Hi all
I've been using a HP Proliant microserver for a long while, running WHS 2011 - this has never been the quickest (it's an old Turion-based box of about 2012 vintage) and although I've upgraded RAM to 6Gb it's still pretty ponderous. I use it as a document vault and simply to serve files, mainly photos for Lightroom which will be between 16Mb and 24Mb each, camera depending, and it's excruciating waiting for files to load. I'm also having all sorts of bother getting WHS accessible externally after latest move. In short, it needs sorting out. I don't really serve any media through it so have no need at moment for transcoding etc, but if any new approach works better I may start using it as media server.
The operating system is still on the original drive small HDD, with two WD Red 2TB in for files. I set these up as RAID, I embarrassingly can't recall how I did this - it was 8 years ago and I have trouble remembering what I did last week - but one mirrors the other to provide some protection against drive failure, and I use a separate portable USB drive for periodic (although very infrequent) backup. It's plugged via ethernet into home router and everything else connects via wifi.
Would I be best off keeping the server and ditching WHS for some other OS, looking again at how the server or other devices are connected, or taking the large drives out and placing in a NAS caddy?
The server is so dated I'm not sure it would be worth changing, and I of course worry about the life left in old kit. I would only want to access outside of home network infrequently, but it would definitely be useful to do so, but main aim is to get the photo files available on desktop and laptop on home network much more speedily. I would expect to connect via Ethernet to router, but I note some devices can connect via USB 3.0 - is it possible to connect a NAS to my desktop via USB to speed photo file loading, but use as a network NAS for other devices?
Any recommendations for approach and for suitable kit appreciated - it seems there's a few offerings aimed at home users and some at more small business, not sure where best to go. Happy to go a few hundred on this as a rough budget.
All advice greatly appreciated
I've been using a HP Proliant microserver for a long while, running WHS 2011 - this has never been the quickest (it's an old Turion-based box of about 2012 vintage) and although I've upgraded RAM to 6Gb it's still pretty ponderous. I use it as a document vault and simply to serve files, mainly photos for Lightroom which will be between 16Mb and 24Mb each, camera depending, and it's excruciating waiting for files to load. I'm also having all sorts of bother getting WHS accessible externally after latest move. In short, it needs sorting out. I don't really serve any media through it so have no need at moment for transcoding etc, but if any new approach works better I may start using it as media server.
The operating system is still on the original drive small HDD, with two WD Red 2TB in for files. I set these up as RAID, I embarrassingly can't recall how I did this - it was 8 years ago and I have trouble remembering what I did last week - but one mirrors the other to provide some protection against drive failure, and I use a separate portable USB drive for periodic (although very infrequent) backup. It's plugged via ethernet into home router and everything else connects via wifi.
Would I be best off keeping the server and ditching WHS for some other OS, looking again at how the server or other devices are connected, or taking the large drives out and placing in a NAS caddy?
The server is so dated I'm not sure it would be worth changing, and I of course worry about the life left in old kit. I would only want to access outside of home network infrequently, but it would definitely be useful to do so, but main aim is to get the photo files available on desktop and laptop on home network much more speedily. I would expect to connect via Ethernet to router, but I note some devices can connect via USB 3.0 - is it possible to connect a NAS to my desktop via USB to speed photo file loading, but use as a network NAS for other devices?
Any recommendations for approach and for suitable kit appreciated - it seems there's a few offerings aimed at home users and some at more small business, not sure where best to go. Happy to go a few hundred on this as a rough budget.
All advice greatly appreciated