Home server suggestion

[NRaygun]

In an effort to simplify things at home, I'm re-evaluating the home server's OS.

I've got a Dell SC420 running Windows 2K Server and all is well. I also have two NASLite servers which also work very well and a Windows XP box that I remote desktop into from my iMac to run Quicken(I know there's Quicken for the Mac, but I like the version I'm running on my PC).

I was thinking of getting rid of the two NASLite servers and the XP machine and replacing the Win2K Server with something like, Windows XP.

There are really only two users on my home network - me and my wife. Win2K Server is overkill in my opinion. No need for AD, profiles, etc. and my router does DHCP.

I was thinking of maybe just reloading the SC420 with Windows XP Pro and setting up some shares on it. I would also run TrueCrypt for an external drive that I use for backup with Syncback. I also run TiVo's Desktop. A Media Center system upstairs also gets it's movies from this system.

What are the downsides? Is having an XP machine with shares defined running all the time a bad thing? Is it any worse than having a Win2K Server box?

I dont think I want to go Linux since I need to run the TiVo Desktop(I know, I know, I might be able to get it running in Wine and I really like Ubuntu these days, but again, I want things very simple).

What do you think?

 

[TG2]

Id stick with the 2000 server on the SC420
If you put XP on it, youd stillhave to setup user accounts to match the ones on your PC and the wifes.
Id move the DHCP to the server as well, probably DNS (just install AD) If the server is doing DHCP and DNS, any PC connected to your network will be able to resolve the names of other PC's on the network, routers have problems sometimes with resolving names (just think, half the 'help me with my network' posts the users end up having to go by IP to access the other machine)
Setup the AD, setup the user accounts, setup the shares.
Any reason the Quickbooks couldnt run on the 2000 server? then you could just RDP into the server and it'd free up a box for ya.
On the other hand, if you have decent ram in the SC420, you could put a virtual XP machine on it and then RDP to that.
Im all for virtual machines, especially at home !

 

[NRaygun]

Thanks for the info. This is pretty much the way I have it setup now.

Quicken can certainly run on the 2K Server, I think I just have a mental block in doing so.

The only other concern is that the TiVo stuff needs to run with someone logged in. I think the same is true for my backup software, SyncBack.

I could probably load the SC420 with another big hard drive and put the info from the two NASLite servers onto that. Then, I could load Quicken on the server and eliminate that machine. I'd wind up with one machine running Win2KServer, with backup, on a UPS. Sounds pretty good.

I still think 2K Server is overkill. Granted the name resolution is good, but my wife never accesses anything beyond some mapped drives and a printer.

Still recommend sticking with 2K Server?

 

[kevnich2]

Unless it's causing problems, I'd stick with the windows 2000 server. If it's doing AD/DHCP, your network is actually pretty robust. Use it for network storage, backing up to as well as print serving and I don't see any reason at all to remove it. I would, however, remove the rest of the boxes and consolidate their functions onto the windows 2000 server box and only have it doing the serving functions for your network.

 

[Nothinman]

If you've already paid for Win2K Server and gone through the hassle of setting it all up why would you want to move to XP?

 

[NRaygun]

I guess I'll just leave it alone. It isn't broken, so I shouldn't fix it. It wasnt too much trouble to get going and I've paid for XP but never used it. It was meant for the wife's laptop, but all is well with XP Home.

I'll have to figure out how to have it auto-login so the TiVo stuff works along with Syncback.

Any ideas?

What do you use for backup on your home network?

 

[kevnich2]

You want the Win2k server to automatically login?

Go into control panel, go into users and passwords. Click and highlight the account you want to login automatically, uncheck the checkbox at the top, then click ok and enter the password information. Voila.