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What Advice For a Single Parent As Server Admin?
Dragon_Eater, with "lots of experience setting up PCs and a passable knowledge of Linux but severely lacking in the server/client department,"
writes with a situation that probably faces a lot of parents:
I want to set up three kids, 12, 14, and 15, with newer computers so they will stop fighting for time on the one ten-year-old Dell they share now. I can get the individual computers and a server put together without any problems, but the computer-handicapped single parent needs to be able to do the following via an simple application/web page: View client computer status, On/off, sleeping etc.; Deny Internet access, not LAN, just the web; Schedule time usage of computer, ex. 7 am to 10 pm on school nights etc.; Force log-out and/or shutdown of clients, for grounding purposes; and Apply some kind of firewall filter for blocking undesired web content. And as the administrator for this network I would like the following options: Remote virus scanning of client machines, or scheduled task; Some kind of hardware monitor, high temp / fan speed low etc.; and Email alerts for various log files / alarms.
Given the lists above I am thinking about a Linux-based router/server machine and running Windows on the clients for game compatibility. I also know that a server and network boot client is possible but not sure where to start on that one."
Most of what you described can be done with a decent modern router. The hardware monitoring is a bit overboard, logs will tell you what you need to know in the event of a disaster. The force log out could be done via router too, just deny internet. Alot of this can be done with very little technical effort and more parenting skill. Most of this is going to take a dedicated person to monitor it over the course of the installation.
Good-bye
It's amazing what kids can figure out when it comes to getting by the restrictions their parents set forth.
They're going to learn about networking, proxies, virtual machines, ip spoofing etc. All because they want to get on Facebook. Which they will.
Where to start: Scrap all your ideas and start over.
Yes, everything you asked for can be done. The reality is though is that, with the amount of complexity you are asking for, you will be a full time sysadmin for them - you might as well quit your day job now.
Your setup is simply too complex for a non-techie (and to be honest, as a techie, I don't want to have to admin something that complex at home). You need to stop asking "can I" and ask "should I?"
Windows PCs joined to active directory can let you manage them, set logon hours, etc.
Why do you care to know if the PCs are sleeping/on/off/whatever?
A router running DD-WRT will let you deny internet access based on hours and/or PCs in a simple manner. To be perfectly honest, I hate the concept of internet filtering (by parents or otherwise) as I believe it is another step toward turning people into drones, rather than teaching them to think for themselves, so I'm not even going to offer any suggestions on that subject.
I agree with the other posters, the system you have suggested will end as follows:
1. The kids will learn how to hack around it. This can be a good thing or bad thing, depending on your point of view
2. The system is so complex it will never work and the parent will never use it as they have no clue
3. You will grow to hate it as it will take too much of your time.
Not really... Basic Desktop support, and a more sophisticated gateway. Something like m0n0wall http://m0n0.ch/wall/ has very good access control with a voucher system, you user based control built in. It also has a very good traffic shaper so one kid downloading won't cause a fight with the other kid gaming. However, no web filtering.
Untangle http://www.untangle.com/ has some very good filtering on content and viruses, as well as some ads. The captive portal is not as strong, but getting there. No real traffic shaping last time I checked.
Both are open source projects. Monowall will run on any old P3 with 128 meg of ram. Untangle will need a bit more power behind it.
Not really... Basic Desktop support, and a more sophisticated gateway. Something like m0n0wall http://m0n0.ch/wall/ has very good access control with a voucher system, you user based control built in. It also has a very good traffic shaper so one kid downloading won't cause a fight with the other kid gaming. However, no web filtering.
Untangle http://www.untangle.com/ has some very good filtering on content and viruses, as well as some ads. The captive portal is not as strong, but getting there. No real traffic shaping last time I checked.
Both are open source projects. Monowall will run on any old P3 with 128 meg of ram. Untangle will need a bit more power behind it.
Good options. He could also try ClearOS. After it is set up it should be rather low maintenance. The download link is on the page. I have one at home and it is a win.
Seven Days with Ubuntu Unity