Spec for Home Server for File Storage

[prescott28]

There are three of us at home - each with a PC and we have quite a lot on the hard drives. However, quite a lot is shared whilst backup is harder to to across machines. So I thought we would consider a Home Server to contain most of the files and from which backup can be easily done. Over time we might get the server to do other things but this is the basics.

I am not keen to need a lottery win to pay for this so what would people suggest for processor and motherboard to do this sort of operation? Also, how much memory would one need to do it? I will obviously have to invest in some large hard drives but should I run RAID to save the possibility of file loss?

Thanks for any help.

 

[sypher365]

Have a look at a NAS system instead of a home server should do everything you require.

Something from the Synology range should do the trick:

Diskstation DS411j budget 4 bay for upto 8tb should be around the £245-265 range

quite a few different NAS reviews on kitguru

 

[booyaka]

otherwise consider a dual core E21** plus cheapo motherboard and 2gb ram.

Have a look in members market for 2nd hand stuff to set up a file server.

Mine was done as follows

E2160 - £25
P31 gigabyte board - £20
2gb PC5300 ram - £10
case -old coolermaster that was lying about from 5 years ago - £0
tagan psu from old build - £0
Stock intel cooler
XP Install - taken from previous old computer. - ~£0

2 x 1.5tb samsungs - £90

Job done. Works as file server, backup, media/pictures, torrents, i tunes server, squeezebox streamer etc etc etc