Desktop - AMD XP3200+, 3x512MD pc3200DDR, 2x160GB HDD internal, 1x250GB HDD external USB, 1x160GB HDD external USB - daily usage Dell Inspiron 1705 laptop - daily usage VPR Matrix 1805B laptop - frequent but not daily usage HP Pavilion ZE4500 laptop - frequent but not daily usage emachines - an old machine my daughter uses when she is here, which is not too often but she will not let me get rid of it. total usage, approx 10 hours per year ;) printer = canon Pixma i6600D USB connected to desktop
Ok, right now, I have all the systems running WINXP and they were all networked, using the networking wizard. I have a motorola SBG900 modem/gateway and everything is wireless.
If I want to access pics/music/data files, I need to ensure that the desktop is on. Same if I want to print. The desktop must be on. And if I need to get something off the Dell laptop, I need to make sure that is on. I have so many duplicate files spread across all of these hard drives, it is not even funny.
What I want to do is have a drive that has all the pics/music/documents on it that can be accessed by any of the machines. I don't want it that that the desktop or laptop is on to access these files. I need it to be wireless, as the machines are all wireless and I dont want to have to resort to a wired network. I want to be able to print from any machine, whether the desktop is on or not. I would kinda like to have all the emails in one place, as there are times that I start one on the laptop and cannot finish it on the desktop... but I supposed just using the comcast website would deal with that.
I do not know much about this stuff and when I went to the store, the kid working their was telling me about email clients and print servers and yada yada yada and the total came to over $2,800. Much more than I was considering. Then someone told me to build a spare barebones system and use that. I would not know how to set that up and their mention of RAID made my eyes glaze over. I was looking at stuff like the Western Digital NetCenter, the Buffalo Drive Station or the Maxtor Shared Station. But will that do what I need it to do?
Suggestions, ideas and opinions appreciated. If I left out any info, I would be glad to post it. If this gets difficult, let me know what the points increase should be. I am not working on any deadlines and timeframes include, whenever I get around to it.
[q]Having server is more common practice. You may connect server to printer, to disk and to WiFi.[/q]
I have no problem with a server. I have enough parts laying around to build a spare system. The only things I would need to build a complete system, is a CPU (and a pci-e video card, but if it is just a server, I probably wont need one)
I can put this together, but I would have no idea what to do with it to make it a server, instead of just another computer. Someone told me I could set this up as a server, and use the hard drives as server/RAID... but again, my eyes glazed over... I dont know a thing about servers or RAID, so I figured just hooking up an external network hard drive would be really simple.
Server means no more than a group of shared resources, that are always available for clients. Resources are disk space and printer. Your motherboard supports hardware raid 0,1,0+1. If you have, suppose, two drives of 250Gb you may create a mirror of 250Gb total without any OS. I recommend you a mirror (RAID 1) since your data is impotent and it's better to loose 1/2 of disk space than entire mail history. You don't really need so much ram, 1x512 is VERY big for just a print/file server.
> and a pci-e video card, but if it is just a server, I probably wont need one for initial configuration or for troubleshooting, course you need a video card, but all the other time you don't need it. Just 'power up' system and it will work. Some motherboards however should have keyboard connected to boot properly.
> I dont know a thing about servers or RAID setting up raid on your motherboard may be done from BIOS
> Someone told me I could set this up as a server He was very close to the truth :-) You need to setup a server, and it's not so difficult as it sounds. If you have licensed WinXP Pro, then just set up it as usual workstation with disk C: shared and with connected printer shared. If you don't like to pay money for WinXP you are on a right way. Exactly the same can be done on any Linux. If you decide to use Linux on server, install distribution, that is familiar to you or your friends. I tried many of them, but prefer first tried: RedHat, now Fedora Core 5.
> I figured just hooking up an external network hard drive would be really simple. You may also connect external network drive to the server and share it.
There are a couple of solutions that might work really well for you, while keeping costs down and the process really simple.
Linksys (and they are not the only ones) offers a product that will allow you to store data over the network, and it can be used as a print server at the same time:
The basic idea of using one of these devices is that you do not have to leave any computers on, just the NAS (that is what they are called). Easy to use and they just work.
sorry if this is duplicate, i didn't want to read all that - i ive got a headache.
Does your wireless router have any LAN ports?
This would no-longer limit you to wirless print/server/SAN's.
If i were you, i'd decomission that old emachine. Format-re-install it with windows 2000 server. Create a domain controller. Create domain logins. Create file shares and roaming profiles.
Build a complete computer out of those parts of yours.
Install windows 2000 server (or 2003 if you feel so-inclined) on 1 of your 500 GB drives.
After that's done, PATCH THE HELL OUT OF IT. Get every patch you can find for 2000, starting with 2000 Service pack 4.
Then run "dcpromo" on it. This will start the active directory installation wizzard (the wizzard that makes the computer into a domain controller instead of a member server). Select new domain, but other than that, select the defaults. Put something like Homenetwork.lan as your domain name.
After thats done, you can create user accounts. create 1 for each member fo your family (or everyone who should be able to login) (start > programs > administrative tools > active directory users and computers - create them in the "users" folder). You will probably want to create a group or 2, something like "XXXXX" (your family name).
Now, create some shares - just regular windows shares. right click some folder, sharing and securty - share this folder. Now, the difference here is that you will be selecting either usernames or "XXXXX" and then give them permissions in 2 places for each share. Once on the share tab, once on the permissions tab.
Now that that is done, you may attach your other windows computers to this domain. This will allow any of the user accounts you created to login to any of the computers on your network. For windows XP: right click my-computer, select properties, select name, and click change... - enter the domain name "Homenetwork.lan" and then just a name. Click ok - it will ask you for a user/pass. Use the user/pass from when you ran DC/PROMO.
So, now you should have a Router, a domain controller, and a bunch of desktops. Keep in mind though, that now your router and your domain controller must pretty much stay on 24/7, or people will have issues logging in.
If you agree do take this up, accept my answer and i'll give you some more setup suggestions, such as a VPN server for when you leave your house with the laptops, a terminal services server for administering your server with out walking over to it, or roaming profiles so that your family will be able to login to one computer, save something in my documents, go to another computer, and find the same file, still in my documents.
There's lots you can do by setting up a domain that you cant do just by having a work group.
Just - well - google it. Google knows more about making a domain controller than i ever will.
I have just ordered a video card and CPU for the above mentioned motherboard with the intention of building a server. If there is anything else I need, please let me know and I will order that, too.
I have Windows NT 4.0 server and workstation software as well as RedHat and Turbo Linux. I have ZERO experience with Linux and very little with NT, but am willing to learn.
When my parts arrive, I will post again, at which time I will increase the points to this question to reflect the direction it is taking.
I'd go with NT server 4.0 if thats what you have licenses for... its much more... annoying... than 2000 server, but it'll do the same thing.
You might want to get a UPS... depending on how vital it is that all your data be available all the time. for a home network, i probably would not recomend a ups.
karenmarie1963, Win NT 4.0 is too old to use Wi-Fi connection. Again, you don't need a domain controller or something like this, you need to configure typical member workstation in a workgroup with 2 resources shared (hard drive and printer). As I said Windows NT lacks of WiFi support and your printer support (pixma ip6600D), Linux supports WiFi, but lacks of your printer drivers. On Canon's side you may see the list of operating systems, that supports your printer: http://software.canon-europe.com/products/0010237.asp There are only MacOS X and Windows XP and above drivers (No NT and no Linux). There is a third party drivers for $39 for your printer for Linux (RedHat is fine): http://www.turboprint.de/english.html Also there are freeware drivers for your printer for Linux, but printing quality is poor: http://gimp-print.sourceforge.net/ OR you may buy WinXP upgrade (it's available for NT users), install XP and have fun.
This disk is available with SATA 3Gb/s interface. It is also called SATA II, which is supported by your motherboard and which is the best choise for you.
Remember about difference between 'usable' and 'bare' disk size. 200 gigs in specification is 180G in 'true' gigabytes, and only 70% if this space is usable for files in NTFS filesystem.
Ok... talk about resurrecting a thread from the dead....
Believe it or not, I just got the processor. I paid for it almost two months ago and it has been on backorder since then. It was paid for, so I decided to wait. Had I known it was gonna be this long, I would have asked for a refund, but I just took it one day at a time.
I got a bunch of parts... CPU, RAM, SATA drives and I got Vista Ultimate. Ihave decided that I am going to build the 64bit dual core machine as my main desktop and use this present system as my server, just replacing the hard drives to a SATA RAID.
It will take me a day or two get this started. I am thinking that I will build the new desktop, then come back when I need help with the server. I will, of course, up the points value at that time.
btw.... I don't understand why in the world the socket 939 would become obsolete when it is still so popular. The same chip as an AM2 is actually a LOT cheaper than the 939!!! I don't get it!
