Home Server/File Store?

[Skeeter]

Hi

Ive decided (with very little thought) that I need a home server. I now must decide what... and im after some advice.

Im currently at uni in my final year, so wont really need this setup untill June next year, but its always nice to have good ideas and get things rolling early.

Ok, here goes:

What I have

• My own personal PC used for everything, but the only machine for gaming
• My own laptop used currently for Uni work, and will be used for 'out of the house' computing after Uni
• A family PC. Bit of an old sluggish P4, but it fills the family needs for web browsing and documents. Everyone in the family has an account
• Both my sisters have there own laptops, each with there own stuff on only, and mainly used at home.
• My old unused PC (SFF iDEQ 200N)

What I Want

• Central 'My Documents' accessable by anyone from any machine. At present there are duplicates all over the place.
• Central Backup. I have my own internal backup drive in my PC, but I would like to backup everyone elses work too, as we had a HDD go last year, its a nightmare!
• Print Server for the single combo printer/scanner/photocopier at home that can be used by all.
• Public folders containing Music, Photos and Videos for the whole family (also removing duplicates)
• Syncronisation (such as offline files or the such) to allow me to take a copy of documents onto my laptop away from the house
• Remote access over the internet, with also possibly a VPN allowing remote printing and more advanced features
• A server for appliations such as Game servers, single machine for large file downloads, etc

The items in the What I Want list can be adjusted, changed, or ingnored as long as a solution meets most of the needs. Ive come up with a few possibilities, and would like opinions on wether they are a) any good, and b) worth the money.

Solutions

• Simple NAS, providing central folders either private or public, and backup.
• Advanced NAS with remote access, applications, etc
• WIndows Home Server System when they are released
• Use my iDEQ to make my own home server, WHS or Server 2003, or Linux, or whatever, needing just the OS and a couple of hefty HDDs
• Forget the idea, save the money and go to the pub!

All help is greatly appreciated.

Ad

 

[paradigm]

Grab a copy of Server 2003 SBS. Install on mediocre machine, get Active Directory up and running with roaming profiles set, add your printers to it, set up a few file shares, and set up Routing and Remote Access (VPN).

Job done.

I run pretty much the above (Except I'm using my MSDN copy of Server 2003 Advanced rather than Small Business Server), but I also run IIS and Exchange (and WSUS, RIS/WDS) to give me a complete package. Saying that it also contains what will become my Corporate network for when I set-up on my own (and buy my own license, as i'll lose my MSDN when I quit my current job).

 

[Skeeter]

Wonder if i can get Server 2003 from uni.... Ill have to check.

Only thing is, im planning on this being a VERY minimal maintenance setup, and also, my AD experience has been over the sholder of techies whilst on a years placement, so would be rather slim. I have had this solution suggested from somone on that placement who runs the same as you, with iis exchange ad and all the other Server 2003 goodness.