Club Network Architecture: VLAN, Switch, NAS
Club Network Architecture: VLAN, Switch, NAS
Section titled “Club Network Architecture: VLAN, Switch, NAS”A proper club network is not just “plug in the cables.” Three tasks need attention: isolate gaming traffic from guest Wi-Fi (otherwise guests on phones load the channel for players), ensure fast PC recovery via NAS (without it, each image reset means hours of downtime), and give cash registers stable CRM access independent of hall load.
This page is an architectural reference. Basic channel and hardware requirements are in IZI System Requirements, and minimal network setup is in Club Network: How to Configure for IZI.
Network Architecture Layers
Section titled “Network Architecture Layers”It makes sense to build a club network in three layers:
Internet │ ▼Router (gateway, NAT, firewall, DHCP) │ ▼Managed switch (VLAN, QoS, trunk ports) │ ├── VLAN 10: hall gaming PCs ├── VLAN 20: cash registers and administration ├── VLAN 30: guest Wi-Fi └── VLAN 40: NAS and server equipmentFor small clubs (up to 15 PCs), a simplified scheme without a managed switch is sufficient — a router with guest Wi-Fi isolation support and an unmanaged Gigabit switch for the hall.
VLAN Segmentation
Section titled “VLAN Segmentation”VLAN (Virtual Local Area Network) — logical separation of one physical network into multiple isolated segments. Devices in different VLANs cannot see each other directly; traffic between them only passes through the router.
Recommended VLANs for a Club
Section titled “Recommended VLANs for a Club”| VLAN | Purpose | Devices | Internet Access |
|---|---|---|---|
| VLAN 10 | Gaming zone | Hall gaming PCs | Full |
| VLAN 20 | Management | Cash registers, admin PC, NAS | Full (restricted for NAS) |
| VLAN 30 | Guest Wi-Fi | Client phones and laptops | With bandwidth limit |
| VLAN 40 | Payment terminals | POS terminals, card processing | HTTPS to payment gateways only |
Minimum isolation without VLAN: a separate SSID for guests with “Client Isolation” on the access point. This prevents guests from accessing gaming PCs but doesn’t provide bandwidth control.
Configuring VLANs on a Managed Switch
Section titled “Configuring VLANs on a Managed Switch”Conceptual order of steps (specific steps depend on switch manufacturer):
- Create VLANs in the switch console with the required IDs (10, 20, 30, 40).
- Assign ports: the router connection port — trunk (passes all VLANs with tags), gaming PC ports — access VLAN 10, cash register ports — access VLAN 20.
- On the router, create sub-interfaces for each VLAN with a separate subnet and DHCP.
- Configure inter-VLAN routing rules: gaming PCs should not access the cash register VLAN or payment VLAN.
Switch Selection
Section titled “Switch Selection”| Club Scale | Switch Type | What to Look For |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 15 PCs | Unmanaged Gigabit (8–16 ports) | All ports Gigabit, metal chassis |
| 15–40 PCs | Managed L2 (24–48 ports) | 802.1Q VLAN support, QoS, PoE if needed |
| 40+ PCs | Managed L2/L3 (48+ ports) | VLAN, QoS, Link Aggregation (LAG), redundant power |
Key considerations:
- All ports Gigabit — not just uplink. Full speed on every port is needed for IZI Boot and image restores.
- PoE (Power over Ethernet) — convenient if using IP cameras or Wi-Fi access points without separate power.
- Port count with margin — when the hall expands, you won’t need to replace the switch. For 20 PCs, get a 24–26-port model.
- Passive vs Active cooling — important for server rack or enclosed cabinet. In open shelves — less critical.
NAS for IZI Boot Images
Section titled “NAS for IZI Boot Images”IZI Boot deploys a reference disk image to PCs over the network. Deployment speed directly depends on where the image is stored.
| Image Storage | Recovery Speed (50 GB image) | External Channel Load |
|---|---|---|
| NAS on local network (Gigabit) | 15–30 minutes | None |
| PC with SMB folder (Gigabit) | 20–40 minutes | None |
| Cloud (100 Mbps connection) | 1–2 hours | Full |
Minimum NAS Requirements
Section titled “Minimum NAS Requirements”- Network: Gigabit Ethernet (1 Gbps) — mandatory. 100 Mbps multiplies recovery time by 3–5×.
- Share protocol: SMB/CIFS (Windows-compatible) or NFS. IZI Boot supports both.
- Capacity: image size × number of versions + 20% buffer.
- Reliability: RAID 1 (mirroring) is desirable with a two-disk NAS. Not required for small clubs — the image can be recreated.
NAS Doesn’t Have to Be an Expensive Device
Section titled “NAS Doesn’t Have to Be an Expensive Device”For a small club, the NAS role can be filled by:
- An old PC with a hard drive and SMB enabled (Windows shared folder)
- A Raspberry Pi 4 with a USB drive and Samba
- Any device with Gigabit Ethernet and an SMB server
What matters: Gigabit Ethernet interface and stable operation without reboots.
NAS Placement in the Network
Section titled “NAS Placement in the Network”The NAS should be connected to the same VLAN or segment as the gaming PCs (VLAN 10 or VLAN 20 if management and gaming PCs are in the same segment). This ensures direct Gigabit connectivity without routing through the gateway.
QoS: Traffic Prioritization
Section titled “QoS: Traffic Prioritization”QoS (Quality of Service) allows guaranteeing bandwidth for critical traffic at the expense of less critical traffic.
Two scenarios are relevant for a club:
Guest Wi-Fi vs gaming PCs. Without QoS, a guest watching 4K video on their phone competes with gaming traffic. With QoS — gaming PCs get priority, guest Wi-Fi gets the remainder.
Patch day. When Steam starts updating games on all PCs simultaneously — channel load can hit the ceiling. QoS allows limiting bandwidth for Steam downloads, leaving the remainder for active session gaming traffic.
Basic QoS setup: on the router, set a rule giving priority to traffic from VLAN 10 (gaming PCs) over VLAN 30 (guest Wi-Fi) when the channel is loaded.
Bandwidth Calculation
Section titled “Bandwidth Calculation”Formula for gaming traffic:
Required bandwidth = N × 10 Mbps × 1.5
Where N is the number of simultaneously active gaming seats, 1.5 is the buffer for peak loads.
Guest Wi-Fi is calculated separately: allow 5–10 Mbps per user and limit via QoS or access point settings.
| Configuration | Calculation | Recommended Channel |
|---|---|---|
| 10 gaming PCs + 20 guest Wi-Fi | 10×10×1.5 + 20×5 = 250 Mbps | 300 Mbps |
| 30 gaming PCs + 50 guest Wi-Fi | 30×10×1.5 + 50×5 = 700 Mbps | 750–1000 Mbps |
| 50 gaming PCs + 100 guest Wi-Fi | 50×10×1.5 + 100×5 = 1250 Mbps | 1.5 Gbps |
Common Mistakes When Building a Club Network
Section titled “Common Mistakes When Building a Club Network”| Mistake | Consequence | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Wi-Fi for gaming PCs | Unstable ping, packet loss | Wired Ethernet to every PC |
| Single segment for all devices | Guest traffic interferes with gaming | Isolation via VLAN or separate router port |
| Dynamic IPs on gaming PCs | IZI client may not come up after reset | DHCP reservation or static IP |
| Image on cloud without NAS | Hours of downtime during recovery | NAS on the local network |
| 100 Mbps switch | Bottleneck during image restores | Gigabit on all ports |
Related
Section titled “Related”- Club Network: How to Configure for IZI — minimal practical setup
- IZI Boot: What It Is and How It Works — role of NAS and PXE in IZI Boot
- Reference Image: Creation and Updates — why NAS speed matters
- IZI System Requirements — network summary table
- Wake-on-LAN — network requirements for remote power-on
See Also
Section titled “See Also”Frequently asked questions
Is a managed switch required?
For clubs up to 15–20 PCs without complex segmentation — an unmanaged Gigabit switch is sufficient. A managed switch is needed when: you want to isolate a guest network via VLAN, need QoS for gaming traffic prioritization, or have multiple zones with different policies.
What is a VLAN and why does a club need one?
VLAN (Virtual Local Area Network) — a virtual isolated network within a single physical switch. In a club, VLAN separates traffic: gaming PCs on one segment, guest Wi-Fi on another, cash registers on a third. Traffic between segments only flows through the router, providing isolation and bandwidth control.
Is a NAS needed if I only have 5 PCs?
Not necessarily. With 5 PCs you can store the IZI Boot image on one PC with a shared SMB folder. A NAS justifies itself at 10+ machines: parallel restoration of multiple PCs, reliability, storage separate from gaming PCs.
How much disk space is needed on the NAS?
A typical image is 30–80 GB. To store two versions of an image for one configuration type and zone, allow 2–3× the image size plus a 20% buffer. Example: two images at 50 GB = 100 GB + 20 GB buffer = minimum 120 GB free space.
Can Wi-Fi be used for gaming PCs?
Not recommended. Wi-Fi in a dense environment (many devices, metal PC cases, walls) is unstable: latency spikes, packet loss. For gaming PCs — wired Gigabit Ethernet only. Wi-Fi is only for the guest zone for clients with phones.
Is a dedicated server needed for DHCP and DNS in a club?
No. For most clubs, the DHCP and DNS built into the router is sufficient. A dedicated server is justified at 50+ PCs or in a multi-club network with centralized management.
How to protect the payment terminal from the gaming network?
The payment terminal should be placed in a separate VLAN along with cash register stations. Internet access — only on necessary ports (HTTPS to the payment gateway). Gaming PCs should have no access to this segment.