Good Cheap Server - HP Proliant Microserver 4 BAY - OWNERS THREAD

[adamau5]

200mb = 200mbps = 25mb/s max.

max is never achieved, 10-12mb/s is more usual.

The homesever is more than capable of streaming the material, its whether the network can cope. I dont know to be honest, i only tend to play 720p mkvs ripped from my BR. Dont ask... my tv is rubbish!

 

[Zarf]

They are 200mb ones?

I have a wireless n card i can use also.
I just thought Poweline would be quicker?

Will the Microserver be ok for 1080p etc? If someone could spec me a good router also to use with it then that would be great

Thanks

Powerline is almost always better than real world throughput of Wireless N, Neither stands up to a proper 100Mb wired Ethernet, never mind gigabit.

However, 1080p streaming only needs around 40-50Mb/s, so Powerline at around 80Mb/s will be fine, It was for me before I finally got round to running a cable for Gigabit.

If you want to playback 1080p you'll want to get a video card that can handle offloading, like a 5450 or better. The Microserver CPU alone probably won't cut the mustard.

 

[Biz.Kid09]

Ok thanks guys.

What router would you guys recommend? as my router is not gigabit.
I currently have a D-Link 515 and a Virgin modem. Is there any good routers out there that will work with Virgin but will also be gigabit?

 

[JC]

Can you not just get a gigabit switch for ~£15 and retain your existing router?

 

[Biz.Kid09]

Can you not just get a gigabit switch for ~£15 and retain your existing router?

Well my router only has 10/100 ports?

So i think i need a new router?

 

[Freakbro]

Well my router only has 10/100 ports?

So i think i need a new router?

Not really as your Internet won't be over 100Mbit anyway, so connect your router to the gigabit switch, then all other wired devices (the desktop, Server, PS3) into the switch and they will all talk to each other over the gigabit network and still access the Internet at full speed.

 

[Magic_x_uk]

anyone give me some idea where to buy this from as tempted to order one tomorrow. Is there just ONE version of this and also anything else I need to buy for it?, more ram etc?

I have a few graphics cards so that should be fine. I also have a unused copy of win7. Or shall I get WHS.


want to put it in my lounge and use it to store my media on and use XBMC with a IR remote and receiver.


Thanks

 

[spuddler]

Hi, regards GFX cards, as read (& seen on pic) from somewhere else, max PCI-e x16 slot can supply is 25watt. Its also written on Mobo next to slot, at least on pic i saw & on my 200watt PSU/ 160GIG HDD version's mobo.
Think thats why a lot recommend ATI 5450 ie 19watt max, from what i have seen. Yet again max power usage normally quoted for Gaming/ 3D, so 2D for most cards lot less than max.

Got WHS2011, but even in WHS forums, seems some debate security wise ie AV thats compatible or at least cheapish ?


Cheers BOB

ps can be baffling this server game, when you don't know much about it
Even more so when you want it, as a server, Squeezebox Server & maybe a bit of a HTPC.

 

[Magic_x_uk]

ps can be baffling this server game, when you don't know much about it
Even more so when you want it, as a server, Squeezebox Server & maybe a bit of a HTPC.

That is 100% exactly what I want it for.

Just waiting for some replies before I order it.

 

[adamau5]

Hi, regards GFX cards, as read (& seen on pic) from somewhere else, max PCI-e x16 slot can supply is 25watt. Its also written on Mobo next to slot, at least on pic i saw & on my 200watt PSU/ 160GIG HDD version's mobo.
Think thats why a lot recommend ATI 5450 ie 19watt max, from what i have seen. Yet again max power usage normally quoted for Gaming/ 3D, so 2D for most cards lot less than max.

Got WHS2011, but even in WHS forums, seems some debate security wise ie AV thats compatible or at least cheapish ?


Cheers BOB

ps can be baffling this server game, when you don't know much about it
Even more so when you want it, as a server, Squeezebox Server & maybe a bit of a HTPC.

nod 32 antivirus 4. can be had for about £15 if you look around. works perfectly, no issues so far, emails you when it finds a problem...

 

[Freakbro]

The main thing I would use this for is streaming media to the TV.

Currently I use a PC with PS3 media server -> PS3. I guess this would still be powerful enough to do that, will it cope with streaming 1080p to the PS3? But I guess not if it has to transcode it first?

 

[tbz_ck]

The main thing I would use this for is streaming media to the TV.

Currently I use a PC with PS3 media server -> PS3. I guess this would still be powerful enough to do that, will it cope with streaming 1080p to the PS3? But I guess not if it has to transcode it first?

I don't think it's powerful enough for HD transcoding. That said it can do HD streaming just fine (I'm using WHS v1 on ESXi on the Microserver for this and other stuff)

 

[Magic_x_uk]

can some one look at my x2 posts above ^^ and give a little bit of guidance please. As I am not sure what I need etc.

Thanks. Would appreciate it

 

[MasterPlan1]

It will be fine for what you need, just make sure you're using a HH graphics. But I'd personally use it as a backend, serving media, rather than playing it, but that's just me. I use VortexBox on mine, which is heavily customized to do a lot more than VB does out of the tin.

 

[audric]

Got mine - now for the grand plan...!

Hi guys,

Got my microserver last week and just putting together some ideas for when I can afford the extra HDDs, ODD, RAM and USB Stick.

Thinking of running esxi on the USB and having 4 x 2TB Raided HDDs with and extra ODD just in case.

Gonna run the following VMs: windows webserver, sql server, red hat webserver and a datastore on another.

Thinking of buying:
2xKingston PC10600 1333Mhz 4GB RAM Sticks
4xSamsung F4 2TB HDDS

Got the following questions:

1. Do I need to run a domain controller?
2. Is a windows datastore for everything the best bet? Or is freeNAS better?

I'm fairly new to domain networking so bear with me...!

My end goal is to be able to do my web development on both apache and IIS while being able to access all my files on the server from any machine, including media streaming onto TV for which I guess I'll need an HD Media Streaming client box. (More money sigh)

Any thoughts?

Cheers

 

[Trox]

@audric

I have mine setup with Ubuntu server, installed i have...

Twonky Media - Streams HD content, Youtube, music etc to the living room
Samba shares set up with auto syncing done on windows machines to the server
Apache/PHP5 and Mysql for a little web stuff
Webmin - For when i want to be lazy
F@H

I didnt bother with Freenas, Ubuntu server offered me everything i needed and more.

Oh and if thats the CL 7 kingston ram, its probably the same as what i bought along with the F4s (raid1).

 

[akashi]

Ok thanks guys.

What router would you guys recommend? as my router is not gigabit.
I currently have a D-Link 515 and a Virgin modem. Is there any good routers out there that will work with Virgin but will also be gigabit?

I was also looking for a Gigabit router but ended up buying a TP-Link 5 port switch (TL-SG1005D) It is cheap at £13.89 inc delivery.

Since I have a ADSL Modem Router this was a second device being added. In your case you will have Modem, Router and Switch.

Cheapest option is to add a switch.

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=NW-011-TP

 

[audric]

@audric

I have mine setup with Ubuntu server, installed i have...

Twonky Media - Streams HD content, Youtube, music etc to the living room
Samba shares set up with auto syncing done on windows machines to the server
Apache/PHP5 and Mysql for a little web stuff
Webmin - For when i want to be lazy
F@H

I didnt bother with Freenas, Ubuntu server offered me everything i needed and more.

Oh and if thats the CL 7 kingston ram, its probably the same as what i bought along with the F4s (raid1).

Thanks Trox, although having read through the earlier posts in here, it seems there were some issues with Ubuntu or is that just when it's not a VM? If not, I might give that a go, although, am totally new to Ubuntu, so should be interesting (then again, am totally new to FreeNAS aswell, so might aswell learn something that will do more...). Will def being doing samba aswell. Better read some guides on it...

Never heard of Twonky Media or Webmin and is F@H the distributed protein folding thingy? I've not really done much with linux based OS' tbh, only ever worked with an apache webserver through a control panel.

Yer, will prob be getting the CL7s and the F4s seem a sensible choice for power consumption

 

[Biz.Kid09]

Not really as your Internet won't be over 100Mbit anyway, so connect your router to the gigabit switch, then all other wired devices (the desktop, Server, PS3) into the switch and they will all talk to each other over the gigabit network and still access the Internet at full speed.

Ah ok. I assumed you needed 1000 ports on the router for it to be gigabit.
Thanks for that

I was also looking for a Gigabit router but ended up buying a TP-Link 5 port switch (TL-SG1005D) It is cheap at £13.89 inc delivery.

Since I have a ADSL Modem Router this was a second device being added. In your case you will have Modem, Router and Switch.

Cheapest option is to add a switch.

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=NW-011-TP

Well tbh my router is pretty rubbish anyway, but i guess i could get a switch at least until i can get enough for a proper router.

Yeh i know, stupid Virgin. I would really like a modem/router combo as that would be better all round.

So can anyone suggest a good router/modem combo i can use with Virgin 20mb? If it has gigabit ports then that would be great as it would save the use of another plug for a switch.

How easy is the HP to setup? with it being a 'business' grade product i assume it is a little more difficult than plug and play?

Thanks guys.

 

[MasterPlan1]

Ah ok. I assumed you needed 1000 ports on the router for it to be gigabit.
Thanks for that

Well tbh my router is pretty rubbish anyway, but i guess i could get a switch at least until i can get enough for a proper router.

Yeh i know, stupid Virgin. I would really like a modem/router combo as that would be better all round.

So can anyone suggest a good router/modem combo i can use with Virgin 20mb? If it has gigabit ports then that would be great as it would save the use of another plug for a switch.

How easy is the HP to setup? with it being a 'business' grade product i assume it is a little more difficult than plug and play?

Thanks guys.

As I said a few posts up, don't think of a server as a server, they're just trumped up PCs, that in majority of cases (not this one) has got expensive powerful hardware in it. They're not beasts from the black lagoon.

And if you want just a PnP router with gig ports and don't need to do anything super fantastical, give VM a call and for £30 they will come and install a SuperHub which has GbE ports, and also they'll give you a upgrade to 30Mb in the process for no extra monthly cost.