Windows Home Server: Any Good?

[GTaudiophile]

Typically, for my home server, I have used various Linux distros. I am now using FreeNAS. Would migrating to Windows Home Server offer any benefits?

 

[JackMDS]

WHS can do much more then a simple file server.

http://www.ezlan.net/WHS.html

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2029756

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2040351

 

[pcgeek11]

WHS can do much more then a simple file server.

http://www.ezlan.net/WHS.html

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2029756

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2040351

+10,000

pcgeek11

 

[notposting]

I should type up a standardized response to this question...anyways:

Depends on your home environment--is it primarily Windows-based? The automatic backups are awesome, it obviously handles file sharing for Windows really well.
The Drive Extender technology does make things pretty easy--not RAID, but still offering redundancy while having just standard NTFS drives.
The different plugins available offer more functionality. It has remote access capabilities which I haven't really played with it but they could be useful depending on your situation (file access and I think it also offers machine access).

There are those who have gotten it running as a virtual machine as well if that's the way you want to roll.

edit: for us it does our backups on 4 machines, I've been ripping all our music to it, the DVD collection will come next, our TV recordings get dumped automatically to it, I have Avast AV running on it and it also keeps tabs on all the machines AV status. Pretty nice and transparent and adds some value.

 

[joutlaw]

My bought the HP Mediasmart 750GB with the celeron last summer. I've added 1TB, and 2TB drives.

This has by far been one of the best tech investments I have made. All of my machines are backed up and I finally have free space on my other machines.

I have a HTPC, 2 laptops, Xbox360, and one desktop. All access it easily... even more so with Win 7.

The only thing I haven't done yet is a central iTunes library.

 

[nerp]

Couldn't live without my WHS box. I never worry if I left a file on a computer and forgot to move it to my laptop because I can access all my machines as well as my WHS share from anywhere. It plugs into MCE and is just a solution for so many things. Backups, redudant file storage, expansion potential, remote access and all the add-in possibilites. . . it goes on and on.

 

[jalaram]

The HP Mediasmart LX195 is on sale at Newegg for $199. That's one way to get WHS cheaply.

 

[RebateMonger]

The HP Mediasmart LX195 is on sale at Newegg for $199. That's one way to get WHS cheaply.

I saw that. That's a really good deal, considering the software is $100 and the drive is $70 by themselves. It'd work great for the vast numbers of people who don't have backups of their family's computers.