Networking with six low-end Windoze computers

[Wendygirljp]

I have just received permission to start a "Flying Club" for a Junior High School club activity here in Japan.  They have been convinced to use, what else, X-Plane.  I have been given six of their fourty low-end processor "Widoze" computers in their computer lab to use for this project.

Networking, I assume, should be fairly simple, given the "type in the IP Address" selection in X-Plane 8.64, which is what we will be using (given I can find a place to purchase the software.)

My question is about an Air Traffic Controller program for a seventh computer.  I know that there are programs for these computers, but are they not for VATSIM and IVAO?  Or, can they adapt to a local area network as well, without having to connect to the online network?

The school year just started in April, so I have about 10 months (given the various holidays) to help improve these kids' (and a few teachers') abilities to improve their English using the hobby of flying.  Obviously, for the first couple of months, they will be worrying about how to handle an aircraft, and the basic terminology.  Soon, however, I think it would be most beneficial for them to network and start using their English skills to create personal accomplishment.

Any assistance or comments would be most welcome.

Thanks,

"Atatakai"

[gilbenl]

Well, first and foremost...how "low-end" are these computers? Also, do you plan to use all six to drive one sim, or do you plan to have 6 individual stations? Will this be a cockpit simulator, or just workstations with some joysticks? I will tell you this though, if you plan to use them all as individual stations, and have all the kids able to see the other planes on their system, its going to take some relatively powerful units to display 6 non-AI planes at one airport using XP's internal networking, as it presents the full aircraft, without any optimization (AFAIK). If you go with VATSIM or IVAO, and use their systems to present the other acf at the airport, you may be able to get away with lower end computers, but more detail is needed to recommend the best set-up.

-Nick