Thread: How to set up a deticated server Pt 1 . Windows Home Server

This will be one of three guides I will post on this topic. "Deticated Server"
Ive ran many different setups, testing the best, easiest to manage, and most user friendly.

The easiest is a custom Windows Home Server box.

Pros, Will create an Image of every computer on your network that you can use to recover your machines, comes with a domain and home page that can be logged into from any where providing you have internet, to view or dowload like a FTP server. Can also be comfigured to host your media (music, pics, movies ) so that anyone who you autorize can stream from you like you tube. Quality of this depends on the hosts internet connection. Can be setup to steam media via, Tversity, wmp11 to devices like the PS3 , Xbox-360

Cons. If you name it poorly you will hate your life. Windows pcs will have problems finding it on your network with generic names such as Home Server. Ill cover that later.
Is designed my Microsoft , Is not free in most cases. If you have msdn access go nutz !

Step 1 a, Download Windows Home Server w/ at least power pack 1 from Microsoft . It is available to purchase from New Egg "System builders" for 99$ , Alternatively you can dowload a 6 month trial (which is what I originaly did) I do not believe in sharing this image , you can but the support from Microsoft when you pay for this is actually really helpfull in my experience.

1b Burn Image to DVD


Step 2. a Find a pc you arent currently using or get (through whatever cheap means you have) I reccomend a Dual Core of any kind and 1 gb Memory, you do not need a deticated monitor ,you would need one for the installation though. Storage (Ive often found it cheaper to look for external drives that are clearance amd just crack them open and use the hdd. 2 reasons , 1 is usually cheaper ie) I got 6 1 tb wd externals for Best Buy about a week about for 60$ each. Second reason is you can keep the guts from one and have an emergency back up tool to recover data. Lastly Optical drive which does not need to be permanent. And --->Gigabit network Card<-- hopefully you have a gigabit network but even if you dont, the ad in cards allow for larger full duplex and bigger packets.

The Basic info I am borrowing from another Writer Nick Race primarily for pics I dont want to remake

NOTE* It is usually best to Setup a whs box with only one HDD at first. You can add more later and is the preffered method

Installation and Setup

1. Put disk in , Boot to it . In a short while you should see....



2. you will get the Hdd management screen. Here you can load whatever raid drivers, scsi or weird sata drivers you have, I've never had to use this as whs runs a software raid that dupes files anyhow.




3.Select New Installation, which should be the only option available if this is the first time you’ve installed WHS. In the future, recovery abilities are available from this screen if you need to re-install WHS. Make sure New Installation is selected and click Next.



4.This screen allows you to enter your product key for WHS. Like Vista and Windows XP SP3, you do not have to enter your key at this time, however it needs to be entered within 30 days or WHS will stop working. Either enter your key or click Next.

NOTE* This is Important. If you are using the 6 month eval , you need to get that product key from Microsoft when you download it. If you leave these blank you ony get 30 days !



5. Naming your WHS box, Let me save you some time, I reccomend your last name and then its designation, mine would be like this James-mediaserver or James-whsbox
if you give it a generic name you will have all kinds of problems later from Installing the connector software to actually using a backup as windows client OS' (XP,Vista,7) all have a hard time with DNS when someone on your ISP has the same named computer ie (HomeServer)



6. The next few things are jus Next-> Next-> Next->

7.Once you get to the password screen make sure you put some though into it, if you forget it there is not same file to fix to reset it , you are in fact hosed perminently and so maybe is your data. Also remember that you are going to need that passord to opperate the machine headless through the "Connector Software" or RDP (remote desktop)



There are tons of guides with lots of pictures just use google, the things I added were all learned the hard way and took days/weeks of my life to fix

And thats about it for the installation and setup. I would encourage you if you are interested to let me know and I can also put up how to hack wmp 11 to work on it, how to set up the streaming media through url and Tversity.


I am not currently running this setup , now I am doing the exact same thing on my HTPC via VMware Server 2.0 and loving it.

Hope this is usefull to someone.

James


Added.. Current setup os Win 7 > Vmware Server -> Windows Home Server + Ubuntu
Win 7 for Media Center w/ cable card support
Whs for storage Server and Backup
Ubuntu for the kids to play games on and click shiny things which they love to do !

Here are screenies of that setup












If you are thinking of using a VM solution let me know. I can help. But I'll fair warn you.. have backups.. I havent lost anything yet but i keep backed up just in case!

Reserved for additions

Great tutorial , requested by JJ .. +rep :001_smile: