The last portable optical drive review I wrote was almost two years for the Lite-On eTAU208 DVD/CD Rewritable Drive. For a cost of only $50, you had a very compact DVD/CD optical drive you could hook up to a USB 2.0 port of any computer. A lot has changed since then and Lite-On is back with a BD capable version in the form of the eSEU206 Optical Drive.
WGS' New eBook "Windows Home Server 2011 Step By Step" Is Now Available
Following the release in December of our popular Using OS X Lion Server at Home eBook, we were asked a question, “Why haven’t you done a guide to Windows Home Server”? We couldn’t think of a smart enough answer, so got to work writing one over Christmas…. and it’s ready for release! Authored by Microsoft Windows Home Server MVPs Terry Walsh and Jim Clark, Windows Home Server 2011 Step by Step is WGS’ comprehensive guide to Microsoft’s home server platform, covering hardware, software, add-ins, apps, tips, tricks, advice, support and a whole lot more.
By Terry Walsh on November 16, 2011 @ 10:12 pm
Filed under: How to Guides, News, Windows Home Server 2011.
Using OS X Lion Server as a Home Server Is Now an eBook - Grab It Now!
I’d like to say a big thank you to everyone who’s taken time out to read and comment on We Got Served’s OS X Lion Server series, Using OS X Lion Server as a Home Server. It’s been our longest feature series to date (13 parts and still only half way through), and has received hundreds of comments from readers interested in experimenting with a Mac Home Server.
Over the last few months, I’ve had quite a few comments asking for the series to be presented in full in PDF or eBook format – now it’s here!
By Terry Walsh on November 16, 2011 @ 10:33 pm
Filed under: Apple Mac, How to Guides, Mac OS X Server, News.
HP ProLiant MicroServer N40L - New Model, Same £100 Cashback
A few weeks back we posted the news of HP’s all new ProLiant MicroServer and followed up with even better news that the small footprint server was now certified for use with Windows Home Server 2011. We know hundreds of you have already picked up the MicroServer, thanks in part to a wildly successful cashback promotion that HP ran for a number of months. The good news is that it’s back, and the brand new model is now eligible.
By Terry Walsh on November 16, 2011 @ 12:53 pm
Filed under: News, Windows Home Server, Windows SBS 2011 Essentials.
How to: Back Up Your OS X Lion Apple Mac to Windows Home Server
As many users know, Mac OS X Lion will no longer backup to a Windows (SMB/CIFS) shared folder when using Time Machine. Only HFS+J formatted USB drives and AFP shares will work. Luckily, an open source package exists that provides support for AFP and Bonjour on Windows Home Server, called Netatalk. Though it was originally developed for Unix systems, it is possible to load a very small Linux virtual machine (<384MB of space) which will host Netatalk, and be configured to run at startup like a service. Follow this guide and you’ll be able to backup your Mac once again to Windows Home Server.
By Terry Walsh on November 16, 2011 @ 8:32 am
Filed under: Apple Mac, How to Guides, Mac OS X, News, Windows Home Server, Windows Home Server 2011.
Using OS X Lion Server as a Home Server (Part 8 - Profile Manager and Apple Macs)
In this part of the series, we’re going to walk through Apple’s Profile Manager – a powerful configuration tool that allows remote configuration of a vast array of client features and settings. We’ll walk through how to register your Apple computers with Profile Manager and how those machines (and indeed, the user accounts running on them) can be configured to provide a personalised, tailored experience for your users. Need to rock some parental controls for the kids? On all of the Macs in the house? At once? Profile Manager is your friend.
By Terry Walsh on November 16, 2011 @ 4:30 pm
Filed under: Apple Mac, Hardware, How to Guides, Mac OS X, Mac OS X Server, News.

New Wi-Fi Hotspot Products Coming From TP-LINK
If you need to create a W-Fi hotspot when you are on the road, TP-LINK has just the Ethernet or 3G powered product for you.

Iomega Adds iOS Access to Range of Network Storage Devices
Iomega this week unveiled a new iOS app for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch that enables easy access to files stored on the company’s range of network storage devices.

Add-in Update: KeepVault v4.11
KeepVault, a cloud storage and backup add-in for Windows Home Server and Windows Small Business Server Essentials 2011, has received an update this week.

Tranquil PC Riley Server Now Pre-ordering
Tranquil PC have announced that their series of Riley Windows Home Server 2011 units are now available to pre-order from the company’s website.

Western Digital Enters the NAS Market Powered by Microsoft
Western Digital enters the Small to Medium Business storage server market with the WD Sentinel.

IODATA’s HDL-Z2WH2T/1D Adds Storage Virtualisation to Windows Home Server 2011 (in Japan)
It must be tough for North American home server enthusiasts. Whilst European and Asian system builders continue to trickle out Windows Home Server 2011 boxes, choice in the US and Canadian markets is very limited indeed. So close your eyes, whilst we tell you about another new Japanese Windows Home Server 2011 model that’s on the way in December from IODATA.

iBrick Seeks to Deliver a Unified Windows Home Server-Powered SAN Solution
New from San Diego’s InteliSAN is their iBrick range of home servers which combine customised home server hardware with the company’s LDisk iSCSI storage pooling add-in.

LDisk for Windows Home Server
LDisk for Windows Home Server v1 and Windows Home Server 2011 adds iSCSI Target Storage capability to your Windows Home Server. Using LDisk, you can create a single appliance to provide all your storage and backup needs.
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Add-in Update: Cloudberry Backup v2.6.2
Cloudberry Backup allows you to back-up the data on your home or small business server to the cloud. Powered by a variety of online storage providers, the add-in integrates neatly with the Dashboard to allow backup scheduling, data encryption and many more features to protect your data.

Add-in Update: Lights-Out Service Pack 2 Beta Refresh
A refresh of Lights-Out Service Pack 2 Beta was released this week for Windows Home Server v1 and WHS 2011. The power management add-in allows you to place your server in sleep or hibernation mode at scheduled times

Add-in Update: AWIECO Wake on LAN v1.2
AWIECO WakeOnLAN is an add-in which enables the Home Server to start up every computer attached to your network. The add-in shows a list of all available and connected computers within your network and allows you to start them up from any location on network or over the internet.

Advanced Admin Console 2011 Is Released
The testing is over and the production version of the WHS 2011 add-in Advanced Admin Console is now available.

iHomeServer v2.0.28
iHomeServer is an add-in for Windows Home Server v1 and Windows Home Server 2011 which allows you to manage Apple’s iTunes media player directly from the WHS Console/Dashboard. iHomeServer starts iTunes automatically when the computer starts, keeps it running and allows you to manage iTunes without having to physically access the computer. It also makes it easy to add new media to your iTunes Media Server.

CES 2012: Sony’s HomeShare Speakers, Blu-ray Disc Home Theater System to Support Apple’s AirPlay
If you’re thinking of spreading your audio around the home, Sonos and Logitech’s Squeezebox may have been your favoured options. But perhaps it’s time to give Sony’s HomeShare system a second chance – whilst the first iteration resolutely avoided support for Apple’s AirPlay, the electronics giant has now bowed to the inevitable and built in support for Cupertino’s streaming technology.

CES 2012: Samsung’s Optical Smart Hub Fuses Network Storage With DVD Burning
Things that make you go “Hmmm…” Samsung’s Optical SMART Hub SE-208BW is a study in kooky convergence, marrying an external DVD burner with optional network attached storage.

CES 2012:Acer Apes Apple With AcerCloud. Not iCloud, Okay?
At CES, the year of the Cloud service continues, this time with Acer whose AcerCloud file-synchronisation service will ship with new PCs and Android devices in Quarter 2 2012. Just don’t mention iCloud, okay?

CES 2012: LaCie Delivers New Thunderbolt Storage Lines
LaCie today announced two new additions to its range of Thunderbolt storage products, in the shape of the 2big Thunderbolt Series and eSATA Thunderbolt Series, the latter allowing users to connect external eSATA drives to new Macs via its Thunderbolt connection.

Could HP Be Planning a More Powerful ProLiant MicroServer?
You’ve seen the HP ProLiant MicroServer by now. It’s taken a grip of the home and small business server market for sure this year, courtesy of the original N36L in 2010 and refreshed N40L model this year. But look carefully at HP’s Maintenance and Service Guide for the MicroServer, and you’ll see the company has apparently been testing a much more powerful version of the model.

Using Apple OS X Lion Server as a Home Server (VPN Configuration)
So far, remote access to our Lion Server has been restricted to viewing the server webpage and checking out our Calendar remotely. That’s providing a little bit of value, but we need more! The good news is that we can remotely log in to the server from a remote location, and use it just as if we were sitting in front of it at home, using a VPN (Virtual Private Network) connection. I won’t bore you too much with the technology, but I should cover a couple of things before we get started.

Windows Home Server 2011 Step By Step – Part 1: What Is a Home Server?
Before we get into the finer details of life with Windows Home Server, we should take a step back and ask a pretty important question. Just what is a home server? Ask a hundred people in the street, and you’ll find many blank faces and the odd comedian who’ll ask you if it has something to do with household chores.

How To: Map A Windows Home Server 2011 Network Location To a Windows 7 Client
Do you find navigating to Windows Home Server’s shared folders an arduous chore? Take a look at how Windows 7 allows you to create a direct link to network resources. This direct link is known as a ‘Network Location’ in the Windows Explorer application. A network location is similar to a mapped network drive without assigning a drive letter. Or you can think of it as a network resource shortcut.

Windows Home Server 2011 Step By Step – Introduction
Welcome to Windows Home Server 2011 – Step by Step and for many of you, to the Windows Home Server platform itself. If you’re new to WHS, I hope this book will help you quickly discover how easy it is to install, configure and use Windows Home Server, and how useful its features are in both the home and small business environments. Whether you’re interested in streaming music, video and photos around your home and beyond, seeking an easy way to share files with friends and colleagues, or simply looking for an easy way to protect your PCs and Macs, you’ll learn that Windows Home Server can play an essential role at the heart of your network.

WGS’ New eBook “Windows Home Server 2011 Step By Step” Is Now Available
Following the release in December of our popular Using OS X Lion Server at Home eBook, we were asked a question, “Why haven’t you done a guide to Windows Home Server”? We couldn’t think of a smart enough answer, so got to work writing one over Christmas…. and it’s ready for release! Authored by Microsoft Windows Home Server MVPs Terry Walsh and Jim Clark, Windows Home Server 2011 Step by Step is WGS’ comprehensive guide to Microsoft’s home server platform, covering hardware, software, add-ins, apps, tips, tricks, advice, support and a whole lot more.

Hands On: Synology DiskStation DS-111
With Synology’s DiskStation DS-111, the company’s entry level consumer NAS server, we’re now at the (roughly) £150/$200 mark for a diskless device – still more expensive than direct attached storage (especially with current hard disk prices), but packing a swathe of value added features that you’d previously expect to find only in higher end devices. Whilst the hardcore enthusiast may well prefer a 4-bay powerhouse, could the single bay DS-111 be the right NAS for the masses? Let’s find out.

CES 2012: Synology Announces DiskStation Manager 4.0 Beta
A brand new OS beta for Synology with a host of features including cloud synchronization, new mobile apps and support for Amazon’s Kindle Fire.

CES 2012: New Products From QNAP
Coming from QNAP: new Turbo NAS models, video surveillance systems, and more.

QNAP Announces Their New V3.6 Beta NAS Management Software
The V3.6 Beta Management Software introduces a number of new features.

CES 2012: Samsung’s Optical Smart Hub Fuses Network Storage With DVD Burning
Things that make you go “Hmmm…” Samsung’s Optical SMART Hub SE-208BW is a study in kooky convergence, marrying an external DVD burner with optional network attached storage.

CES 2012: Seagate GoFlex Satellite Wireless Mashes Mobile Storage With a 4G LTE Hotspot
Need a 4G hotspot? Need mobile storage? Don’t need to carry two devices? Then the Seagate GoFlex Satellite Wireless was designed for you.

CES 2012: Buffalo Joins in 820.11ac Speed Race With Forthcoming AirStation WZR-1750H
The standard is not yet finalised, but the networking vendors are already previewing their new 802.11 ac routers. Coming towards the end of the year will be Buffalo’s new AirStation WZR-1750H router and WLI-TX4-1300H Media Bridge.

CES 2012: D-Link Unveils Two New High Performance Routers
If you thought the humble router has had its time when it comes to feature innovation, then CES 2012 has proved there’s life in the network-horse yet. D-Link today unveiled a pair of routers which the networking geeks may well take to their hearts.

CES 2012: D-Link’s All-in-One Mobile Companion Promises Sharing, Streaming and Power on the Move
At CES today, networking specialist D-Link announced an innovative tech solution for travellers. The DIR-505 All-in-One Mobile Companion is a device offering network connectivity, local file sharing as well as power for your devices when you’re away from home.

CES 2012: Sony’s HomeShare Speakers, Blu-ray Disc Home Theater System to Support Apple’s AirPlay
If you’re thinking of spreading your audio around the home, Sonos and Logitech’s Squeezebox may have been your favoured options. But perhaps it’s time to give Sony’s HomeShare system a second chance – whilst the first iteration resolutely avoided support for Apple’s AirPlay, the electronics giant has now bowed to the inevitable and built in support for Cupertino’s streaming technology.

Hands On: Synology DiskStation DS-111
With Synology’s DiskStation DS-111, the company’s entry level consumer NAS server, we’re now at the (roughly) £150/$200 mark for a diskless device – still more expensive than direct attached storage (especially with current hard disk prices), but packing a swathe of value added features that you’d previously expect to find only in higher end devices. Whilst the hardcore enthusiast may well prefer a 4-bay powerhouse, could the single bay DS-111 be the right NAS for the masses? Let’s find out.

Hands On: Iomega TV With Boxee
The Boxee ecosystem grows with the European-only Iomega TV with Boxee – the second media receiver to arrive packing Boxee’s media software. Join us as we take a look at what it can do.

Software Review: TuneUp Utilities 2012
TuneUp Utilities 2012 is one of those Swiss Army Knife utility programs that does a bit of everything to improve various performance parameters, troubleshoot various computer problems, and personalize your PC. If it can take care of some of those mundane tasks automatically for me, I could be happy!

Hands On: Snoop-de-dupe Add-in for WHS 2011
Got duplicate files on your server? Weed them out with Snoop-de-dupe.

Hands On: Lite-On eSEU206 External Slim Blu-ray Disc Combo
The last portable optical drive review I wrote was almost two years for the Lite-On eTAU208 DVD/CD Rewritable Drive. For a cost of only $50, you had a very compact DVD/CD optical drive you could hook up to a USB 2.0 port of any computer. A lot has changed since then and Lite-On is back with a BD capable version in the form of the eSEU206 Optical Drive.

Add-in Update: Cloudberry Backup v2.6.2
Cloudberry Backup allows you to back-up the data on your home or small business server to the cloud. Powered by a variety of online storage providers, the add-in integrates neatly with the Dashboard to allow backup scheduling, data encryption and many more features to protect your data.

Add-in Update: Lights-Out Service Pack 2 Beta Refresh
A refresh of Lights-Out Service Pack 2 Beta was released this week for Windows Home Server v1 and WHS 2011. The power management add-in allows you to place your server in sleep or hibernation mode at scheduled times

Add-in Update: AWIECO Wake on LAN v1.2
AWIECO WakeOnLAN is an add-in which enables the Home Server to start up every computer attached to your network. The add-in shows a list of all available and connected computers within your network and allows you to start them up from any location on network or over the internet.

Advanced Admin Console 2011 Is Released
The testing is over and the production version of the WHS 2011 add-in Advanced Admin Console is now available.

LaCie Announces New Small Home and Office Servers in the Shape of the 5big Office Series
Following the launch of the company’s 5big Backup and Storage Servers in 2010, LaCie today announced a refresh of the series in the form of the 5big Office and 5big Office+ small business servers. Powered by a choice of Windows Home Server 2011 or Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials (Microsoft’s “Breckenridge” server operating system – a close cousin of Windows SBS Essentials 2011 and Windows Home Server 2011) the products provide centralised file sharing, remote access and client backup for up to 25 users.
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Windows Home Server 2011 Finally Gets Anti-Virus Protection January 8, 2012 -
Home Server SMART 2012 January 23, 2012 -
How To: Map A Windows Home Server 2011 Network Location To a Windows 7 Client January 28, 2012 -
How to: Install Microsoft Forefront Client Security Antivirus on Windows Home Server 2011 January 23, 2012 -
The $249 HP MicroServer & Windows Home Server 2011 Combo is Back January 21, 2012
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Hands On: Synology DiskStation DS-111 February 6, 2012 -
Add-in Update: Cloudberry Backup v2.6.2 February 5, 2012 -
Add-in Update: Lights-Out Service Pack 2 Beta Refresh February 5, 2012 -
Using Apple OS X Lion Server as a Home Server (VPN Configuration) February 1, 2012 -
Add-in Update: AWIECO Wake on LAN v1.2 February 1, 2012
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Andy: anyone get this working on WHS 2011? If so could y...
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NicolasDR: I'm still having the issue that my WHS 2011 machi...
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NicolasDR: I'm still having the issue that my WHS 2011 machi...
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Fernando Delfim Rocha Vieira: Hi,this Sunday a friend ask me to help hum w...
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Productreach1: DVD replication/duplicationProduct Reach provide...
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- New Driver For Intel Pro/1000 Gt Nic Adapter: 8.10.3.0 ? February 6, 2012
- Ex475 Turning Itself Off February 6, 2012
Latest Comments
Fernando Delfim Rocha Vieira Hi, this Sunday a friend ask me to help hum with a problem on is Man Mini Server. He has a small office and uses the mini server to... – 06 Feb, 10:32 AM
Productreach1 DVD replication/duplication Product Reach provides a wide variety of services for DVD Replication and DVD Duplication. Digital Versatile Disc (DVD), is the next generation optical... – 06 Feb, 7:54 AM
Terry Walsh Now fixed. Apologies! – 05 Feb, 11:34 PM
Rychek426 For the WHS 2011 edition at least. – 05 Feb, 9:50 PM
Rfychek426 Unless I'm missing a link somewhere (quite possible), the download links are for v1.5.1.1555 instead of the BETA refresh. – 05 Feb, 9:49 PM
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Latest Reviews
- Hands On: Synology DiskStation DS-111
With Synology’s DiskStation DS-111, the company’s entry level consumer NAS server, we’re now at the (roughly) £150/$200 mark for a diskless device – still more expensive than direct attached storage (especially with current hard disk prices), but packing a swathe of value added features that you’d previously expect to find only in higher end devices. Whilst the hardcore enthusiast may well prefer a 4-bay powerhouse, could the single bay DS-111 be the right NAS for the masses? Let’s find out.
(No Comments)
- Hands On: Iomega TV With Boxee
The Boxee ecosystem grows with the European-only Iomega TV with Boxee – the second media receiver to arrive packing Boxee’s media software. Join us as we take a look at what it can do.
(1 Comment)
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