Posts tagged "Windows Home Server"

I have been using a Windows Home Server at home for more than 6 months: it backups our three computers, stores my whole music collection on an SMB share and shares it as a UPnP media library... I love it.

Even if the server is powered by a - relatively - power saving Intel Atom, it wouldn't feel right to keep it on all the time. In order to save some power there's a really effective and simple WHS plug-in: LightsOut.

More...

I'm back writing about Windows Home Server. After setting up the server and installing a private SVN server, having an always-on computer could be used for something useful and highly illegal, like... downloading torrents.

While there are some µTorrent add-ins for the WHS connector, they don't seem to work very well. The easiest way to get the thing up and running is to simply install the program as a service and then manage it through the WebUI which is already included in the application.

Follow this guide on how to install µTorrent as a service (with nice screenshots). The original article is meant for WHS CTP, but works equally well on the final version.

Some final suggestions:

• Limit the µTorrent user account: if you follow the guide, you'll end up with a special user account on the server that simply runs the µTorrent service and nothing else. During setup, you have to add the user to the Administrators group to allow him to log in remotely. But to make the server a little safer, switch the user back to a limited account once you're done and ensure he has access to the folders you are downloading to.
• Do not store active downloads on replicated shares: I suggest to create a simple folder in your D: drive and to store all downloaded files there (the option's name is "Put new downloads in" in µTorrent's preferences dialog). Apparently, WHS automatic file replication doesn't work well on files that are frequently written to, as is the case for your µTorrent downloads. You can set the application to move the downloaded files to a public share, which can then be replicated without problems.
• Enable port forwarding to the WebGUI: you'll be able to manage your downloads and add new torrents from anywhere.

And a final plea: please buy the stuff you like. Thanks to Amazon (also check out Amazon Marketplace), GOG.com, Play.com and so on, you can get music CDs, games and movies for - literally - a couple of euros. So, don't be cheap and support artist and software producers.

Having my Windows Home Server quietly running in the closet and backing up all home computers, it would seem natural to use its storage for something more than keeping a couple of pictures and songs. Installing a Subversion server is both easy and useful. Using SVN to manage your projects, even the smaller part time ideas, is a good way to discover some of the intricacies of using source control. And, as some people say, learning the details of source control is a must.

More...

As posted before, I installed a Windows Home Server at home using an Intel dual-core Atom processor on a 945GC based motherboard (D945GCLF2). The only problem with this setup is the cooling system. Even if the Atom CPU runs on extremely low power and is surprisingly fanless, the actual chipset on the motherboard (which also includes the video adapter by the way) needs way more power and better cooling.

The fan that comes with the motherboard is very small and extremely LOUD! I mean, it has a really annoying, high pitched, humming sound. All the time. And since the server will be powered on almost always, I needed to change that into something less noisy.

I bought a Zalman ZM-NBF47 chipset cooler: a very cool looking heatsink which should work just fine.

More...

Before leaving for Holland I purchased a copy of Windows Home Server and ordered some hardware. Now that I'm back and all stuff has arrived I can start building the little computer that will backup our home network and store my brother's and my growing music collection.

More...