Home Server Setup - Intro
There are a number of problems you will encounter when setting up a PC as a file server. This guide is aimed at the home user, who if probably using a windows based machine as a file server.
Virtually any PC with network capabiltiy can be used as a file server.
You will need:
BASIC SETUP
Home Server Setup - Choosing a PC
Most probably you will have an old PC in mind to use as a file server, the machine does not need to be high spec, but should have a reasonable amount of memery 512 MB to 1 GB shoul dbe plenty, but a bit more won't hurt.
I have set up 2 servers one can be seen here and uses a small SFF, but I have found this limiting as afile server for a number of resaons.
There are a number of problems you will encounter when setting up a PC as a file server. This guide is aimed at the home user, who if probably using a windows based machine as a file server.
Virtually any PC with network capabiltiy can be used as a file server.
You will need:
- A PC suitable for the job, this could be your main PC or a PC dedicated to file storage.
- A Network (Wired Preferable, but wireless is OK)
- Hardrives adeqaute for the amount of storage you need. (Documents >150 GB. Photos >500GB. Video >1TB (1000GB)).
- Cable to attach everything.
- A keyboard (PC will not boot without one)
BASIC SETUP
Home Server Setup - Choosing a PC
Most probably you will have an old PC in mind to use as a file server, the machine does not need to be high spec, but should have a reasonable amount of memery 512 MB to 1 GB shoul dbe plenty, but a bit more won't hurt.
I have set up 2 servers one can be seen here and uses a small SFF, but I have found this limiting as afile server for a number of resaons.
You can only use two harddrives, this is fine except when it comes to upgrading your drives, as the drive with the OS needs to be replaced it means you have to clone the OS partition or reinstall. Small chips maybe.
The next file server I make will be based around a bigger case such as a XW8200 (above) which can take 4 hard drives inside and three in caddies at the front. This gives the option to have a dedicated OS hard drive, and a further 6 drives for storage. Currently these are selling for £60 on ebay.
The only problem with using a huge PC is the power consumption and the space it takes up.
Another choice might be a micro tower, such as a DX2200, which can take 2 x internal drives, and 2 x external drives.
In all the aove cases it is important to make sure you choose a case that has the correct interface for your hardrives. The above cases only have 2 x SATA ports on the mother board so if you have more than 2 SATA drives you will need a PCI SATA card or an IDE to SATA covertor
Home Server Setup - Which Operating system
Networking started getting easy with Windows XP so use XP or later, these operting system also have the remote desktop feature, which you will use to log on to your server when you have put it to work.
It is not worth buying a dedicated server OS for a home file server, it will not pay. If you were building a web server to run apps etc then yes, but for home storage no. Most servers in the worl run on Linux (Red Hat), I have never used this but go for it if you are feeling brave.
Home Server Setup - Windows Setup
Once you have stuck together stick in the windows install CD and turn it on.
Create a smallish partition on one of the drives perhpas 10 - 20 GB for a XP install. This will hold the OS, and a few smalll programs that we will need to manage the file server, if you have a dedicated Hardisk for the OS then install on that one.
During the install you will be asked which network you want your PC asigned to if you go to network places on desktop and click entire netowork > windows network you will then see;
Avaibale networks, find the one with your computers on it (make sure they are all turned on) and assign the PC to that network.
Hopefully the install will go well, don't worry if the setup doesn'y "spot" all of your hard drives we will sort that out in Windows.
Home Server Setup - Enable SharingProvided you are on a private home netwrok this is how to enable sharing on your file server so you can start putting files on it. The fiest thin to do is open my computer and find your hard drives.
They will be listed like this or similar at least, right click on the drives you want to use for network storage and then selct the sahring tab at the top;
Home Server Setup - Auto Start Up and Shut Down
Most people don'y use there file server when they are in bed, and althoughyou might remeber to switch off you server every night I don't so I suggest this.
Auto Start Up - In the BIOS (Hit F10 after switch on) there may well be a power managment setting taht scheduals a wake up at various times of day, simlpy schedual the server to wake up at 8 am for example on week days, and 9 am at weekends. This way your file server will always be ready when you need it, if you get up early you can just switch it on as normal.
Turning off your file server is a little more tricky but can be done via schedualed taks. Simply create a shortcut that shutdown the PC and schedule it to run at your preferred time say midnight.
You now have a file server that wakes up and shuts down, without you having to even touch it, so you could stick it somewhere out of the way like the loft or something, where is is less likly to get coca cola spilt on it.
Home Server Setup - Confirguring your PC
Once you are in wondows there are e few things to do to better the perfornce of your file server.
Synback is a great free backup program that I use to back up various files on a network. You can also use it is "mirror" drives on your file server that contain imprtant info.
The next file server I make will be based around a bigger case such as a XW8200 (above) which can take 4 hard drives inside and three in caddies at the front. This gives the option to have a dedicated OS hard drive, and a further 6 drives for storage. Currently these are selling for £60 on ebay.
The only problem with using a huge PC is the power consumption and the space it takes up.
Another choice might be a micro tower, such as a DX2200, which can take 2 x internal drives, and 2 x external drives.
In all the aove cases it is important to make sure you choose a case that has the correct interface for your hardrives. The above cases only have 2 x SATA ports on the mother board so if you have more than 2 SATA drives you will need a PCI SATA card or an IDE to SATA covertor
Home Server Setup - Which Operating system
Networking started getting easy with Windows XP so use XP or later, these operting system also have the remote desktop feature, which you will use to log on to your server when you have put it to work.
It is not worth buying a dedicated server OS for a home file server, it will not pay. If you were building a web server to run apps etc then yes, but for home storage no. Most servers in the worl run on Linux (Red Hat), I have never used this but go for it if you are feeling brave.
Home Server Setup - Windows Setup
Once you have stuck together stick in the windows install CD and turn it on.
Create a smallish partition on one of the drives perhpas 10 - 20 GB for a XP install. This will hold the OS, and a few smalll programs that we will need to manage the file server, if you have a dedicated Hardisk for the OS then install on that one.
During the install you will be asked which network you want your PC asigned to if you go to network places on desktop and click entire netowork > windows network you will then see;
Avaibale networks, find the one with your computers on it (make sure they are all turned on) and assign the PC to that network.
Hopefully the install will go well, don't worry if the setup doesn'y "spot" all of your hard drives we will sort that out in Windows.
Home Server Setup - Enable SharingProvided you are on a private home netwrok this is how to enable sharing on your file server so you can start putting files on it. The fiest thin to do is open my computer and find your hard drives.
They will be listed like this or similar at least, right click on the drives you want to use for network storage and then selct the sahring tab at the top;
Selct all of the boxes that enable sharing, and the one that "allows network users to chage my files".
Do the same for any other drives yoy want ot store files on.
This is the basic setup over. There are some other things to do if you want but you will now have netwrok attached strage / file server that you can access from any PC in the house provided it is turned on.
ADVANCED TINKERINGS
Do the same for any other drives yoy want ot store files on.
This is the basic setup over. There are some other things to do if you want but you will now have netwrok attached strage / file server that you can access from any PC in the house provided it is turned on.
ADVANCED TINKERINGS
Home Server Setup - Auto Start Up and Shut Down
Most people don'y use there file server when they are in bed, and althoughyou might remeber to switch off you server every night I don't so I suggest this.
Auto Start Up - In the BIOS (Hit F10 after switch on) there may well be a power managment setting taht scheduals a wake up at various times of day, simlpy schedual the server to wake up at 8 am for example on week days, and 9 am at weekends. This way your file server will always be ready when you need it, if you get up early you can just switch it on as normal.
Turning off your file server is a little more tricky but can be done via schedualed taks. Simply create a shortcut that shutdown the PC and schedule it to run at your preferred time say midnight.
You now have a file server that wakes up and shuts down, without you having to even touch it, so you could stick it somewhere out of the way like the loft or something, where is is less likly to get coca cola spilt on it.
Home Server Setup - Confirguring your PC
Once you are in wondows there are e few things to do to better the perfornce of your file server.
- Alter the memory management to favour the system cache.
- Increase the page file size to double that of the installed memory.
- Prioritise the processor for background tasks.
- Schedual a monthly defrag.
Synback is a great free backup program that I use to back up various files on a network. You can also use it is "mirror" drives on your file server that contain imprtant info.
Use syncback to copy the contents of a shared drive to that of a un-sahred mirror drive.
This means you server will be double the cost for storage at least but means you will not loose data if a drive fails.
You can also secdual synback to run and grab files from other computers on the network, for example you may wish to schedual back ups for all of the "my document" folders for PCs on your network. Alternativly you could make shortcuts so all the people in your home work off the server directly.
This means you server will be double the cost for storage at least but means you will not loose data if a drive fails.
You can also secdual synback to run and grab files from other computers on the network, for example you may wish to schedual back ups for all of the "my document" folders for PCs on your network. Alternativly you could make shortcuts so all the people in your home work off the server directly.
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