Setting up WSE2016 to replace WHS2011

[flowrider99]

I am in the early stages of evaluating Windows Server Essentials 2016. My existing Windows Home Sever 2011 is no longer supported or getting Microsoft updates so a change is required. So far I have installed the OS, setup an admin user, setup a couple of standard users, setup disk pooling, setup some shared folders and eventually got remote desktop working. I've done everything within the dashboard and only used Server Manager to fix RDP issue.

During installation I setup a domain in name only and have had no further contact with domains or active directory setup and im hoping this continues but I haven't connected any devices yet so this will be interesting. I have found a registry change from Microsoft that you run on the client PC before installing the connector that tells the PC not to join the domain or use the server for DNS, apparantly this doesn't stop the PC from being automatically backed up and doesn't stop the PC from using the shares on the server. Seems very WHS2011 like! Has anyone any experience with using WSE2016 as a home server without getting involved with domain etc? Any tips would be welcome before I do any damage!

Thanks

 

[Quartz]

I am in the early stages of evaluating Windows Server Essentials 2016.

You won't regret it. Don't forget to check out the Bootp restore functions. No need for a restore USB stick. And you can set it so you can install Windows too.

Has anyone any experience with using WSE2016 as a home server without getting involved with domain etc?

Ah, I have mine as a domain. I'm comfortable with domains; what is your issue with domains?

 

[flowrider99]

My issue with domains might just be my lack of understanding how they work and what effects they have on my PC's. Same with active directory.

I found some info by Microsoft about setting up the server to operate in a workgroup rather than a domain but I needed to make the changes during setup and can now only make the change by doing a clean reinstall. I might still do that as part of my testing.

 

[Quartz]

It's not really a problem. Just some extra effort. When you create the server, create two users, (e.g.) flowrider99 as a normal user (Domain User) and flowrider99-admin as a Domain Admin user. On your PC run the connection wizard and if it asks you for admin credentials you put in DOMAINNAME\flowrider99-admin and that account's password. When specifying the normal user, plug in flowrider99. This will be a separate account from any local account so you may want to copy over files, icons, favourites, and whatnot. Something else to do is go into Computer Management, User Accounts and add the DOMAINNAME\Domain Users group to the Power Users group or Administrators group (you're more secure if you don't but you may get prompted for admin credentials now and then, especially when installing software). After rebooting, make sure you sign in to your new account by specifying DOMAINNAME\flowrider99 in the login box; if you need to go back to your old local account specify PCNAME\ACCOUNTNAME in the login box.

It sounds complex but isn't.

Beyond that you really don't have to bother with Active Directory but it's good if you do. If you have a second PC on the domain you'll be able to use the same credentials. Take a look at setting up your WSE box as a WSUS server, for instance.

 

[flowrider99]

Thanks for your reply but I don't want anything to interfere with local accounts. We have 4 PC's on the network all with local accounts. I also don't want the WSE server to deal with DNS as my router does that already and I am happy with that arrangement, it just works and if the router goes down then Internet access is down anyway.

Do you know what configuring the server as a "member server" actually means. Microsoft documents appear to indicate that a "member server" is not part of a domain.

 

[Quartz]

We have 4 PC's on the network all with local accounts.

Having a domain would mean you could use the flowrider99 account on any of the PCs that are members of the domain. It also means that if you put your data on the server then no one else can see it and you can access it from any other PC.

I also don't want the WSE server to deal with DNS as my router does that already and I am happy with that arrangement,

Your router may not support DNS sufficiently. What I did was set up DNS on my server to point to the router (and then Google when I switched to a non-DNS router) as the upstream link (called a Forwarder). It's very simple. You could, for instance, later change it to point to a Pihole box. Or you could log DNS requests to make sure your children aren't visiting inappropriate sites.

Microsoft documents appear to indicate that a "member server" is not part of a domain.

I must confess that I forget the minutiae, but IIRC a Member Server can be part of a domain - it's just not a domain controller. As I said, I'm comfortable with domains. Domains are good; they simplify management. I do suggesrt that you try it: you may find you like it.

 

[flowrider99]

Thanks again. I think I will setup a temporary account on a spare PC and see what happens but I don't want all my files moved to the server as the server will be setup to go to sleep (like my existing server) when I don't want to use it also being the DNS will cause issues for our smartphones and tablets accessing the internet when the server is sleeping. I think I need to play a bit more with it.

A way around the DNS issue is to use the Microsoft provided regedit option........ "SkipAutoDNSServerDetection" (client-side), or "SkipAutoDnsConfig" (server-side), registry setting to turn off its "DNS auto-detect and configure"

 

[Quartz]

server will be setup to go to sleep (

This is not a good idea. Leave it on permanently so it can wake your PCs in the middle of the night to back them up (check for Wake On Lan in the BIOS). An idle server does not use much electricity.

And you don't have to move your files to the server - I don't. It's just for convenience, so you can access them from any PC.

 

[flowrider99]

Today I installed the WSE connector on the test PC. The install process basically looks like a new Windows10 install process asking lots of very similar questions but when the install completed my test documents in the "documents" folder were gone! Not what I was expecting as they were gone for good!

Next step is to do the following registry change and then install the WSE connector again.

Reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Server\ClientDeployment" /v SkipDomainJoin /t REG_DWORD /d 1

My reason for the server sleeping is because most of the time its not being used.

Update.... I can now sign in either with a local account or a domain account so my files are preserved, I wonder if I could have done that before?

 

[Quartz]

but when the install completed my test documents in the "documents" folder were gone!

I think you will find that you created a new user. Take a look in \users and you should see a folder called USERNAME.DOMAINNAME.

 

[flowrider99]

I think you will find that you created a new user. Take a look in \users and you should see a folder called USERNAME.DOMAINNAME.

Yes, I see both the user i setup plus the new user that WSE automatically setup. I would have thought that if I logged in with an existing user name that WSE wouldn't create another user with the same name other than the domain name on the end.

 

[flowrider99]

Thanks again. I think I will setup a temporary account on a spare PC and see what happens but I don't want all my files moved to the server as the server will be setup to go to sleep (like my existing server) when I don't want to use it also being the DNS will cause issues for our smartphones and tablets accessing the internet when the server is sleeping. I think I need to play a bit more with it.

A way around the DNS issue is to use the Microsoft provided regedit option........ "SkipAutoDNSServerDetection" (client-side), or "SkipAutoDnsConfig" (server-side), registry setting to turn off its "DNS auto-detect and configure"

Its occurred to me that even with the server managing DNS my other devices won't be affected as they won't have the client connector installed. I can also add an alternative DNS on the client PC, in this case my router provides the alternative DNS

 

[Ron-ski]

I recently retired my WHS2011 server, I went with Windows 10 Pro on the new build. Over the years I found quite a few programs I wanted to use didn't work, or didn't play nice with server OSes, and as it's main use is for Mediaportal, and home file sharing, oh, and now Chia plot storage its been working perfectly.

 

[flowrider99]

My test client PC seems to be working with WSE2016 without being a member of the domain. To get this working I did the regedit "SkipDomainJoin" (only required for W10 Pro clients, W10 Home does not support domains by default), installed the WSE client connector, deleted the domain user account that the connector setup and changed the primary DNS on the client PC from the server back to my router.

I still have all my files and folders on the client PC intact but I now also have a shared folder icon on the client PC desktop which gives me access to the WSE shares. I cant see the WSE server in File Explorer devices but that isn't a problem as the shares are accessible via the desktop icon. Client backup still works as well. A bonus that I wasn't expecting is that the client PC logs into the WSE client connector automatically.

I have done everything using the WSE dashboard, I have not done anything in Server Manager.

So initial impressions are that with a few small extra steps I can replace my WHS2011 with WSE2016 and it all works the same.

Now I must say that I am no expert in Windows server software so have I missed anything? Has anyone else had the same experience. I was expecting, based on internet articles, a much more difficult transition from WHS to WSE.

 

[Quartz]

As you're having fun, looking into setting up WSUS and over-the-network OS installs.

 

[flowrider99]

As you're having fun, looking into setting up WSUS and over-the-network OS installs.

Probably a bit far for me at the moment. I'm surprised there have not been more members posting on this thread, is upgrading from WHS to WSE not popular?

 

[Quartz]

WSE 2019 drops a lot of the features that makes WSE 2016 so useful for the likes of us.

 

[flowrider99]

WSE 2019 drops a lot of the features that makes WSE 2016 so useful for the likes of us.

Yes, I read that WSE2019 had dropped features that I use in WHS2011 and hence why I went with WSE2016.

 

[RobTi]

Stuck with whs2011 and as the kids have now left home all it’s used for is storing documents, photos and apps

 

[flowrider99]

Stuck with whs2011 and as the kids have now left home all it’s used for is storing documents, photos and apps

Same for me plus the server is configured to automatically backup our computers.