Building a home server

**dataz722** · 02-02-2012, 03:50 PM

I am looking to build a home server to work as a media server in the house and also an FTP server so I can access everything anywhere. It will be running 24/7/365 so heat and power consumption are a concern. I plan on running the computer headless as well and plan to underclock the cpu to lower the power consupmtion.

I have been out of the computer world for quite a while now though so could you all take a look at what I am planning and let me know what you think, if I am missing anything, and if you would reccomend something different. Keep in mind that I am looking to do this as cheap as possible, but still have something decent.

I already have a case, psu, and hdd so this is what I am planning on getting now.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138311
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116406
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231425
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106289

Thanks.

JesseRC · 02-02-2012, 04:20 PM

I've had my NAS (5 Terabyte server) running for over 6 years. Here's some issues I see since I started with a biostar board. Their caps pop. I'd go with Asus board. AMD CPU . Make sure the onboard video of the Board has the requirements to meet Windows 7. I know your running headless.. but still.

I've ran it on linux in the past. Some issues. I've also ran it for 3 years on NASLITE, was great but again not as versatile. Then I ran it with Windows homes server for 6 months. What a POS that was. Now it has been running Windows 7 for 2 years , not even a reboot, only on updates. I run FTP, airvideo server , subsonic server, calibre server, itunes server, 24x7 no problems.

Oh, and get a ups

Misplaced_Canuck · 02-02-2012, 04:23 PM

Why not run a Iomega NAS with all the services...?

http://iomega.com/about/prreleases/2011/20110104-iomega-personal-cloud.html

MC

lustreking · 02-02-2012, 04:25 PM

Just one hdd, no RAID?

**dataz722** · 02-02-2012, 04:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JesseRC

I've had my NAS (5 Terabyte server) running for over 6 years. Here's some issues I see since I started with a biostar board. Their caps pop. I'd go with Asus board. AMD CPU . Make sure the onboard video of the Board has the requirements to meet Windows 7. I know your running headless.. but still.

I wanted to go with a better board but like I said I am trying to keep it as cheap as I can right now. I didn't find any other boards that I would have gotten over that one for less than $100 more. Even if that board only lasts a year, at this point it would be worth it for $60.

I will keep looking for something else in my price range though before I order.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JesseRC

I've ran it on linux in the past. Some issues. I've also ran it for 3 years on NASLITE, was great but again not as versatile. Then I ran it with Windows homes server for 6 months. What a POS that was. Now it has been running Windows 7 for 2 years , not even a reboot, only on updates. I run FTP, airvideo server , subsonic server, calibre server, itunes server, 24x7 no problems.

I am still trying to decide on what OS to run. I would like to do some sort of linux but I have never used linux before and don't know if I want to learn it. Other than that it would be either Windows home server or W7. I still have time to decide that though.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JesseRC

Oh, and get a ups

Yeah, that is on the list for the future.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Misplaced_Canuck

Why not run a Iomega NAS with all the services...?

http://iomega.com/about/prreleases/2011/20110104-iomega-personal-cloud.html

MC

Thought about it and about a year ago I was leaning towards that, but the decent ones are considerably more expensive and much less versatile.

Quote:

Originally Posted by lustreking

Just one hdd, no RAID?

For now. I will get more drives and set it up as a RAID5 once the price of drives drops back down in a few months hopefully.

novafire · 02-02-2012, 04:38 PM

Check out FreeNAS

You can install it on a USB thumb drive and boot off of that, which will save on power and will be more reliable than a HD. Sure, you'll still want a HD for data, but it's easier to swap out data drives in the furutre when you don't have an OS on them.

JesseRC · 02-02-2012, 04:40 PM

I think your fine growing a NAS/Server. I did that. As for the off the shelf solutions , there are so many and some are really great. I use my NAS as mainly a media server to feed movies to my media center. With that said sometimes I want the horsepower of a desktop CPU for re encoding or re encoding on the fly. Some off the shelf products might not do that.

Please let me reiterate, stay away from Windows Home Server. I lost many files using it. Windows 7 can do everything and runs so smoothly . Never have I love a OS as much as I do with 7.

**Homercidal** · 02-02-2012, 04:42 PM

Many brands of boards used poor caps over the years. I'd hope that by now they would have all switched to a different style, or at least a better supplier. But I don't know that I'd choose Biostar retail. ASUS, Gigabyte, etc. all make good boards and they all make suspect boards. In general ASUS does a good job, but if you think you want to run Linux, you better check support and drivers on all of the chipset functions.

As far as Linux goes, if you aren't familiar with it, there is a fairly steep learning curve to get all of what you need configured and running properly. But I can guarantee you it will run with less hardware than windows.

It's free, and I encourage you to download any flavor and try it out. The Ubuntu has a server version and it pretty easy to get started in comparably speaking. I have been using Slackware and still learning. Slack is much more hands on and nitty gritty, which you don' really need just to do the job.

There are many different disk options, just choose what fits your budget and at least make sure you have a backup drive. For a home server I would be happy with mirrored drives and a backup easily.

**dataz722** · 02-02-2012, 05:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by novafire

Check out FreeNAS

I looked into it extensively a few months ago but decided that I wanted a true OS instead. If I wanted to hook up a keyboard, mouse, and monitor and use the computer I would wouldn't be able to with freenas.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JesseRC

Please let me reiterate, stay away from Windows Home Server. I lost many files using it. Windows 7 can do everything and runs so smoothly . Never have I love a OS as much as I do with 7.

I hadn't read much at all about home server but was already leaning towards 7 anyway.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Homercidal

As far as Linux goes, if you aren't familiar with it, there is a fairly steep learning curve to get all of what you need configured and running properly. But I can guarantee you it will run with less hardware than windows.

It's free, and I encourage you to download any flavor and try it out. The Ubuntu has a server version and it pretty easy to get started in comparably speaking. I have been using Slackware and still learning. Slack is much more hands on and nitty gritty, which you don' really need just to do the job.

That is the problem. I don't have time right now to deal with learning it, adjusting to it, and just getting used to it in general. I may dual boot it and screw around with it for a little while here and there and then later down the line switch over completely once I have it figured out.

**dataz722** · 02-02-2012, 05:20 PM

I am open to suggestions on another mobo though as long as it is in the same ballpark price wise.