Why have a MicroServer instead of pc or or network hdd ?

Hmm, I can get VAT off for one of these now as well.

Very tempted indeed. Is all I need to do is add in a HDD and install an OS via USB correct? Also what do I need to connect it up to my TV? I take it that it doesnt have HDMI out and that'd I'd need to install a GPU?
 
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The fans are a bit noisy for using it as an HTPC... I wouldn't like it, but it might not bother you... some people seem to get on OK with it. I just don't like having that drone in the background.
 
crinkleshoes said:
The fans are a bit noisy for using it as an HTPC... I wouldn't like it, but it might not bother you... some people seem to get on OK with it. I just don't like having that drone in the background.
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i silenced mine, put in apache fans instead of the stock fan (make sure to change the wiring as the wiring for this is different from standard pc fans).

I also got a 80W passive cooled laptop srtyle power brick. The stock PSU was a little bit too noisy for me and the passively cooled external power brick silenced the device.

Glad I'm not the only one who has issues with the noise. When I got it - my computer room was my bedroom and really needed it to be silent.

I also changed the stock HDD as well as it has a high pitch noise on it which I didn';t like. WD greens are very quiet because they're only 5200rpm.
 
2013 said:
What the difference is between windows 8.1 and Windows Home Server ?
Can I not do everything with windows 8 ?

will there be any benefit of getting Windows Home Server 2011 the downside from the look of things is WHS 2011 will not be supported for long.
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle?p1=15820
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Once again all the questions you ask have already been asked a thousand times, Google is your friend!

Windows 8 will do everything you have asked however if in the future you wish to do X, Y or Z you may have wished you got Server for its extra functionality.

How can their be any benefit of getting an old version of WHS that will be shortly unsupported?
 
2013 said:
I will be doing the same using 2.5 hdd for the OS I am thinking of using ssd but im not sure if i will see any benefits
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Well with Xpenology, it installs around 300mb to all hard drives, though you can designate a hard drive for program installs, it also boots from a usb stick or micro sd card.

I originally tried OMV (Openmediavault) but with not being particularly Linux'd up so to speak I struggled with user permissions amongst other things, I will revisit it at some stage though as it appears to be far more powerful than Xpenology.

perhaps running Exsi is the best idea, run a few VM's to see what you like best, but again I didn't find that particularly easy to setup!
 
Golf1.6 said:
i silenced mine, put in apache fans instead of the stock fan (make sure to change the wiring as the wiring for this is different from standard pc fans).

I also got a 80W passive cooled laptop srtyle power brick. The stock PSU was a little bit too noisy for me and the passively cooled external power brick silenced the device.

Glad I'm not the only one who has issues with the noise. When I got it - my computer room was my bedroom and really needed it to be silent.

I also changed the stock HDD as well as it has a high pitch noise on it which I didn';t like. WD greens are very quiet because they're only 5200rpm.
Click to expand...

The stock noise on these doesn't bother me too much... but that's because they're in the basement, so I don't hear them or feel them :)

I only noticed it when I was first setting them up as I had them sitting on my desk.

For servers, the idle noise is exceptionally quiet... almost as quiet as my main gaming PC... which is good... just not something I want in the living room for watching movies or listening to films.

I had been running a 4570k based system with a noctua cooler and 2x noctua fans... one even on a resitor... even that noise was annoying me.

I moved to a spacious house on the outskirts of a very quiet village and it gets QUIET hear... a quiet I haven't found anywhere else... even living in a smallish village in the UK.

So I built a totally fanless system to replace it... didn't really cost that much... built a whole truly fanless i3 system using iGPU (which is more than good enough for 4k video without any trouble) for under #500... you can't even tell it's on until the display out comes on... hehe
 
Just stick a cheapo GPU in the microserver (HP N54L user here) and you'll be grand if you want to use it as HTPC. I put an AMD 5450 for like £25. Also changed the main OS HDD to an SSD as it made some annoying noise when grinding away. The fan noise doesn't bother me as it's fairly quiet.

Install plex server for managing media and you are flying. It's very simple to setup.
 
I couldn't power the hdd in the odd without buying a converter cable, so I made one that will work for me.

using a old molex fan cable and molex to sata, cut soldiered it together, used tape so it does not short out, tested in a pc to see if it works.
Works, hopfuly ive done a good job.

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So far only windows 8.1 and antivirus not had much time lately.
I was having some issues booting from b120i after installing windoss, so i need to adjust that first, I'm assuming i can do this in bios ?

next ill be trying to reduce the noise on the fan, it make a lot of noise and I can't replace it standard fan,

any ideas what i could do ?

Then im hoping to add plex and opencloud and then see what else i need to do.
 
The fan shouldn't be particularly noisy, after the initial POST, if you have it set to Optimal in the BIOS (this is the default). What speed is it running at? Easiest way to check is the the iLO web interface if you have connected this.
 
Also check you have the latest firmwares etc... use the built in utility - I think you press F10 during boot to access... can't quite remember what its called
 
IT Troll said:
The fan shouldn't be particularly noisy, after the initial POST, if you have it set to Optimal in the BIOS (this is the default). What speed is it running at? Easiest way to check is the the iLO web interface if you have connected this.
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I don't know how to use iLO, I assume i need to set it up.

Ill need to check it once i get home and adjust it if needed.

it was only noisy at start and then calmed down, but last night once I got it to boot from the hdd again, it stayed noisy so i had to shut it down.


Ill give you a update once i get home.
 
crinkleshoes said:
Also check you have the latest firmwares etc... use the built in utility - I think you press F10 during boot to access... can't quite remember what its called
Click to expand...

Yes I should have the latest firmware I did update it once i booted for the first time.

what is the latest so I can compare ?
 
2013 said:
So far only windows 8.1 and antivirus not had much time lately.
I was having some issues booting from b120i after installing windoss, so i need to adjust that first, I'm assuming i can do this in bios ?

next ill be trying to reduce the noise on the fan, it make a lot of noise and I can't replace it standard fan,

any ideas what i could do ?

Then im hoping to add plex and opencloud and then see what else i need to do.
Click to expand...

I find the fan in mine is quiet but causes the case to rattle which isn't. Didn't do anything about it though as its not where I sleep and I just use it as a foot rest which solves the problem.
 
2013 said:
I don't know how to use iLO, I assume i need to set it up.

Ill need to check it once i get home and adjust it if needed.

it was only noisy at start and then calmed down, but last night once I got it to boot from the hdd again, it stayed noisy so i had to shut it down.


Ill give you a update once i get home.
Click to expand...

It's very easy... You just need to plug in a second Ethernet cable to the ILO port.

It will pick up an ip and you need to browse to it.

You can find the ip from your router as it should list what it has dished out.

Otherwise... There is a cardboard slip attached to the back of the server. This gives the host name, along with the default username and password.

Simply type the hostname into a web browser and it should find it.

It is an https connection, so your browser will warn you about an insecure connection when you try to connect.

Then just browse the website, very easy to find your way around.
 
crinkleshoes said:
It's very easy... You just need to plug in a second Ethernet cable to the ILO port.

It will pick up an ip and you need to browse to it.

You can find the ip from your router as it should list what it has dished out.

Otherwise... There is a cardboard slip attached to the back of the server. This gives the host name, along with the default username and password.

Simply type the hostname into a web browser and it should find it.

It is an https connection, so your browser will warn you about an insecure connection when you try to connect.

Then just browse the website, very easy to find your way around.
Click to expand...

Thanks will give that a go.

The issue with the fan is down to windows 8.1, I turn on the server the fan is load then it calms down then windows load the because really load and does not get any better, I've checked bios and its set as Optimal.

I've also installed plex media server, but shut down the server because the fan noise was getting to me.
 
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