Do I need a home server?

Why not move your stuff to a terabyte FW800 drive, attach that to one machine, and then share that drive across the network? Cheaper and easier than getting a whole new machine.

 

If you do want to run a server, get a rev. A Mac Mini cheap off eBay and run it headless. Easy to tuck away anywhere, and energy use should be pretty light. You can connect via VNC if necessary; the only time you'd need a display/keyboard/mouse is if the machine turns off, disconnects from the network, or locks up.

 

Honestly, look at what you really want/need to do. If your only doing file serving, then don't bother with a full server. Just do the network attatched external as TuffLuffJimmy mentioned. However if you want to do stuff more than just sharing files, I'd look into a server.
The biggest thing to keep in mind when thinking of home servers, is that you really don't need crap for hardware. Right now I have an Ubuntu server that shares files over AFP, acts as my time capsule, runs a torrent client, usenet client, shares my entire itunes library using mt-daapd, runs a upnp media server for my ps3, acts as a print server, local DNS, etc...
All of that crap is running on a measly 1.8ghz athlon xp (doesn't even have sse2), and that is pure overkill already for what the system does.
You have no need to buy a "new" system unless you are adamant on running folding@home and breaking records or want to run bruteforce cracks at 9000 KM/second.
You could get by with linux & old PC hardware or even an older PPC mac mini off of ebay.

 

If you just want storage- iTunes, dvds, iPhone, and even time machine, and to be able to pull them up ANYWHERE in my house, I use a NAS. I use this D-Link:

http://www.dlink.com/products/?pid=509

In fact, I have 2 now, too many movies!!!!

I guess it will also do FTP and web servers, but I have no need of that.

Works great, solid and cheap. Since it is purpose built, no futzing with Uhuru or other strange languages. To paraphrase another company, it just works.

 

I would just get an external drive, I was looking at a gigabit nas, but I read that an attached firewire drive would be much faster.

I was looking at getting this one:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/461975-REG/Western_Digital_WDG2TP10000N_1TB_My_Book_Pro.html


tough to beat the price at $170.

 

Good point- but you have to ask what YOUR goal is. An external is faster, but it only works on the computer it is attached to. If you want to use it anywhere else (or wirelessly), or think you may in the future, get a NAS. It is slower, but I stream full HD on my home 10/100/1000 network with no glitches, either... so it is NOT slow enough to be a problem. Plus I like just hiding it in my basement in a cubby there.

 

as others have said above, if you're going to do more than just share files, go with the server. I'm running an old 450 MHz G4 with a sata hard drive controller card which allows me to have 1.5 TB of storage in an old slow machine. It works perfectly for serving up files to my tv as well as other file server duties.

 

What about the new HP MediaSmart home server?

 

i love having everything wireless. if its for streaming, as long as the external is hooked directly up to the computer running itunes, everything was instant

 

Isn't Time Machine unable to backup to any remote drive other than a Time Capsule?

 

Can an Xbox 360 access these servers directly? Or would it have to access the server through one of your PCs?

Thanks.

 

Yeah, you have to enable the support for unsupported drives and it's a bit tricky to get the first backup done, but after that it's smooth sailing.

http://www.kremalicious.com/2008/06/ubuntu-as-mac-file-server-and-time-machine-volume/

Helped me a ton.

 

Wrong and wrong. Since like 10.5.2 you've been able to back up to most any networked HFS+ drive.

 

Hmmm. This might be spendier than you were hoping, but have you considered an old (PPC) mac mini hooked up to a (last generation) drobo?

 

a drobo is a small box that stores ridiculous amounts of data and stores them safely, so that even if a drive fails you won't lose any data.

 

just some curious thoughts

for those using a mini as the itunes server with an external, i see recomendations for just getting an older ppc model. is there a certain spec that i shouldnt go lower than? ram? tiger or leopard? etcc...

do you leave it running 24/7? do u have to turn the external on/off as well, or do you leave it on sleep mode if it has it?

i doubt id hook it directly to a tv and rather wired directly off the TC and out of the way... some are pretty cheap on feebay....

any thoughts or advice? thanks!

basically it would be nice to have iton and ready to serve instead of having to keep my main comp on all the time just to watch something....

 

Connect360 - I've been using it for a while now and it's great

 

I've done something similar to this. Don't think my system is necessary optimal - but it does what I need for now.

I have an old PPC mac mini (1.4ghz i think) running 24/7 as my server, serving iTunes to my Apple TV and other machines.

My media files are stored on an ReadyNAS duo w/ 2x500gb drives (RAID). The iTunes on my mac mini points to this NAS drive.

I also have a 500gb external hooked up to my mac mini. It's purpose is to replicate the contents of my NAS so they can be backed up on to Mozy (unlimited storage for $5/month - but not from network drives). I do the replication with ChronoSync.

Works pretty well most of the time. Although the mac mini (running leopard) is a little slow so when I do have to fix things it's a bit of a pain. It actually just crashed hard on me this past week - and I had to restore the o/s. That was a real pain - had to hook it up with keyboard/mouse and a screen (normally do admin etc. w/ screen sharing form my macbook pro).

Just for reference, I do have a time capsule backing all this stuff up as well. Belts and braces

Hope that is helpful.

 

No, you don't need a home server. People in Africa do need food, though. (Sorry, I'm in a cynical mood today.)

 

People everywhere need food. Duh