Good Cheap Server - HP Proliant Microserver 4 BAY - OWNERS THREAD
- Thread starter dragonuk
- Start date
will finally set up mine over Christmas.
I have 2x4GB 1600MHz, 128GB Samsung 830 for OS and stuff and 2x2TB Seagate Barracudas. I want to RAID1 those and add more drives and possibly GPU with HDMI later on.
my questions:
1, should I use W7 Pro or W8(.1) Pro as OS? all the PCs and laptops connecting are W7. or in other words, would there be any significant benefits of using W8 over W7?
2, if I add more HDDs, can I run the first 2 in RAID1 and the remaining as just regular drives? Can you only RAID1 2 physical drives?
I have 2x4GB 1600MHz, 128GB Samsung 830 for OS and stuff and 2x2TB Seagate Barracudas. I want to RAID1 those and add more drives and possibly GPU with HDMI later on.
my questions:
1, should I use W7 Pro or W8(.1) Pro as OS? all the PCs and laptops connecting are W7. or in other words, would there be any significant benefits of using W8 over W7?
2, if I add more HDDs, can I run the first 2 in RAID1 and the remaining as just regular drives? Can you only RAID1 2 physical drives?
Damn that e place
Will give it a day or two to see if anywhere else offers them with the cashback.
My current self build server is having abit of a nightmare with plex timing out, done everything I can think of doing but I think its time for an upgrade
Noticed another selling it about a fiver cheaper.
I've got a 3TB WD Green drive in mine along with a couple of older drives. Not really much I can say about it though, it's worked fine so far without any issues.
Would WD greens be better in this rather than reds, I'm just wondering as I want to run it as a NAS but wasn't sure which drives to buy?
Also I have 4Gb of 1600mhz ram spare from my desktop upgrade, would this work or would I be better just buying 8Gb of the 1333mhz stuff?
Also I have 4Gb of 1600mhz ram spare from my desktop upgrade, would this work or would I be better just buying 8Gb of the 1333mhz stuff?
Soldato
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I think the drives are pretty similar but of course WD suggest that the Reds are designed to be run in a server environment 24/7... Neither Greens nor Reds would be completely unsuitable for use in a NAS it's just up to you if you think the extra cash is worth it for what WD say is a better performing drive if it'll be on for extended periods. (This can also depend on what OS you plan to use I guess, as depending on how the data is stored on your array of disks they may be spun-up more or less frequently)
As long as it's 4Gb of DDR3 it won't matter that the speed is above the rated speed... In fact as far as I know the Microserver actually runs whatever RAM you give it at quite a slow speed (can't remember exactly what speed off the top of my head but I think it's something below 1000mhz).
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£50 cashback on the 704941-421 N54L is tempting me back to one of these again.... HP rep said they're trying to clear the decks of these things, so it's possible this is the last hurrah on cheap G7 boxes!
However the same rep was taking my eyes out on prices for the G8 Microservers.... quoted me nearly £143k for a few loaded G8s, whereas another supplier using the same HP smartquote system came in at £110k.... I wonder which one will get the business?!
However the same rep was taking my eyes out on prices for the G8 Microservers.... quoted me nearly £143k for a few loaded G8s, whereas another supplier using the same HP smartquote system came in at £110k.... I wonder which one will get the business?!
Deleted member 138126
Deleted member 138126
"A few"? =) That's quite a few!!
Soldato
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"Hello"
"Hi there, I was wondering if you could help me - do you have any of the G7 microservers left?"
"Why yes we do, we won't be getting more in but we have around 100 left"
"I'll take 'em"
"You'll take one?"
"No
....."Deleted member 138126
Deleted member 138126
£110k is like 300 G8 Microservers, no? Now that would be an interesting little array to play with!
God i wish i'd read that the other day!
I spent about 3hrs on Tuesday night, and around 4hrs on Wednesday afternoon trying to get it to work.
It'll install with the NIC disabled, but you cant go through the 3rd phase of installation because it cant connect to a network.
It cant install with the NIC enabled, it just freezes at 76% in the 2nd phase of installation
It cant install with the NIC disabled and getting to the 3rd phase, rebooting and enabling the NIC, because it either doesnt load the OS or if it does, it locks up inside there.
The best i've managed so far is to get into the OS, into network devices and right click the NIC and no sooner had i started moving to 'enable' it and it locked up.
I've been contemplating getting either a new G7 (mine is N40 iirc, first batch anyway) or possibly G8 but i think instead i'll put my old Q6600 back in use, just buy a case and PSU and use that as my server, the old microserver as a media player and i've got additional HDD storage if needed.
If you are going to RAID them then get the Red, it's got optimised firmware for dealing with data errors.
Soldato
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An intel CT is a safe bet (but a bit pricy).
Soldato
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God i wish i'd read that the other day!
I spent about 3hrs on Tuesday night, and around 4hrs on Wednesday afternoon trying to get it to work.
It'll install with the NIC disabled, but you cant go through the 3rd phase of installation because it cant connect to a network.
It cant install with the NIC enabled, it just freezes at 76% in the 2nd phase of installation
It cant install with the NIC disabled and getting to the 3rd phase, rebooting and enabling the NIC, because it either doesnt load the OS or if it does, it locks up inside there.
The best i've managed so far is to get into the OS, into network devices and right click the NIC and no sooner had i started moving to 'enable' it and it locked up.
I've been contemplating getting either a new G7 (mine is N40 iirc, first batch anyway) or possibly G8 but i think instead i'll put my old Q6600 back in use, just buy a case and PSU and use that as my server, the old microserver as a media player and i've got additional HDD storage if needed.
Works fine with onboard disabled and a secondary NIC installed
God i wish i'd read that the other day!
I spent about 3hrs on Tuesday night, and around 4hrs on Wednesday afternoon trying to get it to work.
It'll install with the NIC disabled, but you cant go through the 3rd phase of installation because it cant connect to a network.
It cant install with the NIC enabled, it just freezes at 76% in the 2nd phase of installation
It cant install with the NIC disabled and getting to the 3rd phase, rebooting and enabling the NIC, because it either doesnt load the OS or if it does, it locks up inside there.
The best i've managed so far is to get into the OS, into network devices and right click the NIC and no sooner had i started moving to 'enable' it and it locked up.
I've been contemplating getting either a new G7 (mine is N40 iirc, first batch anyway) or possibly G8 but i think instead i'll put my old Q6600 back in use, just buy a case and PSU and use that as my server, the old microserver as a media player and i've got additional HDD storage if needed.
Guys, I had to wait for my registration to be validated, but good news for you.
HP released a new BIOS dated October 2013 that fixes the onboard NIC issue. I have been successfully running it in a N36L with Windows 8.1 Pro and a N40L with Windows Server 2012 R2 for nearly two weeks now.
This BIOS does not contain the hack to allow the ODD and eSata to run at full speed, but unless you really need them (eg SSD in ODD), then it works fine.
There is also one report on Homeservershow from Germany of a successful hack of this version, but if you go to the original German thread, you can see a few other users saying it is OK as well.
Its probably OK, but as I dont use a SSD in the ODD slot, I have decided to wait until a few more reports come in.
Have a look at Post #143 and later for details at the following Homeservershow link.
http://homeservershow.com/forums/in...sentials-on-a-microserver-n36ln40ln54l/page-8
Deleted member 138126
Deleted member 138126
That's great news! Now I need to find the "good" hacked version.