Create A Raspberry Pi Network With Piserver Tool

Use PiServer to easily set up a network of Pis connected to a central server, which you control.

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The good people of the Raspberry Pi Foundation have outdone themselves once again with the release of PiServer, a tool which enables you to easily set up PXE (Pixie) network booting. In plain English, this means you can set up a network of Raspberry Pis, each of which are connected to a single server. The Pis can boot over the network without any need for microSD cards and you, as the server admin, can control user accounts and accessible files. 

The fact that every Pi, as a network ‘client’, uses the same accessible files makes PiServer perfect for classroom environments or workplaces where you may want to use Raspberry Pis for specific purposes such as teaching or operating machinery. 

You can create as many users as you need during setup. These users don’t have root privileges, meaning they cannot install new software; this makes for a much better and safer learning environment. 

In order to get started setting up your network, you’ll need at least one Raspberry Pi 3 and an Ethernet cable to connect each one to the router or network hub. The PiServer tool is currently available via Debian with Raspberry Pi Desktop. Follow the steps in the guide below to install it on a dedicated PC for best results, although you can also set up your server using a virtual machine or even a Raspberry Pi (see below).

01 Enable network boot