Windows version which will allow the following.

RimBlock

RimBlock

RimBlock

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Hi,

I am looking at putting a windows server which will be mainly used to share drives with media but it would also be good if it could do some / all of the following.... (all user machines at home are Win7).

Collect mail from pop3/hotmail/gmail/yahoo and make it available for outlook to collect on a client machine.
DNS server
DHCP server
Runs uTorrent
Runs NBzGet
hold and serve users home areas (ie. when a user logs in the pictures / docs etc are accessed on the server and not stored locally on the client machine).
Remote admin (rdp is fine).
Possible client machine backup.

What is the lowest level of Windows that will be able to do this or what addons are there which will do this for me.

Thanks
RB
 
Any of the SBS editions of Windows Server will do that.

So Windows Server 2003 SBS, Windows Server 2003 R2 SBS, Windows Server 2008 R2 SBS, Windows Server 2011 SBS.
 
Thanks,

They all seem to be US$300 and above unfortunately...

Any possibility with Win 7 (Ultimate) + add-ons as I already have that license ?

Thanks
RB
 
*in theory* you could manually redirect all users local folders to a share on that Windows 7 machine, and install hMail server to act as a smarthost/pop collector/smtp server which your client machines could connect to.

Bodging user folder redirection without a local directory to auth to (such as Active Directory, using Windows Server OS) is a nasty idea though, and without the pre-caching of the folders (which proper folder redirection through group policy would achieve), its possible that the user experience will be slow!

As for DNS and DHCP, you "could" download a DHCP and DNS server for windows, but it won't be dynamically updated, and you won't have an internal search domain, which makes internal DNS pretty pointless (netBIOS will resolve internal client names so long as you are on one subnet). Might as well just stick with whatever routing device you are using to act as DNS for external addressing, and probably for DHCP as well.

There is no real workable alternative to actually running an OS designed to be a server.

Might as well just go down the linux route, implement open directory, and configure DHCP, DNS, and mail serving.
 
Last edited:
paradigm said:
*in theory* you could manually redirect all users local folders to a share on that Windows 7 machine, and install hMail server to act as a smarthost/pop collector/smtp server which your client machines could connect to.

Bodging user folder redirection without a local directory to auth to (such as Active Directory, using Windows Server OS) is a nasty idea though, and without the pre-caching of the folders (which proper folder redirection through group policy would achieve), its possible that the user experience will be slow!

As for DNS and DHCP, you "could" download a DHCP and DNS server for windows, but it won't be dynamically updated, and you won't have an internal search domain, which makes internal DNS pretty pointless (netBIOS will resolve internal client names so long as you are on one subnet). Might as well just stick with whatever routing device you are using to act as DNS for external addressing, and probably for DHCP as well.

There is no real workable alternative to actually running an OS designed to be a server.

Might as well just go down the linux route, implement open directory, and configure DHCP, DNS, and mail serving.
Click to expand...

Thanks Paradigm.

The three machines are all within 3 feet of each other in a study room. It would have been nice to have a central default for 'My pictures' especially to save my wife downloading some from her phone on one machine then searching for them on the other machine a week later and getting frustrated when she cannot find them.

A main collector and distributer would be nice to consolidate all the mailboxes of multiple different providers and back it all up rather than having to configure on both the PCs and laptop. Will take a look at hMail.

DHCP is 'ok' with the router but the DNS is terrible with both the Win7 user machines timing out lookups on the first attempt. I can redirect to a different DNS service (ie. google DNS servers) but again would rather be able to point both machines to a single internal server which I can then manage myself if something happens.

Cant go down the Linux route as the current live kernels have issues with my H67 chipset and the Intel GT 1000/pro network card causing it to disable the IRQ it is using which also affects anything else that may be using it like one or both of the 8 channel sata cards. There is a thread in the Linux forum about it :).

Thanks
RB
 
Even if you configure a DNS server internally, it will still have to pass all external/WAN lookups either another DNS server (such as your ISP's or Google's), or the root servers. Other than providing internal DNS resolution, I doubt you'll see much benefit.

Perhaps look at using OpenDNS, as that way (if you create an account - even a free one), it gives you some control over the DNS, site blocking, parental controls, etc.
 
What about Windows Home Server? Think both v1 and 2011 retail for around £90.

Both are capable of running DNS/DHCP as they are just Windows server, everything else is either built in or available via WHS addins.
 
paradigm said:
Even if you configure a DNS server internally, it will still have to pass all external/WAN lookups either another DNS server (such as your ISP's or Google's), or the root servers. Other than providing internal DNS resolution, I doubt you'll see much benefit.

Perhaps look at using OpenDNS, as that way (if you create an account - even a free one), it gives you some control over the DNS, site blocking, parental controls, etc.
Click to expand...

Yes I would use the internal DNS to fetch from Google or the like bypassing my ISPs DNS. I still maintain that some sites are blocked here by the ISPs removing their local DNS entries.

I did play with open DNS but just as a way to bypass the local DNS servers and get to blocked, but not hard blocked via the the forced government proxy server. Having my own DNS is just for ease of admin with all user machines pointing to a local server and if the external DNS it points to goes down then I can change to another provider in one place rather than on all machines.

RB
 
PR. said:
What about Windows Home Server? Think both v1 and 2011 retail for around £90.

Both are capable of running DNS/DHCP as they are just Windows server, everything else is either built in or available via WHS addins.
Click to expand...

Can they run NBZget and uTorrent or the like ?

I did have a look but noted the 200GB min install disk. I am looking to install to a 60GB Vertex II if possible. I know WHS can be hacked to install on to a 60GB drive but not sure it will fit on to a only 60GB and no more rather than a 64GB drive.

SBS is looking good but is really quite expensive especially for home. Shame they do not have the WHS version with centralised home areas and the like. My NAS runs 24*7 so there wouldn't be an issue with it being off.

Pushing the envelope on a limited budget can be tricky ;).

RB
 
RimBlock said:
Can they run NBZget and uTorrent or the like ?

I did have a look but noted the 200GB min install disk. I am looking to install to a 60GB Vertex II if possible. I know WHS can be hacked to install on to a 60GB drive but not sure it will fit on to a only 60GB and no more rather than a 64GB drive.

snip...

RB
Click to expand...

My WHSv1 install is on a 20GB partition.
 
geuben said:
My WHSv1 install is on a 20GB partition.
Click to expand...

WHS 2011 it seems requires a 200GB partition although you can get it on to a 60GB one.

Would be interested to know if anyone has been able to get it on less and so have room for installations of the other software.

If not I will have to use my 320GB Scorpio Black as the boot drive and my SSD in the second user PC instead.

I previously had my shares as such (bold as admin access, underline as user access);

/mnt/archive
/mnt/array
/mnt/array/media/movies
/mnt/array/media/music
/mnt/array/media/TV

This allows the admin to view everything under the archive area (5 separate drives) and everything on the array (4 drives raid 0).

The Users can only see and access the movies, music and TV shares which are a subset of the array.

Would I be right in thinking that this should be fairly easy to do in either WHS 2011 or SBS 2011 ?

Oh and does anyone know if you can get exchange installed on WHS 2011. I do like the ideas of a joint calendar and web access to our mailbox etc.

Thanks
RB

Thanks.

RB
 
Oh well.

Trying out the trial of WHS 2011 hopefully tonight.

Will see how it goes and may try SBS 2011 as well.

Thanks
RB
 
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