- Feb 22, 2007
- 16,240
- 7
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I'll probably get a lot of responses that there are better options but please read before you post.
I use linux for a lot of things , I work with it in embedded hardware all the time. So when it came time to put together a server for the home I naturally chose linux. I started off with redhat but it had some issues with driver support for some of the hardware I wanted to use . This wasn't going to be a server like a business would use but a server that would handle everything from media storage to recording tv shows, to mail and now even routing and firewall for the home network.
I went through numerous linux installs, tried amahi home server, untangle, and others. They all had their good and bad points but there was always something that I didn't like or needed that I couldn't get to work the way I wanted.
I saw the xp install disk sitting on my desk one night and thought why not, tried everything else. Installed it and started to get to customizing. Within 1 day I had everything like I wanted it.
Here is the way I have it set.
Winxp running on a p4-2Ghz with 1GB ram.
2 - network cards - 1 connects to the cable modem, other to a switch
Multiple hard drives.
First concern - security.
This might alarm some but XP on a network is secure. It is only when you start loading software that the OS gets compromised. If there are no ports to connect to then nothing on the outside is a threat. Port scans on the external interface all show as no computer exist on that ip. Inside the network the computers see it as a router like any other.
Routing
For routing and overall network management there is a great application called Nat32.
http://www.nat32.com/
You can use network connection sharing and that will work fine too but nat32 has more features like traffic shaping.
For managing the box you can use remote desktop connections. Set them to be usable only for the local network.
Keep the software installs minimal. I only have jdownloader, sabnzbd, mail server, playon server, running on the box along with some samba shares for media as well.
It now host several TB of data, raid works well , it supports power management and tv tuners that linux wouldn't. Uptime is now a solid 2+ months without me having to touch anything on the box. Applications like jdownloader and sabnzbd have a web interface I can access from any pc on the network so I haven't had to rely on remote desktop either.
With everyone switching to windows 7 this might be something good to use those xp disc for, if not a router, it can work well as a home media server.
I use linux for a lot of things , I work with it in embedded hardware all the time. So when it came time to put together a server for the home I naturally chose linux. I started off with redhat but it had some issues with driver support for some of the hardware I wanted to use . This wasn't going to be a server like a business would use but a server that would handle everything from media storage to recording tv shows, to mail and now even routing and firewall for the home network.
I went through numerous linux installs, tried amahi home server, untangle, and others. They all had their good and bad points but there was always something that I didn't like or needed that I couldn't get to work the way I wanted.
I saw the xp install disk sitting on my desk one night and thought why not, tried everything else. Installed it and started to get to customizing. Within 1 day I had everything like I wanted it.
Here is the way I have it set.
Winxp running on a p4-2Ghz with 1GB ram.
2 - network cards - 1 connects to the cable modem, other to a switch
Multiple hard drives.
First concern - security.
This might alarm some but XP on a network is secure. It is only when you start loading software that the OS gets compromised. If there are no ports to connect to then nothing on the outside is a threat. Port scans on the external interface all show as no computer exist on that ip. Inside the network the computers see it as a router like any other.
Routing
For routing and overall network management there is a great application called Nat32.
http://www.nat32.com/
You can use network connection sharing and that will work fine too but nat32 has more features like traffic shaping.
For managing the box you can use remote desktop connections. Set them to be usable only for the local network.
Keep the software installs minimal. I only have jdownloader, sabnzbd, mail server, playon server, running on the box along with some samba shares for media as well.
It now host several TB of data, raid works well , it supports power management and tv tuners that linux wouldn't. Uptime is now a solid 2+ months without me having to touch anything on the box. Applications like jdownloader and sabnzbd have a web interface I can access from any pc on the network so I haven't had to rely on remote desktop either.
With everyone switching to windows 7 this might be something good to use those xp disc for, if not a router, it can work well as a home media server.
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