What OS for a server?

Turtles · 13 Jan 2009 at 07:52

This is a question from school but I'm a little stuck on it and thought you guys might be able to help out.

Name two suitable OS's to be on a server and to set up a home network.

Now would you be able to use XP in a situation like this or would you have to use Windows Server 2008 or similar?

Any help much appreciated

Neodite · 13 Jan 2009 at 07:56

Depends what you want the server for?

Using it as a home multi-media server to stream movies/music/tv etc. all round the house? Or as a web server?

SiHH · 13 Jan 2009 at 08:32

Very vague OP... need more info.

Burnsy2023 · 13 Jan 2009 at 11:14

The fact that it's going in a home environment, I would say either Windows Home Server or a Linux distro (probably SuSE or Ubuntu).

Server 2008 is prohibitively expensive unless you're a student.

SMN · 13 Jan 2009 at 11:22

CentOS, CentOS, and erm... CentOS.

Maybe Windows 2003 if you want to do Active Directory the MS way.

uv · 13 Jan 2009 at 12:35

ubuntu or WHS

Luke · 13 Jan 2009 at 12:37

What do you want to do with it? 'Server' is a bit vague.

bledd · 13 Jan 2009 at 12:42

windows 2000 / xp pro would be ample i'd imagine

chaosophy · 13 Jan 2009 at 13:29

Novell NetWare.

philjohn · 13 Jan 2009 at 13:39

If it's using server I'd assume (from the limited info) that it's talking about non-home based usage.

In that scenario, Windows Server 2003 or 2008 and RedHat Enterprise Linux.

eXor · 13 Jan 2009 at 13:45

For home --> Debian, FreeBSD

Very light on resources.

siclilmonkey · 13 Jan 2009 at 13:51

dosent XP Pro have a limit of 10 ish active connections to other pcs?

we did use XP Pro as a print server in work but could only ever get half of the PC's to work on it.

philjohn · 13 Jan 2009 at 14:10

siclilmonkey said:
dosent XP Pro have a limit of 10 ish active connections to other pcs?

we did use XP Pro as a print server in work but could only ever get half of the PC's to work on it.

It certainly has limits, but I'm not sure what they are...for file sharing it may even be as little as 2 active connections.

The reason for this is becasue it's not a server operating system but a workstation one (I know that it's all essentially the same codebase, but it's marketed and priced differently).

Server 2K3 also limits you (depending on version) by the use of CAL's (Client Access Licenses).

bledd · 13 Jan 2009 at 14:18

it has a 10 pc limit to how many can fileshare/print share from it..

but not many people have 10 pc's at home

Bry · 13 Jan 2009 at 14:24

Is that the 10 TCP/IP connections that was also in windows xp which can simply be patched?

bledd · 13 Jan 2009 at 14:39

no, it's different (i'm 90% sure it's different)

Windows 2000 has it too

it's either a 10/12 machine limit when sharing local resources

Burnsy2023 · 13 Jan 2009 at 14:46

philjohn said:
If it's using server I'd assume (from the limited info) that it's talking about non-home based usage.

How did you get to that conclusion?

Turtles said:
Name two suitable OS's to be on a server and to set up a home network.

The main thing we need to know is what services is the server going to run? Simple file and web serving? Or something like DNS, DHCP and maybe ISA/RADIUS or something?

siclilmonkey · 13 Jan 2009 at 14:46

we had a IT room With 20 PC's and a XP Pro print Server and only 10 PCs could print at one time (first ten PCs to find the printer) we then switched to a Linux Distro as it was free

So if you have more than 10 PC's XP is a no no

chriscpritchard · 13 Jan 2009 at 15:22

I find debian works as a good file/web/DNS/DHCP/RADIUS/IPv6 router (has a tunnel set up on it and sends out router avertisments)

bledd · 13 Jan 2009 at 15:48

siclilmonkey said:
we had a IT room With 20 PC's and a XP Pro print Server and only 10 PCs could print at one time (first ten PCs to find the printer) we then switched to a Linux Distro as it was free

So if you have more than 10 PC's XP is a no no

if i had more than 10 pc's in my house, i'd kill myself