Club Network Setup for IZI
Club Network Setup for IZI
Section titled “Club Network Setup for IZI”The right network infrastructure is the foundation that makes IZI Boot restore disks in reasonable time, Wake-on-LAN bring machines up on schedule, and guest Wi-Fi not steal bandwidth from gaming PCs.
This page is for clubs opening from scratch or moving to a new location. If your club is already running and you’re just connecting IZI — check the sections on static IPs and network isolation; everything else likely already meets requirements.
Bandwidth: how much internet you need
Section titled “Bandwidth: how much internet you need”Starting point — a formula based on machine count:
Minimum bandwidth = N × 10 Mbit/s
Where N is the number of gaming PCs and consoles in the hall. Multiply by 1.5 for a buffer during peak load (patch day, when Steam updates on every machine simultaneously).
| Club size | Minimum | With buffer |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 10 machines | 100 Mbit/s | 150 Mbit/s |
| 10–25 machines | 100–250 Mbit/s | 200–400 Mbit/s |
| 25–50 machines | 250–500 Mbit/s | 400–750 Mbit/s |
| Over 50 machines | 500+ Mbit/s | 750+ Mbit/s |
Get a symmetric connection — upload matters for players who stream and for cloud saves. An asymmetric plan with narrow upload (10–20 Mbit/s) generates streaming lag complaints even when download is sufficient.
If disk images are stored on a NAS in the local network, IZI Boot doesn’t touch the external connection at all during image deployment.
Guest network isolation
Section titled “Guest network isolation”Guest Wi-Fi (for players with phones and laptops) must be on a separate network segment from gaming PCs. Without isolation:
- Guest traffic competes with gaming traffic on the same channel — latency rises for everyone.
- Devices on the same L2 segment can see each other’s network names — a guest could potentially reach gaming PCs.
- IZI Boot and Wake-on-LAN use broadcast packets that can cause noise on the guest network.
Minimum configuration: a separate VLAN for guest Wi-Fi with per-user bandwidth limiting (typically 5–10 Mbit/s per user).
Optimal configuration: a physically separate port on the router for the guest access point, plus QoS — gaming PCs get traffic priority over guests at peak load.
In your access point settings, look for an “Isolation” or “Client Isolation” option — it prevents Wi-Fi clients from seeing each other and adjacent network segments.
Static IPs for gaming PCs
Section titled “Static IPs for gaming PCs”Each gaming PC needs to receive the same IP address every time it powers on. Two IZI functions depend on this:
Device management. IZI CRM identifies each PC by its agent UUID and network address. With a dynamic DHCP address that changes on reboot, the IZI client may not come back online correctly after a disk reset.
Wake-on-LAN. The remote power-on command targets a specific host. Without a predictable IP, addressing is unreliable.
Two ways to assign static addresses:
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DHCP reservation by MAC address — in your router or DHCP server settings, map each PC’s MAC address to a specific IP. The machine receives that address automatically on every boot. Easier to manage: all addresses live in one place, no need to touch Windows on each PC.
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Static IP in Windows — set IP, mask, gateway, and DNS manually in network settings on each PC. Reliable, but requires updates on every machine if the router changes.
DHCP reservation is the better option. Reserve a dedicated address block for gaming PCs — for example, 192.168.10.100–192.168.10.200 for the hall, 192.168.10.1–192.168.10.50 for network equipment and servers.
NAS for IZI Boot: local image storage {#nas-for-izi-boot}
Section titled “NAS for IZI Boot: local image storage {#nas-for-izi-boot}”IZI Boot restores PCs from a reference disk image — a snapshot of the system in its clean state: Windows, IZI client, games, drivers. On reset, IZI Boot rewrites the disk from this image.
A typical image is 20–50 GB. Stored in the cloud or on a remote server:
- One PC restore takes 2–4 hours over a 100 Mbit/s connection.
- Simultaneous restores on multiple machines fully saturate the external channel.
With a NAS on the local network over gigabit Ethernet:
- One PC restore: 15–30 minutes.
- Multiple machines restore in parallel without impacting the external connection.
Minimum NAS requirements for image storage:
- Connection: gigabit Ethernet (1 Gbit/s).
- Free space: image size × number of versions + 20% margin. One 30 GB image, two versions = minimum 80 GB.
- Protocol: SMB/CIFS or NFS — both are supported by IZI Boot.
The NAS doesn’t have to be expensive hardware. For a small club, any old PC with a hard drive and an SMB shared folder is sufficient. What matters is a gigabit interface and stable operation.
For image creation and the restore process — Configuring IZI Boot and disk images.
See also
Section titled “See also”Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum internet connection for a 20-PC club?
At least 200 Mbit/s download for 20 PCs. Formula: N machines × 10 Mbit/s = baseline bandwidth. In practice add a 1.5× buffer — when everyone downloads patches simultaneously, this prevents lag. A symmetric connection (equal upload) is better for players who stream.
Is it mandatory to separate the gaming network from guest Wi-Fi?
Yes. Without isolation, guest traffic competes with gaming traffic on the same channel — latency goes up for everyone. Also, devices on the same L2 segment can see each other's network names. Minimum: a separate VLAN with bandwidth limiting. Optimal: physically separate port on the router with QoS.
Why does IZI Boot need a NAS or local server?
IZI Boot deploys the reference disk image over the network. Without local storage the image downloads from the internet every time — that's several hours for a 20–30 GB image and saturates the connection. A local NAS reduces one PC restore to 15–30 minutes over gigabit.
What is a static IP and why does each gaming PC need one?
A static IP is a fixed network address that doesn't change on reboot. IZI CRM ties each device to its UUID and network address. If the address changes (dynamic DHCP), the IZI client may not come back online correctly after a reset. Set static addresses via DHCP reservation on the router or manually in Windows network settings.