Connected Internet - Latest Comments in Building A Home Server Part II

Re: Building A Home Server Part II

mosey — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 20:05:58 -0000

Love you for this post! :D I've never built a homeserver, but with a price under 150 I think I'm tempted! My cost will probably be a bit more, since I will actually have to purchase the hard drives in question as well as the RAM. Still, thank you for breaking down the prices and step-by-step, as this is the sort of content that is really lacking (particularly for those in the UK) on the web imho!

Re: Building A Home Server Part II

Insomniac (Ian) — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 00:51:32 -0000

Oops - when I said roughly double I meant to say they've roughly halved.

Re: Building A Home Server Part II

Insomniac (Ian) — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 00:19:25 -0000

Thanx Smackall.

I know everyone's tried hard to convert me to the likes of Naslite but I think I'll be going down the XP route for the server - I'm a lot more familiar & confident handling XP & remote access.

By the way, my Gigabit Lan stuff arrived yesterday. Installation was a breeze & now PCs are communicating on the LAN at 1000 Gigabit utilising the new switch & CAT 6 cables. Did a few data transfer tests between PCs & looks as though file transfer speeds are roughly double to that of my previous 100 fast ethernet - would you say this is about right or do you suggest any tweaks for further speed improvement?

Re: Building A Home Server Part II

Smackall — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 23:21:33 -0000

Firewal is the either a piece of software that is a part of the OS or a piece of hardware which protects your network from the public network. It denied requests for connection with any untrusted machine outside your network.

Hardware firewalls are better in some cases as they are hard to hack in. But software firewall often gets hacked as the environment they work can be easily changed.

An XP machine well updated with latest updated, and with Norton Antivirus updated daily should work good

Re: Building A Home Server Part II

(Ian) — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 06:54:02 -0000

I know I said about winding this thread up but you've tempted me with another question - firewalls. I've never understood the difference between what I call a software firewall Vs a hardware firewall, ie. Linksys router & Windows or Norton's firewall.

Can you explain this & do you believe I'll be pretty well protected having net access via my firewall protected Linksy ASDL router & Norton installed on the file server's OS disk?

Re: Building A Home Server Part II

Smackall — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 06:27:20 -0000

not only resource hunger, but it'll need a good firewall, anti virus, Etc to keep it safe. And it all about money now... if you wanna hold your mouse then go for xp but if you are not ok with spending this much for OS and its safety then you can go for NASlite of linux server.

Re: Building A Home Server Part II

Insomniac (Ian) — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 04:27:25 -0000

Unless I've missed something I don't see the point of mapping as I can create shortcuts on my desktop of shared files/folders residing on the LAN. Having said that it could be useful to see an entire drive.

Think I now understand why when I google I never see many results re disk management over a LAN as it looks to me that many non Windows OSs don't have the same issues (like defragging) as Windows does. The reason defragging was an important issue for me is I do a lot of large file size video rendering which needs a well defragged drive.

I think to wind this up, if I've understood everything OK, then if I opt to go the Naslite route then I'll have to get used to CLI but it would have the benefit of utilising an old Pentium 2 PC as it's not resource hungry. Or I opt to go for the heavy weight XP with a GUI that I'm very familiar with but will probably need to upgrade to a better spec'd motherboard/CPU with more RAM.

I'm very grateful for all your input (& Everton), I've learned a lot about LANs & NAS over the past few days.

Not sure whether you celebrate Xmas but if you do, have a good one!

Grateful Ian :)

Re: Building A Home Server Part II

Smackall — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 03:38:03 -0000

I dont know if we have defrag option for ext3 file formats in unix based OSs. But I have never used it in linux.

yes, it just maps as a virtual drive.

Re: Building A Home Server Part II

Insomniac (Ian) — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 02:09:15 -0000

So how do you defrag a remote drive when the file server has no monitor/keyboard/mouse attached to activate a defrag?

So mapping really just let's you copy/paste/save files onto what looks like virtual drives - yeah?

Re: Building A Home Server Part II

Smackall — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 00:41:43 -0000

You cannot do the defrag on a remote drive.

Re: Building A Home Server Part II

Insomniac (Ian) — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 00:10:38 -0000

@ Everton

Pleased to hear that you feel I haven't taken over this thread - thanx for that.

Not sure what you mean in your reply. I am setting up a NAS server, it's my file server. Were you referring to Naslite & other CLI OSs?

The bottom line is, I'm insistent (I'm a middle aged guy stuck in his ways!) that the file server's OS has a GUI as I'm not happy with using CLI. Is there any non hungry resource GUI OS designed for file administration out there or is my only option XP?

@ Smackall

Just read your response - mapping the remote drives on the client machine , now that's an interesting one - when they're mapped will I be able to execute my system management program (System Suite) to maintain/defrag, etc. the mapped network drives?

At the moment System Suite only recognises local drives, does mapping con the system in thinking the remote drives are local? If so, this may well be my answer as I wouldn't have much need to remote access the file server.

Re: Building A Home Server Part II

Smackall — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 22:36:53 -0000

When you really dont often use the interface of the OS, I am sure a linux based OS does the best. Moreover its Virus free. Even if your xp gets affected by any virus, the files are still safe in case of Naslite, But when you have Xp as file server, the virus is still happy to affect it.

And I think you can map the drive into your xp machines, that will show as another drive in xp machine. This is what we do with our linux server here.

Re: Building A Home Server Part II

Everton — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 14:55:07 -0000

@Ian

I wasn't complaining-leave as many comments as you like!!!

In terms of spec you just need something that can run XP comfortably. But I would seriously consider setting up a NAS server as the spec is much lower and managing the server remotely is much easier e.g. no hassles with creating directories, moving files, access permissions etc

Re: Building A Home Server Part II

Ian — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 14:49:19 -0000

@ Smackall - only my stomach knows about your location! Not sure where Chennai is but will have a look for it on Google map. I'm at Lincoln in the UK. Don't know what we all did before the www came along!

Anyway, back to my sharp learning curve - never thought the answer was in the Naslite title "lite". I'm now going back to my original thought of installing the spare licensed copy of XP on the file server (when I've built it) & gaining remote access by either XP's own remote access facility or running VNC. I'll just have to make sure that the file server's spec is up to handling XP Pro.

@Evereton - I'm sorry if I've taken over this thread with all my questions but you guys have been most helpful in raising my understanding of the issues involved in remote access for LANs

@ both of you - one final (I hope) question if I may - have you guys got any suggestions as to the bare minum spec of hardware for a file server running XP Pro that won't frustrate the user (me) on waiting times. Don't want to shell out loads of money on components that aren't neccessary. What CPU/RAM do you think is the bare minimum?

Re: Building A Home Server Part II

Everton — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 09:35:56 -0000

you can't manage NASlite via HTTP but you can access the files via a browser. This thread would have been ideal for the forum - will get that working again once the main theme is completed.

Re: Building A Home Server Part II

Smackall — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 09:10:47 -0000

For xp to xp remote access, you can also install VNC server and client for windows.

Meanwhile, I am not sure if we have GUI for NASlite as it is meant to be lite. May be you need to check if NASLite allows you a web interface for file access.

Ah, you know a lot about my location. And I am here in Chennai (city). I hope you are somewhere here around. :)

Re: Building A Home Server Part II

Ian — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 07:51:16 -0000

Delighted to learn you don't suffer from amnesia! By the way, Indian food is my absolute favourite, English food's so boring!

Thanks for your response, my head is beginning (I think) to grasp the basics.

I'm familiar with Windows Remote Access facility but on this occasion I was trying to emulate a remote session to see what appears on the client monitor, ie. I was expecting to see the XP OS on the host PC but I can't get past puTTY's connection error message.

From what you say it looks as though testing a connection between 2 XP PCs is no good using puTTY.

Befor I go ahead & purchase Naslite can you confirm or otherwise whether Naslite has a GUI interface & that puTTY will allow me to see it (the GUI). Or do they both only utilise CLI?

If the answer is CLI then have you any recommendation on the best method of remotely accessing (only across my LAN) the file server where I get to see a GUI so I can use my favourite pet mouse. I appreciate I could use XP on the file server but presumably I would need a reasonable spec'd server as XP is a little resource hungary.

I wish my Hindi was as good as your English!

It's nearly lunchtime here & I've got a sudden craving for Takka Dhall, Sag Peneer, Chicken Madras & a Stuffed Paratha, not forgetting the Keema Rice :)

Re: Building A Home Server Part II

Smackall — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 06:46:51 -0000

-> Ian
Putty is for telnet which is basically for a Unix based OS. For windows you might better try Remote Desktop which comes as default in XP pro. Putty give you only keyboard interface, so you will need to take your keyboard as well to you bed until you configure your file server. And Naslite doesnt seem to have a GUI interface. Might be a ftp server if should help you, but I am not sure if ftp is supported in NASLite.

I am from India (+5:30 Zone)

Re: Building A Home Server Part II

Ian — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 06:00:05 -0000

Here I go again - just had a thought, when I eventually get a puTTY remote session working will I see the remote PCs OS GUI (the wife's desktop) or does puTTY only give me a black screen like DOS or what you guys call CLI?

I'm one of those users who's takes his mouse to bed - I hate keyboard commands!

Re: Building A Home Server Part II

Ian — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 05:02:40 -0000

Thanks Smackall, much clearer now.

I haven't yet built the file server so I was just testing puTTY from my PC to one of the wife's PCs, both running XP Pro. Presumably, therefore I need to configure the wife's PC for telnet - how do I do that?

Even when that's done, am I likely to run into firewall issues?

At this rate I'll be monopolising a new page 3 as well as page 2 on this thread! :)

Did tell you I'm a novice (hopefully, quick learning one!)

By the way, I notice a lot of your replies are in the middle of the night, so presumably, you're either the otherside of the planet to the UK, you're a long suffering night shift worker or you're like me, a long suffering insomniac! Which is it?

Re: Building A Home Server Part II

Smackall — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 03:39:08 -0000

Putty is the client software for windows that can connect you to the telnet server on the NASlite. So your NASlite has to be configured for telnet and then from windows you need to use putty with the ip address and port to get connected to NASlite interface.

Re: Building A Home Server Part II

Ian — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 02:18:18 -0000

Thanks guys for sticking in there with me - I'm slowly getting there (I think).

So I can run Naslite (installed on the file server) as the OS which has built in file management facilities. I can run a remote session using puTTY which will enable me to see (GUI window) & control Naslite installed on the server - yeah?

I've downloaded puTTY. I've opened the application & had a go (to test) at starting a remote session to access another PC on my LAN but receive a connection refuse message. This is where I've got stuck - remember I'm no where near as advanced as you guys!

I presume the remote session initiation is maybe being blocked by a firewall. If so, I'm note sure whether it's my Linksys router blocking the session or whether it's my software firewall (not windows but Norton Antivirus which has built in firewall). I've tried all the different protocols available (raw/telnet/rlogin/ssh) but all get refused. puTTY defaults to port 22.

Not very familiar with ports & their numbers or how to go about changing firewall settings so not to block my remote session initiations??? Also, does the remote PC have to be configured to give permission to be accessed & if so, what settings do I have to change on that PC?

Any help would be very much appreiated - it's great having a couple of mentors!

Cheers

Re: Building A Home Server Part II

Smackall — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 22:58:18 -0000

Naslite is based on linux and would definitely support these protocols. Or you will need to install VNC server or Telnet server on it. Then on the windows site Putty will do good for Telnet and VNC client for windows will do good for VNC. Both are free and they let you to see the interface on your Wondows end. telnet is for CUI and vnc for GUI. I am not sure vnc also supports CUI. but I feel it should be. :)

Re: Building A Home Server Part II

Everton — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 14:19:00 -0000

@Ian

Doddle to setup. Just read the manual and download a client like Putty

Re: Building A Home Server Part II

Ian — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 14:15:34 -0000

@ Everton (or is it Liverpool?!)

So you run Naslite & utilise the telnet protocol for RAS - yeah?

Is it difficult to set up?