We Got Served
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If you’ve not tried it, Windows Media Center (WMC) is an incredible one-stop media hang-out for watching and recording television, listening to music, perusing pictures and videos and watching movies.
Combining Windows Media Center with Windows Home Server showcases one of the major strengths of Microsoft’s server platform, which is centralized storage and distribution of media files throughout the connected home.
NAS manufacturer Synology announced today the successor to their 5 bay DS1511+, the DiskStation DS1512+, a high-speed/high-capacity device targeting prosumers and SMBs.
NAS specialist Synology this week took the wraps off their first ever 8 bay NAS server in the shape of the DiskStation DS1812+, a high-speed/high-capacity device targeting prosumers and SMBs.
We start with home server hardware. The first release of Windows Home Server in 2007 shipped on a variety of hardware that you could pick up from your local Best Buy, PC World or favourite online store. Fast forward to Windows Home Server 2011, and dedicated hardware is more difficult to find. So you’re left with the choice to either purchase an off the shelf PC or small server (such as HP’s excellent ProLiant MicroServer) and install the Windows Home Server 2011 software, or build your own. If you don’t fancy a build project, then skip to Chapter 4 for installation goodness. Otherwise, grab your screwdriver and spirit of adventure and come with me!
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.
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.
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.
Our Using OS X Lion Server at Home series and eBook has been surprisingly popular – it seems that many WGS readers are planning, or have bought and are configuring Apple’s OS X Lion Server for use as a home server. With a paucity of information out there on working through Lion Server’s (sometimes quirky) configuration and setup, I hope the guide has been useful to everyone whose taken a look at it so far.
For those who haven’t checked it out, and are thinking about a switch then this weekend, we’re running a special 20% discount on all sales of the Using OS X Lion Server at Home eBook!
As soon as Windows Home Server 2011 was released last year, one of the first applications requested by the community was a dedicated anti-virus client. Vendors who had previously supported WHS v1 have not upgraded their software to support the newer release, but the good news is that G-Data Internet Security for HomeServer is here to protect you, your home server and a few of your PCs.
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!
Are You Thinking Windows 8? (Let Us Know)
How To Install Microsoft SkyDrive on Windows Home Server 2011
86% of Windows Home Server 2011 Owners Use Additional Storage Management & Protection
Add-in Update: Drive Bender v1.3.0.0
Add-in Update: Drive Bender v1.3.1.0
TP-LINK Announces “Flagship” AV500 Gigabit Powerline Adaptors
Windows Home Server 2011 Step by Step – Part 18: Managing TV Recordings With Windows Media Center
QNAP Targets Small Business With New 16-Bay Turbo NAS Servers
Iomega’s StorCenter ix2 Arrives in the UK
Windows Home Server 2011 Step by Step – Part 17: Windows Home Server and Apple Macs
JazJon: Looks like he's got a new updated Windows Home Se...
Don: I enjoy the series and manage to get my Lion Ser...
Gravitywell: if you have a ATX MB with side facing sata ports...
lazergeek: I have been using this since Beta on my media cent...
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