For good startup performance, the NetInstall server must be available to the client computer relying on it. To provide responsive and reliable NetInstall service, set up multiple NetInstall servers in your network.
Many sites using NetInstall service achieve acceptable responsiveness by staggering the boot times of client computers to reduce network load. Generally, it isn’t necessary to boot client computers at the same time; rather, client computers are booted early in the morning and remain booted throughout the work day.
You can program staggered startup times using the Energy Saver preferences pane.
If heavy usage and simultaneous client startups are overloading a NetInstall server and causing delays, consider load balancing by adding extra NetInstall servers to distribute the demands of the client computers across multiple servers.
When incorporating multiple NetInstall servers, use switches in your network infrastructure. The shared nature of hubs creates a single shared network on which extra servers must vie for time.