Soon to take the plunge for a whole house move to Mac. Need advice.

[russofris]

Sounds like a healthy marriage you have there.

Health wise, it falls somewhere in between the marriage where the spouses regularly spy on each other with no sense of boundaries and a marriage where the spouses blindly trust each other with absolutely everything and share a single common identity.

In my marriage, I'm me, she's her, and together we form Voltron.

The only down side is that I need to purchase 'two' iMacs.

F

 

[talmy]

Another question for the Apple experts as I transition. My media library is large. Video, music, photos etc. I am running out of space on my PC hard drive and wanted to offload my itunes library plus all other media to an external that would be Mac friendly. I understand Mac prefers a different hard drive format. How can I do this?

FAT-32 is the compatible format. Don't know why nobody else directly answered your question.

I just saw this thread. I went from an all PC (5 PCs) home to an all Mac (7, but I still have one of the old PCs) setup. I use a Mac mini server as the home server for video (running Plex), music, TimeMachine, address books, calendars, Windows VM to run Quicken for Windows, VPN and SSH for remote access and file transfers. 3 Macs and the PC are in a wired network and an Airport Extreme is used for wireless access by the remaining Macs and 3 iOS devices. Photo of the server:

 

[Tekkster]

some ideas for the heck of it.

This thread is pretty old now, and may not be checked anymore, but I'll throw in my two cents as I have a little time to kill.

Sounds like a pretty well thought out setup you've got there, and lots of great advice on the thread.

A couple of things I'll support or add:

- Plex, yes yes yes. +1 without question.
If you don't want to deal with jail breaking an AppleTV3, go with a refurbed mac mini and just throw the Plex client on there. When you launch it, there's a setting so it doesn't automatically launch the server app when you launch the client app.
The Plex interface is pretty gorgeous. At first my wife was all...who cares as long as the media is there and organized. After just 1 day with Plex, she refused to go back to UPnP.

- For Storage, I'd definitely go with a NAS that has some extra features. In some ways, a NAS is worth more than a third or fourth computer because it's function is specialized. The Synology DS1812+ is a great option, and still cheaper than buying a new iMac. And with the ability to get 4TB x 8 in there and acting like a single volume for which you can create encrypted home folders for all your users, it's a pretty powerful NAS. It also has several server applications that might also be useful, from LDAP to VPN to OpenCRM to Plex server to iTunes server…the list goes on.
NOTE: Synology has built in surveillance application that can work with wireless surveillance cameras.
NOTE: Synology has an iTunes server
NOTE: Synology also has a UPnP server so you can play all media on UPnP supported devices (e.g. Sony PS3)
NOTE: QNAP and Drobo are also good options here. Many people will say don't use a Drobo because it's slow. Frankly, I have an older Drobo 4Bay (DAS) and a newer Synology 8bay (NAS) and have edited hundred+ GB video files on both. It's not the fastest in the world, certainly, and you have time to grab coffee for some some of the stuff, but it's still a heck of a lot faster than when I was doing video editing at an ad agency years ago. And for smaller video projects or photo editing, it's plenty fast enough.
NOTE: Though probably overkill, another way to go would be to have a NAS as a main file store, and then have a cheaper disk or Drobo hanging off it for additional backups. Between the dual disk failure capability of the Synology and the single disk failure capability of the Drobo, data integrity is pretty rock solid.
NOTE: Synology has iOS apps so you can access files through Plex client, or Synology client. Kinda fun.

- Online storage and local storage hybrid: When combined with PogoPlug, you can have really easy file sharing of all your NAS or local computer storage over the cloud. A little too insecure for some, but pretty effective.

- Wireless: Since you're already going the "N" route with a theoretical max of 300Mbps, rock on. But to lighten the load on your wireless network, you might also consider PLC. These days, NetGear, D-Link and the other consumer gear players have high speed PLC available. I use a medium speed 200Mbps version for a few locations and while it's no where near the theoretical speed of 200Mbps, it's still plenty fast for HD video streaming, and frees up wireless bandwidth.

- Wired: You have a really good idea with having multiple low-cost 8port Gbit switches around the house, but once you go NAS, if you have several individuals accessing it at roughly the same times each day (e.g. in the evening, when everyone is home), it's a good idea to have a core switch that supports Link Aggregation (802.3ad). These days, there are a few 16 and 24 switches (considered edge or SOHO/ROBO switches for enterprise, but for home use, basically a core switch) that is web managed and even supports PoE for $200 or thereabouts. Zyxel and TrendNet are two that have these full featured switches with all full duplex ports.

- Router: So…this is one area where I'd recommend spending some unexpected cash. I'm sure i'll get laughed at or derided as it would be considered overkill for many, but one idea is to get a router that is also an SSL inspection capable firewall. Fortinet, Sonicwall, and Palo Alto Networks all have units available for around the same price (under $2k). I know it sounds like overkill, but so much is happening online nowadays, and so much of our lives center around our computers and their internet connectivity, even with general purpose computers having software firewalls built in, router firewalls are pretty useful and, dare i say, prudent. Plus many have extra features. For instance the Fortinet and Sonicwall units have IDS/IPS, anti-virus, quarantine, great monitoring and forensics, built in WiFi APs, the ability to manage other APs for greater reach throughout the house and back yard, and have other cool features like SSL VPN, IP SEC VPN tunneling, NAT, more complex and flexible firewall rules, the ability to add guest captive portal so you don't have to give anyone access inside your LAN but can still give internet access or even Plex access if you want….Palo alto networks doesn't have all those bells and whistles that Fortinet and Sonicwall have, but in their stead, have a powerfully granular user access control feature set that you can tie to applications regardless of port or encryption. The PA200 is around $2k, the Sonicwall TZ215 is around $1500 with the additional feature service plan of 3 years, and they also have the NSA 220 and 240 which are around $1800-$2500 and the Fortinet 40-C wireless is around the same. If you get just a stateful firewall + basic UTM feature units instead, like Watchguard, Cyberroam, eSoft, Sophos, you still get all the UTM features and some have the same wireless security, but will be missing the SSL inspection features. For wireless rogue AP and rogue device detection, you can get something like kismac or similar to monitor wireless packets through the wireless card of your iMac or older Windows machine (assuming you don't need the wireless on these devices because they're connected through ethernet or PLC). Apart from price, the only real downside to these security focused routers is that it's a little harder to configure port forwarding. With an Airport extreme, it's kinda stupid easy to do port forwarding, especially if the Airport is also the DHCP server, but with these security devices, it's a little harder. You have to read the manual and do a few more clicks to get it to work. But once you do, you can access your files, do VNC or RDP, and even get Plex or StreamToMe or OpenCRM just like you would with Airport extreme.

- one more note, with all the ethernet switches you have around the house, have you ever considered setting up an in-house VoIP phone system? Much easier than it sounds. with a 3CX server app running on Windows or Mac or Linux, the setup is pretty easy, maybe an hour or two of work, and then it's just hooking up phones and getting a cheap VoIP gateway (GrandStream has one for about $80) to connect to an analog phone line. Now, I haven't tried this next bit myself, but you if you have internet phone like Vonage or Comcast, I think you should be able to tie 3CX to that phone connection. the fun stuff is having all your voicemails stored on your local storage to access whenever you like, or call recording when you're on conference calls, or even setting up an auto-attendant. All fun stuff.

Kinda rambled there, and who would bother reading a thread this old....but fun to write (^_^)

 

[Randomizer]

This has been a very informative thread. Alot of good advice. One thing I am having a hard time wrapping my head around is:
- I see yes to Plex. put it on a refurb mac mini
- I see yes to a Synology or similar for storage. It has an iTunes server, surveillance etc

Trying to understand the separate functions of these two in conjunction with the ATV3 I have now. For example:
1. Why would I need an ATV3 at all if I am using Plex on a mac mini? Considering it's job is now being handled by Plex - what additional value could it bring? Is it because Plex is a server while ATV is a streamer?
2. Of what value is the iTunes server on the Synology if I am already using a Plex on a Mac Mini? And again - same question with the ATV3.

This is probably just me trying to absorb the transition and do it the right way. I would really like all my serveable media (video, audio, pix), entertainment apps such as Netflix primarily but others like Amazon Prime, YouTube, etc in one place ... a place that is being backed up so that I don't lose all of that, a place that can be always on, not be a power hog when it is on and not in use, and ready to serve all over the house. I am trying to visualize the setup and where these items would sit. If the MacMini was in the Family Room where the AppleTV3 currently sits - does the AppleTV need to be there any more?

Sorry - a little all over the place with this and I truly appreciate all of the input provided on this thread. Now if only Apple would release an updated iMac I could be on my way.

 

[talmy]

Plex has both server and client components. I run only the server on my server mini and only the client elsewhere. I've got no need for an ATV, although they obviously cost much less than a mini, the mini will do much more, such stream videos from non-apple "approved" sources.

 

[driftless]

We do want to share calendars though. I am hoping this will be possible.

You can share calendars now with iCloud. My wife and I each have individual calendar(s) and shared calendars. It makes it very convenient.

 

[Tekkster]

This has been a very informative thread. Alot of good advice. One thing I am having a hard time wrapping my head around is:
- I see yes to Plex. put it on a refurb mac mini
- I see yes to a Synology or similar for storage. It has an iTunes server, surveillance etc

Trying to understand the separate functions of these two in conjunction with the ATV3 I have now. For example:
1. Why would I need an ATV3 at all if I am using Plex on a mac mini? Considering it's job is now being handled by Plex - what additional value could it bring? Is it because Plex is a server while ATV is a streamer?
2. Of what value is the iTunes server on the Synology if I am already using a Plex on a Mac Mini? And again - same question with the ATV3.

This is probably just me trying to absorb the transition and do it the right way. I would really like all my serveable media (video, audio, pix), entertainment apps such as Netflix primarily but others like Amazon Prime, YouTube, etc in one place ... a place that is being backed up so that I don't lose all of that, a place that can be always on, not be a power hog when it is on and not in use, and ready to serve all over the house. I am trying to visualize the setup and where these items would sit. If the MacMini was in the Family Room where the AppleTV3 currently sits - does the AppleTV need to be there any more?

Sorry - a little all over the place with this and I truly appreciate all of the input provided on this thread. Now if only Apple would release an updated iMac I could be on my way.

This thread lives? And here I thought I was rambling to myself (^-^)

Plex on MacMini as a server is great, works well, and is stable.

Plex on jailbroken ATV3...well, I defer to others since I haven't done it

I actually run a MacMini to my TV as well, and run only the Plex client on there....that way I manage all my movies and stuff in the computer room on the MacMini server, and consume all those movies and stuff on the MacMini client connected to the TV.
But...you can also have the ATV3 connected to the TV, run Plex client on an iPad2, and Airplay it to the ATV. It sounds awfully dumb to do this, and I'm sure you lose something in resolution, but...but but but...the iPad becomes a really cool remote under this scenario and doesn't require jail breaking.

As for the Synology....it has an iTunes server....but I'm learning that it's not that great. In particular, it's annoying that I can't seem to port the Playlists that I have painstakingly created and managed to fit my personality over years from my iTunes on the MacMini to the iTunes server on the Synology....buuuuuuummer. That's okay tho, because if you manage all iTunes on an OSX machine then you get all the syncing and stuff to go along with it for iOS devices, and home sharing doesn't seem to take a lot of resources. But if you have a bunch of music and movies and tv shows on iTunes, and you don't mind rebuilding playlists from scratch, you could easily have iTunes on Synology serving content to the ATV3.

Also, Synology has a Plex server. And it works great....up to about a dew hundred movies and a few dozen multi-season tv shows. beyond that, it starts struggling a bit.

I'm still crazy about the Synology, but I'm realizing more and more that at the end of the day, the processor is not a general purpose computer processor, (I know...duh....of course it isn't...but it just didn't really hit me until now), and as such, all the limitations you have with using certain apps on an OSX or Windows machine of lower performance will limit you on the Synology as well. I still love the Synology, but running Plex on there seems a bit of a mono if you have a ton of media.

Now, I run Plex server and iTunes server apps on the MacMini server and simply point the Plex content and iTunes content to the Synology. Works great. In fact, since I've done that, it's actually proving faster than when my old Drobo was attached directly to the MacMini....I know I know...the Drobo is notoriously slow, but that increase in performance for consuming media was refreshing for me.

Finally, to the point of keeping all media content in one place. I think it's a grab way to maintain manageability, but if you plan on a fair amount of volume, that alone is a good reason to get a big old NAS like the Synology. That's pretty much why I first got a Drobo and why I recently upgraded to Synology. Synology also sleeps disks when not in use and consumers less motherboard power than a general purpose computer (I dunno if that's true compared to MacMini and a tad lazy to just look it up, sorry). for entertainment apps, I think you can get everything you want with Plex plugins. So you should be good there. With regards to keeping media and entertainment apps in one place....well...if you have your MacMini connected to the TV and had a big old DAS on it....you'd have the media, the entertainment apps, and the server and client all in one place. You could do that...but I imagine managing that could be a bit of a pain. especially if you plan on removing in from another computer or find working off the TV as a monitor to be cumbersome. I tried it for a while, cuz I thought it was a such a cool concept, but really, it's not match for a computer desk.

I dunno if anything I wrote is helpful or not. Maybe, maybe not. But basically, I have a MacMini server, a MacMini client to TV, an ATV3 to a different tv (and I use an iPad to airplay Plex content to the ATV3), a Synology, and a Drobo attached to the Synology. The Synology is connected to a switch with link aggregation, thus ensuring my other computers and mobile devices can access the content on the Synology reasonably fast (in read only mode....doesn't really help with write mode since the slowest link is the write speed of the disks themselves). You might prefer a different setup.

Either way, best of luck to you!

 

[MJL]

Backup and restore: If you are running a business then do not trust your backups (!) ever! They may be contaminated, the backups may not have worked OK etc etc. I chuckled many, many years ago when I had a sys admin who insisted on backing up the varsity in three different ways. But I let him be not wanting to ruffle feathers.

However one day he needed to do a restore and then he could not read the tape drive. Out came the backup tapedrive - could not read that either, neither did a new one from the manufacturer that was rushed to the side. The heads were not properly aligned. Went to backup plan two - did not work either (some software issue due to upgrading, cannot recall the details) and finally backup plan three worked. Pffew! Many businesses are ruined because they do not have a decent backup plan - at least you'll need off-site backup too in case the hardware is lost for one reason or another. Be aware that if you backup to "the cloud" that data is being utilised so you'll need to encrypt it. With that comes the risk of the encryption failing due to some bits/bytes being corrupted during transmission / storage (learned that the hard way by storing an encrypted 4 Gb file on DVD.)

Have a backup and restore plan in place AND routinely test it by doing a restore. Never forget for one moment that your data is worth a lot more than your hardware. Neither have ever the thoughts of "it won't happen to me" because it is only a matter of time before it happens to you.

 

[talmy]

Have a backup and restore plan in place AND routinely test it by doing a restore. Never forget for one moment that your data is worth a lot more than your hardware. Neither have ever the thoughts of "it won't happen to me" because it is only a matter of time before it happens to you.

Truer words have never been spoken. Several times in my nearly 4 decades of computer use I've discovered a "backup" to be non-recoverable. I had a tape backup unit that said it was writing to tape but actually wasn't. I've had faulty backup software that couldn't perform a restore. I used a computer for years that was presumably being backed up by the IT department, but turned out to not be on their list. At my previous company we had a server computer fail and the backup system proved to be inadequate for the restore -- our facility was basically shut down for over a week because the restore was so slow and they relied on keeping everything on the central server. Always, always perform a test restore on any new backup system and if you have an IT department, "lose" a few files and see if they can restore them.

 

[Tekkster]

Truer words have never been spoken. Several times in my nearly 4 decades of computer use I've discovered a "backup" to be non-recoverable. I had a tape backup unit that said it was writing to tape but actually wasn't. I've had faulty backup software that couldn't perform a restore. I used a computer for years that was presumably being backed up by the IT department, but turned out to not be on their list. At my previous company we had a server computer fail and the backup system proved to be inadequate for the restore -- our facility was basically shut down for over a week because the restore was so slow and they relied on keeping everything on the central server. Always, always perform a test restore on any new backup system and if you have an IT department, "lose" a few files and see if they can restore them.

So true....I just recently learned the importance of TESTING your backups regularly. As a stickler for backups, I had 4 levels of backups for my email because I use my email almost like a research database. My laptop HDD crashed, my primary backup crashed, my secondary backup had gotten corrupted at some point and I'd never noticed, and my tertiary backup was, while mounted and backing up, for some reason was only backing up new stuff and was missing everything I had before I started to do backups several years ago....Data Recovery software was unsuccessful, so I ended up losing about 65% of my email. So sad.

I wish I'd read your comment years ago, would have saved men but at least I know now.

 

[Randomizer]

Great thread!

This has been a very informative thread and I appreciate all that has been added. Apple not introducing their new iMacs at the last two opportunities has been still waiting to transition. Rumors now indicate Sept-Oct. In the meantime - my iTunes library has my 1TB drive nearly full - about 32GB left. I may have asked this earlier but I am not quite clear on the answer. It looks like I need to move my iTunes library from the 1TB to something larger. I'd like to simplify the next move after this one so that I can bring to a mac environment easily. Any suggestions?
Off the top I am thinking:

A. move to a Mac Mini or Mac Mini Server with external solution (Synology or Promise Pegasus via Thunderbolt) now and add the iMacs when they come out. Possible downside ... how will I manage my library in the meantime? Is Server a better way to go?

B. Move to a Synology or Pegasus now formatted for Windows. When I do convert - move the libary to iMac temporarily, reformat external for Mac and then move it back. Seems like a bit much.

C. A above, letting the Mini share my Dell monitor and peripherals with my current pc setup - if this is possible to do well.

 

[forty2j]

C. A above, letting the Mini share my Dell monitor and peripherals with my current pc setup - if this is possible to do well.

Sharing peripherals is easy - IF you let the Macs drive them and use Bonjour for Windows. (Or if they're standalone internet-enabled peripherals, it's even easier.) Getting Macs to use a peripheral shared by a recent Windows OS is somewhere between a PITA and downright impossible.

For the Monitor - this could be simple, depending on what kinds of ports your monitor has. E.g. if you can use HDMI for the Mini and DVI or DisplayPort for the PC then you don't even need any extra hardware.

(Just occurred to me - did you mean keyboard & mouse when you said peripherals? I was thinking printers. Keyboard & mouse are doable, though, with additional switching hardware.)

 

[Randomizer]

Sharing peripherals is easy - IF you let the Macs drive them and use Bonjour for Windows. (Or if they're standalone internet-enabled peripherals, it's even easier.) Getting Macs to use a peripheral shared by a recent Windows OS is somewhere between a PITA and downright impossible.

For the Monitor - this could be simple, depending on what kinds of ports your monitor has. E.g. if you can use HDMI for the Mini and DVI or DisplayPort for the PC then you don't even need any extra hardware.

(Just occurred to me - did you mean keyboard & mouse when you said peripherals? I was thinking printers. Keyboard & mouse are doable, though, with additional switching hardware.)

It would be a temporary solution. My pc needs to be replaced and I'd like to move to an iMac. I'm just waiting for the new ones. So does this sound like a recommended path:
1. purchase a mini or mini w/sever (recommendation?)
2. purchase a Synology or Promise Pegasus and connect to the mini
3. move itunes library from pc to external storage attached to mini. I presume I would do this by connecting the mini directly to my pc(?)
4. let the above serve to the AppleTV3 in my family room for now.
5. once the new iMacs come out I would replace my PC (in my office) with an iMac and connect the external storage to it. This would allow me to manage the library with the iMac (my preference) and serve to the rest of the house ... or at least to any room where I have a media receiver.
6. Move the Mini to ... the family room? where it can replace the AppleTV3 maybe and then move the AppleTV3 to another location?

Not really sure on the best path here and the last step has me confused. I want to utilize the mini in the best way possible. From what I've read it does what the AppleTV does plus much more. Would I be wasting it having it sit in a family room acting as a media receiver or should it carry some other duty? Should I just let it continue to be the server for the whole house - using the iMac to manage it? Sorry - rambling as I am clearly not clear on what to do here.

 

[Tekkster]

It would be a temporary solution. My pc needs to be replaced and I'd like to move to an iMac. I'm just waiting for the new ones. So does this sound like a recommended path:
1. purchase a mini or mini w/sever (recommendation?)
2. purchase a Synology or Promise Pegasus and connect to the mini
3. move itunes library from pc to external storage attached to mini. I presume I would do this by connecting the mini directly to my pc(?)
4. let the above serve to the AppleTV3 in my family room for now.
5. once the new iMacs come out I would replace my PC (in my office) with an iMac and connect the external storage to it. This would allow me to manage the library with the iMac (my preference) and serve to the rest of the house ... or at least to any room where I have a media receiver.
6. Move the Mini to ... the family room? where it can replace the AppleTV3 maybe and then move the AppleTV3 to another location?

Not really sure on the best path here and the last step has me confused. I want to utilize the mini in the best way possible. From what I've read it does what the AppleTV does plus much more. Would I be wasting it having it sit in a family room acting as a media receiver or should it carry some other duty? Should I just let it continue to be the server for the whole house - using the iMac to manage it? Sorry - rambling as I am clearly not clear on what to do here.

---

For an iTunes setup, everything you said works just fine. Really, once you put the iTunes folder onto the NAS, it doesn't really matter what computer is accessing it...in fact, you could continuously switch between which Macs access that folder. The only catch is, you can't access the iTunes folder on the NAS from two different computers (two different instances of iTunes) at the same time. One has to quit before another can access it.

The MacMini is just a computer. I'm not really sure why you'd "attach" it to a PC. You'd be attaching it to a monitor and keyboard and mouse, and of course, the network.

When you purchase a Synology or any NAS, you wouldn't connect it directly to a MacMini or Windows machine. You would attach it to the network, and then all your computers (Mac and/or Windows) would access it just like it would access any file server on a network.

Given that, step 2 and step 3 are much easier. once everything is connected to your network, and you setup the Synology to server both Macs and Windows machines (easy to do), then it's just a matter of creating a shared folder on the NAS, giving permissions to a user account you setup, and then accessing the NAS using that user account, and mounting the network drive on both the Mac and the Windows machines.

I make it sound like it's a lot of steps, but really, we're talking about half an hour of physical setup, and maybe 10 minutes of soft setup (punching some keys, installing some software). And it's all GUI and pretty intuitive. No funky CLI or weird confusing steps.

After that, then it's just moving the iTunes folder (not the app, of course, just the iTunes folder where the data is) from the Windows machine to the NAS, and then, when launching iTunes on the MacMini, going to preferences and selecting the iTunes folder on the NAS.

Tadaaaaa....it's that simple.

And then, when the new iMac comes in, simply open iTunes on there and go to preferences and point to the iTunes folder. That's pretty much all there is to it.

There is a caveat to this approach....Every time you restart your MacMini, Windows machine, or new iMac (when you get it), the network drives tend to forget to mount. So, when you open iTunes, it'll say "can't find the iTunes folder, create a new one?" So....then, you just quit iTunes, and reconnect to the NAS and mount the iTunes folder, and you're off and running again.

I never shut down my server, so it's not a problem I have, but if you regularly shut down your computer (e.g. every night, once a week, etc.) then you might not like this method. But keep in mind, it's only the server that will have this problem.

The computer connected to your TV (whether it's the ATV3, or later, the MacMini), will be setup as an iTunes client. All the iTunes "server" has to do is turn on sharing and other iTunes apps can see the iTunes "server".

Am I making sense? Or is my rambling causing more confusion?

 

[forty2j]

The MacMini is just a computer. I'm not really sure why you'd "attach" it to a PC. You'd be attaching it to a monitor and keyboard and mouse, and of course, the network.

I guess if he didn't want to buy a USB switch to share the same keyboard/mouse with the PC and the Mini, he could use one of the many free VNC clients to connect to the Mini from the PC. (Or, vice versa.) Depends on the task whether the half second or so of latency would be tolerable.

----------

I I want to utilize the mini in the best way possible. From what I've read it does what the AppleTV does plus much more. Would I be wasting it having it sit in a family room acting as a media receiver or should it carry some other duty? Should I just let it continue to be the server for the whole house - using the iMac to manage it?

The Mini is a laptop-power Mac with HDMI out. It can do anything a Mac can do. In a sense it can do everything the AppleTV can do, but differently.. e.g. you would browse to Netflix or Hulu in Safari on the Mini; you run the Netflix or Hulu app on the AppleTV. Personally I find the streamlined interface for the set of dedicated media tasks on the AppleTV to be a plus, rather than using a generalized computer UI to achieve this handful of specific functions. Generally speaking if I'm playing audio/video off another computer onto the AppleTV, I'll use the free Remote app on iPhone/iPad to do it.

Using the Mini as an always-on centralized iTunes library is a good task for it.

 

[Tekkster]

I guess if he didn't want to buy a USB switch to share the same keyboard/mouse with the PC and the Mini, he could use one of the many free VNC clients to connect to the Mini from the PC. (Or, vice versa.) Depends on the task whether the half second or so of latency would be tolerable.

----------

True true, I do the same and it's highly recommended. For the MacMini server, I like to recommend the Belkin SOHO. has some bad reviews, but it's nice to be able to separate selection of audio and KVM. That way, you can choose audio from one source, and have the KVM on another. I wish they did the same for USB, but that's another story.

As for VNC, absolutely, couldn't agree more. When setting up the MacMini to the TV after he gets the new iMac (when it comes out), he can then VNC into that MacMini for all his needs, that would eliminate the need of having to use a keyboard and mouse BT'd or cabled to the MacMini. It is fun to do that, but the novelty can wear off, making VNC or something like Splashtop a better option. Another good item is MobileMouse Pro for the iPhone/ipad.

 

[Randomizer]

In the end - I would like an always on server with plenty of storage for:
- media within itunes (music, movies, tv shows, audible audiobooks)
- photos
- home movies
- security footage
- possible somethings else I am not thinking of right now

Serving to:
- iMacs
- iPads
- iphones
- AppleTV (I do like the AppleTV interface and would prefer it to navigating to a website via Safari)
- maybe an older windows laptop - only if this is easy. I may get rid of it.

I would want to have a backup solution for all of the stations needing backup as well as having a backup of the media library, photos etc.

And I would want to be able to move my itunes library to whatever this storage solution is right now even though I have not begun the pc to iMac transition.

If I am understanding this correctly - I can utilize a combination of a NAS like the Synology as the storage and the Mac Mini server / library?

Note: I currently have an early generation HP MediaSmart Server that has worked well in a windows environment but is on it's last legs. It has been used primarily for backup of all pcs in the house. It creates a duplicate of anything that is on it across multiple drives so I have protection for all media should the first copy fail. It's capable of serving all of the above with a combination of native and aftermarket apps. I had intended to utilize it's media server capabilities but never quite got to it before it became old, slow and I decided to move to a complete Mac environment. I'd like to duplicate these capabilities.

Thank you. Your posts have been very informative. I've learned alot and I am still learning. I am an Apple novice at best but loving my iPad and iPhone. My PC skills / knowledge is much better but I would like to leave that behind for my home environment and so want to figure out the best way to get there. The hard drive on my PC where my iTunes library currently resides is nearly full and rather than simple sticking in another hard drive and moving it - I'd like to take my first steps in my transition in such a way as to be seamless as I add iMacs.

 

[talmy]

If I am understanding this correctly - I can utilize a combination of a NAS like the Synology as the storage and the Mac Mini server / library?

You could. However once you have the Mac mini server there is no reason to buy a NAS. You can just attach external drives to the mini. You will probably want to do this anyway for TimeMachine backups for all your systems.

 

[davidgnomo]

...

I'd like to know if you bought the Scan Snap for documents ... I'm just curious as I just bought a CANON P-215 and I really think it's the best value/price compromise.

 

[jbg232]

In the end - I would like an always on server with plenty of storage for:
- media within itunes (music, movies, tv shows, audible audiobooks)
- photos
- home movies
- security footage
- possible somethings else I am not thinking of right now

Serving to:
- iMacs
- iPads
- iphones
- AppleTV (I do like the AppleTV interface and would prefer it to navigating to a website via Safari)
- maybe an older windows laptop - only if this is easy. I may get rid of it.

I would want to have a backup solution for all of the stations needing backup as well as having a backup of the media library, photos etc.

And I would want to be able to move my itunes library to whatever this storage solution is right now even though I have not begun the pc to iMac transition.

If I am understanding this correctly - I can utilize a combination of a NAS like the Synology as the storage and the Mac Mini server / library?

Note: I currently have an early generation HP MediaSmart Server that has worked well in a windows environment but is on it's last legs. It has been used primarily for backup of all pcs in the house. It creates a duplicate of anything that is on it across multiple drives so I have protection for all media should the first copy fail. It's capable of serving all of the above with a combination of native and aftermarket apps. I had intended to utilize it's media server capabilities but never quite got to it before it became old, slow and I decided to move to a complete Mac environment. I'd like to duplicate these capabilities.

Thank you. Your posts have been very informative. I've learned alot and I am still learning. I am an Apple novice at best but loving my iPad and iPhone. My PC skills / knowledge is much better but I would like to leave that behind for my home environment and so want to figure out the best way to get there. The hard drive on my PC where my iTunes library currently resides is nearly full and rather than simple sticking in another hard drive and moving it - I'd like to take my first steps in my transition in such a way as to be seamless as I add iMacs.

You may have already thought about this, but what I do is have all my music in the cloud (I have less than 25,000 songs) - and that makes the music available everywhere easily. I keep all my music and video in an itunes library that is on an external 2TB drive (you could easily make it available on a networked drive or networked RAID through the airport extreme). Then, I just have my apple tv use my iTunes library for my movies and music to play on the main stereo system/tv. I don't have any problems but the one limitation you'll get is that you can't play non-apple media (ie non-itunes) through the apple tv. That shouldn't be a problem though because with Mountain Lion and some new iMacs they will almost surely allow airplay of the iMac to your apple tv thus solving ALL problems (you don't even need to go through itunes anymore). Just a suggestion to avoid plex.

 

[Tekkster]

In the end - I would like an always on server with plenty of storage for:
- media within itunes (music, movies, tv shows, audible audiobooks)
- photos
- home movies
- security footage
- possible somethings else I am not thinking of right now

Serving to:
- iMacs
- iPads
- iphones
- AppleTV (I do like the AppleTV interface and would prefer it to navigating to a website via Safari)
- maybe an older windows laptop - only if this is easy. I may get rid of it.

I would want to have a backup solution for all of the stations needing backup as well as having a backup of the media library, photos etc.

And I would want to be able to move my itunes library to whatever this storage solution is right now even though I have not begun the pc to iMac transition.

If I am understanding this correctly - I can utilize a combination of a NAS like the Synology as the storage and the Mac Mini server / library?

There've been some great responses to this post including the idea of attaching DAS to a MacMini server and also putting songs in the cloud for access anywhere, anytime.

Everyone has slightly different expectations, values, and requirements, so what works and doesn't work for me may not match your's or other people's ideal, but here's my take on some of those ideas.

For the DAS <-> MacMini server option, it worked for me for several years, but after a while it started to get a little annoying. Only slightly....But every time I had to bring the MacMini server down, for whatever reason, I would lose access to all my data while it was down. It also meant that it was down when I was upgrading to a new MacMini. These are minor annoyances, but enough for me to want to get a NAS. This way, I still have access to my files on the NAS when the MacMini is down. Of course, since I run the server apps on my MacMini (iTunes and Plex) which in turn access iTunes data and Plex data that is stored on the NAS, it does mean that when the MacMini is down I still lose access to those server apps. I don't really care about that as much, as even though I temporarily don't have access to the Plex interface, I can still access those movies and just launch them with movist or PLC....The iTunes hurts a little more, because I have iTunes home sharing turned on, and I end up losing that while the MacMini is down. More importantly, I keep work files on the NAS and access it from multiple devices, and my wife's data is on there too, so when the MacMini is down, my wife and I still have access to our work files, photos, and other things.

Again, minor annoyances because the MacMini is rarely down for more than a few minutes.

Now, having said that, in favor of the DAS option is: typically, lower cost, and....plus, now with Thunderbolt and USB 3.0 enclosures, DAS is once again faster than NAS on 802.3ad (link aggregation/link bonding) + Jumbo frames.

----

On to online storage. Great option. Can't say enough good things about it. In my personal case, I have spent a lot of time making iTunes playlists and re-creating them online and spending the time looking for quick migration options is a mundane process I'm too lazy to go through.

If you're not in the same boat as me, it'd be a good idea to consider online storage for your music (and other data). It does typically require a monthly fee if you require enough storage, but it's a great idea.

You can....however, do a couple of other things. For instance, you could get Splashtop for your MacMini, and that would give you access to your entire home network by showing the MacMini screen on your iPad (like VNC or RDP). It's reasonably secure, though a determined hacker could get in if they hack your gmail address (Splashtop has an option to use Gmail as an easy way to bypass the Firewall/NAT issues). Of course, you could also use port forwarding on a router (reasonably simple with consumer oriented routers like Airport Extreme, Buffalo, NetGeat, Cisco Linksys, D-Link, etc.; more complicated with small enterprise focused firewall/routers like Sonicwall, Watchguard, Cyberroam, eSoft, Sophos, Palo Alto, Barracuda, and the like).

Generally I avoid port forwarding because I've found that there are tens of thousands of bots worldwide that are constantly pinging IP addresses at random and doing SYN/FYN attacks once they find an active IP Address (attacks that basically run through all port numbers until they find an open one....even if that open port has password protection, it doesn't matter much, because a brute force attack typically follows. The chances of this happening to any one person is really low, and one could argue that the Gmail hack is even more insecure. But the option is there.

Another option would be Pogoplug, which is pretty much like DropBox. But whereas Dropbox automatically shows you one root folder, with a bunch of content in it that you put there, Pogoplug has a dashboard page before that, showing you the Dropbox like Cloud folder, and also showing other volumes and folders on your home network that you assign for Pogoplug sharing. You could share an entire volume, or you could share specific folders. Pretty nifty. This would also give you access to everything you want to have access to from anywhere, from any computer, and is reasonably secure. the basic Pogoplug is also free.

Incidentally, Drobo, Synology, and QNap all have applications allowing access through port 80, so you could, in theory, have that access anywhere in the world. Synology also has free and paid for iOS apps that I think allow some form of router bypass. Not sure how that works, but I'm guessing it's similar to Splashtop's and Gotomypc's mechanism of having the home device log into some place in the cloud, opening a connection, and then the roaming device logs into the same place, allowing the tunnel., thus bypassing the firewall's denial of things on the web making requests to things in the local network.

----

Whether you choose a Server with Direct Attached Storage, or a Server + Network Attached Storage, or some hybrid with part of your data in the cloud, the best choice for you really comes down to the little things. In my case, the little things were "re-creating playlists" and "bringing down the server for maintenance", and my sacrifices are: NAS server is slow, so end up using server apps on server and just having those apps access and server data from my NAS. And my other sacrifice is: speed is slower than Thunderbolt or USB 3.0.

Finally, whether you go NAS or DAS, even if it has single or dual disk failure features (from Raid 5/6), I'd still recommend another live backup and another archive backup. In my case I have one additional live backup so I can keep working while repairing my NAS and one archived backup (takes time to recover it and start using it) for critical data like email and photos and core documents. Actually, for critical data, I have two more live backups, but that's probably overkill.

You might also consider, if you have the budget, an online backup plan like Crashplan. Did we already discuss that on this thread? Can't remember.

Best of luck to you, and let us know what you end up going with.

 

[Tekkster]

That shouldn't be a problem though because with Mountain Lion and some new iMacs they will almost surely allow airplay of the iMac to your apple tv thus solving ALL problems (you don't even need to go through itunes anymore). Just a suggestion to avoid plex.

Great point a very true....but...butbutbut....the Plex GUI is so gorgeous, it's not so much a need to fix a problem as a selfish desire to see that Plex GUI on the big tv (^-^). Not to mention...that feature doesn't work on older Macs (;_

 

[ixodes]

I've got a "whole house" setup.

Perhaps the only preparation, is to get ready to spend a whole lot of money... at least if you're going to do a complete, comprehensive job of it.

Mine's simply terrific.

 

[jbg232]

Great point a very true....but...butbutbut....the Plex GUI is so gorgeous, it's not so much a need to fix a problem as a selfish desire to see that Plex GUI on the big tv (^-^). Not to mention...that feature doesn't work on older Macs (;_

But the OP's plan is to buy new iMacs...

 

[Tekkster]

But the OP's plan is to buy new iMacs...

Oh yeah....duh....I post a lot and this thread has been going on for a while....I forgot....ma bad.