I do not know if you have automated anything yet because from your description it sounds like it is still a very manual system. The Linux box I am assuming is a test box. Also it sounds like you are looking for a centralized storage location. It also sounds like this is using a mixed wired and wireless system. In my opinion, there has been very little thought put into how your network and future expansion.

For speed which it sounds like is your immediate concern, Current OS-X boxes have Gigabyte Ethernet capability. Most likely you have a single Gateway for the entire office. If this is the case, an upgrade is highly recommended. I would also look into your Windows and Linux box network cards. Default hardware by Dell and other major distributors tends to be cheap equipment. Cheaper gateways will reduce the speed of the network to the slowest entity. Which is your wireless device. Having separate Gateway and wireless devices may be something else to look into. A more advanced Gateway/Router will be able to allow you to easily change speed.

As far as a networked hard drive and Lan gateway, please don't do that. You are playing with fire. It is good for consumers for light duty use, but companies that need throughput and speed, it will die within the year. Many people that posted to create your own Linux storage box are correct. A single box is easily expanded into a larger server. You can buy an off the shelf system. I would also suggest that you do not use a test machine. Also you can create a Raid disk array to make swapping drives that die as painless as possible.

I did this professionally for many years. To conclude, upgrade your gateway and add a new computer for data storage.

As an American, I can say that privacy laws are lacking. Just recently states have started to look at the severity of problem and are passing judgments against the Patriot Act. Being an Engineer and MBA student, I see the problems first hand how the technology can be abused. It is just that the bureaucratic and slow manner that American laws change cannot keep up with technology. The laws will change, just look at the negative backlash to Bush due to the police state policies he pushed for. I am not going to make excuses for the low grades, I will instead talk about the data itself. Other countries are in worse shape. This reviews just the developed countries. Which in a way is a good thing because it sets high baselines. It also shows technology wise how well each country is using their laws and technology. It is bad in it sets the bar so high that it even the good countries cannot meet the grade. Also developing nations get a zero in most of the indicators and is not shown. It can be taken out of context since it is just a single indication on the state of a country. There are other valid indicators on the state of the economy: PPP, GDP, HMI, etc. Which I might add Greece ranks varies from 19 to 35 in PPP indication. Americans are not a single entity. We are diversified and many.