equipment.
Wireless Standards - 802.11b 802.11a 802.11g and 802.11n has more information about the pros and cons of the different technologies.
AgentZero said:Would I need a fairly hefty processor, or would a $50 Celeron suffice?
I'd agree with the advice given above - processor speed is of relatively small importance. RAM would matter more, but again with a wireless connection is unlikely to be a bottleneck.
One gotcha however is going to be Windows Vista - Microsoft changed its printer/file sharing so it doesn't work with Samba by default - see
Getting Vista to work with Samba for details. Samba would be a better choice than VNC since it is designed for file-sharing (VNC is more for remote management) and should appear just like an extra drive to your users.