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Anybody considering buying a mini as a web/mail server?

D

debo

macrumors regular
Original poster
I started looking at the prices of old powermacs and cubes and whatnot and realized that you could get this new computer for only a couple hundred more? Anybody else thinking of this?
 
The thought did cross my mind, especially since the old Beige G3 I use as a server has been suffering unusual freezes with alarming regularity of late. The lack of gigabit ethernet on the Mini is a minor annoyance, though. I'm really more hoping it'll cause the price of old PowerMacs to drop by a good chunk.
 
Santiago said:
The lack of gigabit ethernet on the Mini is a minor annoyance, though.
Click to expand...

This shouldn't really be a problem if you're connected to a DSL line, and are serving to 100 odd people or less.

I currently use an old G3 iMac snow for this. The G4 in the macmini is overkill for email and web serving, but the price is cheaper than what I paid for the iMac >secondhand!<. The advantage the iMac and the MacMini have over the powermac's is silence. Some of the powermac are really loud. You wouldn't want to leave one running 24/7 in your house, unless it's a big house and you've put it in the garden shed.
 
mim said:
The G4 in the macmini is overkill for email and web serving
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i think its good if you want a mac web server, other the other hand you could also fold on it! 😀 you can never have to many cpu cycles to fold!
 
mim said:
This shouldn't really be a problem if you're connected to a DSL line, and are serving to 100 odd people or less.

I currently use an old G3 iMac snow for this. The G4 in the macmini is overkill for email and web serving, but the price is cheaper than what I paid for the iMac >secondhand!<. The advantage the iMac and the MacMini have over the powermac's is silence. Some of the powermac are really loud. You wouldn't want to leave one running 24/7 in your house, unless it's a big house and you've put it in the garden shed.
Click to expand...

Yeah I know it's overkill but like you said, I started looking at prices and this thing is almost as cheap as the old Macs.
 
3Memos said:
How safe is it to run the mini as a server with what is essentially a laptop drive?
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Considering its not a public server, the demand on the HDD is not much.

How many process are you planing for this Home Server. 🙂

Music, Movies, Email, Storage.
 
There was a post on MacBytes that gave some insight as to the "power" behind the Mac mini. It may become a server for the home. I am already seeing some possibilities.
 
for those of you running servers at your home, does your isp tell you that you can't use a server.

my isp sent me a nice email when i was, although i was "sharing" lots of data.

i've always wondered if I can start one again for just low-load web/email but I figure that the isp can see when people are sending request to my server.
 
debo said:
I started looking at the prices of old powermacs and cubes and whatnot and realized that you could get this new computer for only a couple hundred more? Anybody else thinking of this?
Click to expand...

Yeah, I'm currently running a Linux-based Web/mail server on an x86 box that I had hanging around, but used to run it via OS X server on an old B/W G3.

The mini makes a lot of sense as a small server, and I'm seriously planning to do just that (probably x2 in the long term . 😛 )
 
snkTab said:
for those of you running servers at your home, does your isp tell you that you can't use a server.
my isp sent me a nice email when i was, although i was "sharing" lots of data.
i've always wondered if I can start one again for just low-load web/email but I figure that the isp can see when people are sending request to my server.
Click to expand...

Depends on the ISP. I have a fairly inexpensive business account with a static IP (it costs about 30% more than the standard home account from the same company) - I figured it was worth paying the extra as:
1. I DO use it for work
2. Servers are specifically permitted by the terms of my contract with them.

Some ISP's don't like you running servers at all, and can in theory make a fuss if they catch you doing it...
 
is it then possible to "cluster" a group of mini macs? 🙄 does osx support "clustering" or would we need to invest in mac os x server edition? 😕
 
Not me... That's what our super-fast kick-ass gaming PC is doing in the corner, covered with books and magazines... Thing's getting what it deserves 😛
 
Uma888 said:
is it then possible to "cluster" a group of mini macs? 🙄 does osx support "clustering" or would we need to invest in mac os x server edition? 😕
Click to expand...

Yeah, should be doable with X-Grid. Alternatively there are several other clustering options available - either under OS X via third-party software (Cluster 3.0 runs on OS X now and is open source - there are a couple of commercial alternatives, too), or possibly via Linux.
 
I am currently using a G3 iMac as the family web server (PHP, MySQL, FTP...) and as my kids school computer. The ISP I'm with will allow me to have a web/mail/file server at no additional charge as long as it's for personal use. If the iMac quits in the near future a Mini will be taking it's place.
 
Solafaa said:
What do you mean by a "web/mail server"? how does it work?

I have no idea.
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Um - a machine that runs web (i.e. Apache) and mail (POP/IMAP/SMTP - and, in my case, webmail) servers.

Not really sure what you're asking, to be honest.
 
tersono said:
Um - a machine that runs web (i.e. Apache) and mail (POP/IMAP/SMTP - and, in my case, webmail) servers.

Not really sure what you're asking, to be honest.
Click to expand...

I have basically the same question. I get the web server part but I don't really understand the email part. Can you register a domain name and use a service like dyndns and then setup a mail server? So when all done if I go to MyMacIsBetterThanYourPC.com 😀 I get my mac and if I send email to doug@MyMacIsBetterThanYourPC.com that goes to my mac?

This sounds really cool! Can you do IMAP or r u stuck with POP3?

Doug
 
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