OK...So I wanna build a server

jimmsch · Oct 14, 2007

I am thinking of putting together a home server. I will probably upgrade my main rig sometime in late spring or early summer. I would probably just use the contents of this current rig for my server.

I do have some questions. I will be using the server (lots of storage will be added) to store all of my music, picture and video files. I have a vast DVD/HDDVD collection that will rwside on the server and be streamed for viewing with my HTPC(in sig).

I would like to control the server from my main PC (it will be an upgrade of what I have now while what I have now will most likely be the server). That is to say I would like to not have a need for a monitor...mouse of keyboard on the server. Maybe occassionally hook one up for troubleshooting, but all the maintanence and installing of programs...downloading of files etc to be done remotely.

Is this possible? If so, what is best way to go about doing all of this? Is it even feasable to think I can use my current rig as a server?

Thanks -Jim

smokie mcpott · Oct 14, 2007

thats exactly what i do with my main server. its just running xp pro for ease of use, but has no monitor/keyboard/mouse. i use realvnc to control the server, but only because i like to do so from work as well...the windows xp built in remote desktop connection works just fine otherwise.

and having that rig as a server is WAAAAAAY overkill...unless you plan on folding/game server/encoding dvds/etc etc etc... all at the same time.

MooMasster716 · Oct 15, 2007

My server Is used for Bit Torrent 24/7 and it's only a 500mhz P3 with 256mb of ddr1 ram running Xp pro.The biggest gripe I have is transferring data from my server to my rig because 100m Ethernet just isn't fast enough. I'm probably going to buy a gigabit switch soon to just run everything faster. You really don't need that much power for a file server and your probably better off using a energy efficient Sempron, Duron or P3 rig because they use a lot less power. remote desktop works good for me to control the rig within my network.

jimmsch · Oct 15, 2007

MooMasster716 said:
The biggest gripe I have is transferring data from my server to my rig because 100m Ethernet just isn't fast enough. I'm probably going to buy a gigabit switch soon to just run everything faster. You really don't need that much power for a file server and your probably better off using a energy efficient Sempron, Duron or P3 rig because they use a lot less power.

smokie mcpott said:
and having that rig as a server is WAAAAAAY overkill...

Thanks for the replies guys. To address a bit of your issues, I will not be using the phase on the server. I will have to drop the CPU to stock volts etc. I will most likely use an old X600 PCI-E vid card I have laying around in the server.

I wanted to use what I have to save a few dollars. Do you all think I would be better off selling off the contents of this rig and buying lesser hardware to build a server with? Obviously I will be buying a few HDD's.

I will not be trensferring files so much, but I will browse torents on my main rig (I guess through remote desktop) and instruct them to be saved on the server so they can be streamed to my HTPC. I have been playing around with a network this weekend and the stream works well with my 100m router. It even works well with wireless laptop (granted atm the lappie is less than 5ft from the router). I guess if need be I can get a gBit switch, but I am really hoping by the time this hapens FIOS will be here.

kayson · Oct 15, 2007

For what you're doing, you can pretty much use any hardware. My server is an old P3 Dell that is running without a case on top of a cabinet in my office. I use it as a file/ftp/http/torrent dling server. Its on XP pro and I've got an ftp server, apache with php and mysql running on there 24/7. I transfer data and stream video all at the same time and it works without a hitch. I've got it set up with no peripherals not even a vid card. You can set up remote desktop connection to access it, and if you use some port forwarding you can get to it outside your LAN as well.

Is your rig overkill? Probably, but I doubt it would be worth it to downgrade. By keeping what you've got you have more options to expand or even use it as a PC somewhere down the line.

ps2cho · Oct 15, 2007

My server in my sig uses < 100w!

The Celeron-L's are amazing cheap, cool and fast chips!

But yes that rig is way overkill for a server.

nd4spdbh2 · Oct 15, 2007

ps2cho said:
My server in my sig uses < 100w!

The Celeron-L's are amazing cheap, cool and fast chips!

But yes that rig is way overkill for a server.

wow nice

my server rig is :

P4 2.8ghz northwood undervolted to 1.3v @ 2.8ghz
Gigabyte s478mobo
Seagate barracuda 60gb hd (for silence)
Zalman 400w psu
old passive Ati All-in-wonder 128 pro
MyHD MDP-130 digital tv tuner
Wireless 54mbit nic
Sb Live 24bit sound card

I use this thing for everything, watching digital tv on my standard tv, playing music on my 5.1 stereo, then other server things like, running 2 CS 1.6 servers, sometimes a bf2 and or a CSS server, torrenting, file server, web server, ftp server.... the list goes on but even my server is overkill for 2 CS 1.6 servers and a CSS server (all 18ppl+ / server) really my limiting factor is my internet... 2mbit upload sorta kills it sometimes... but o well

i run remote desktop to it and its great.... although i think i may switch over to my e4300 and undervolt that like no other but we will c.

telexen · Oct 15, 2007

jimmsch said:
Is this possible? If so, what is best way to go about doing all of this? Is it even feasable to think I can use my current rig as a server?

Remote management will be much easier if you run Linux.

I run my old 2600+ as a server...runs NFS/Samba shares for files (plus an rsync server for backups), Apache for a webserver, runs HellaNZB for NZB/Usenet downloading, ctorrent for Torrents downloading, Webmin for ease of configuration, and acts as an NTP time server for all other systems on my LAN.

It was all pretty simple running Gentoo

ShadowPho · Oct 15, 2007

My server is a 2.4Celeron, 768MB and 80GB HDD. Works flawlessly with Linux. Apache2/FTP/SSH/ X11 tunneling.
Just do try Gentoo. Greatest thing ever invented.

jimmsch · Oct 15, 2007

So basically you guys are saying that I might be able to use one of those two old Dell Dimension 4300's I have in my garage for a server. I am not sure what is in them as they were given to me and I never even tried to power them up.

What I can find is they have 128MB SDRAM...1.7gb P4

Tyranos · Oct 15, 2007

Just use a KVM switch and extentions to access the server system easily without having to attach a monitor to it when you need to use it, or just use windows remote assistance.

nd4spdbh2 · Oct 15, 2007

Tyranos said:
Just use a KVM switch and extentions to access the server system easily without having to attach a monitor to it when you need to use it, or just use windows remote assistance.

either that or remote desktop thats built into all windows server os's and xp pro.

(on my server above in my post, i run windows server 2003... one period i had it on for probably 5 months straight never had any slowdowns or crashes... i love win 2k3!)

White_Pawn · Oct 16, 2007

yeah. OVERKILLL.

you can use something real simple like a celly-l 420, giga ds3l, x600, cheap antec earthwatts or something, 1 gig (or 2 depending what you do) of ram and a terabyte or two or space and you are set.

ShadowPho · Oct 16, 2007

128MB of RAM could be just a tad too little. Try getting at least 256 or 512.

jimmsch said:
Is this possible? If so, what is best way to go about doing all of this?

In any case...the best way to go about this is to learn Linux. SSHing into a machine is MUCH easier and safer than using windows. Every day I get people who try to break into my box with IIS exploits and who attempt to connect remotely via Windows. 0_o
So far I did not had to connect a keyboard, mouse or a monitor to my linux box. I just SSH in and sudo everything I need.

Debian and Gentoo would be perfect for the task. Just do make sure to NOT set the password to 12345, because then the machine will not be yours for too long.

PLOBBY · Oct 16, 2007

So i have a storage server right now too. I am just currently running XP on it and using realvnc to remote desktop to it. I have 2.8 tb of space in it, since everyone is talking about linux, do the new releases have good support with sata? I have 5 sata drives in the comp. Sorry for the thread jack, but figured it didnt deserve a new thread.

My server is a semperon 2.8 -- 1gb ram -- 500 watt enermax psu -- and then the hard drives

2x250
2x500
1x320
1x1tb
and gigabit ethernet

Ebola · Oct 16, 2007

Windows provides a great server platform that is easy to use and very secure. You'll be fine using Windows XP and there is no need for realvnc. Just use RDC if you need to log in.

telexen · Oct 16, 2007

PLOBBY said:
So i have a storage server right now too. I am just currently running XP on it and using realvnc to remote desktop to it. I have 2.8 tb of space in it, since everyone is talking about linux, do the new releases have good support with sata? I have 5 sata drives in the comp. Sorry for the thread jack, but figured it didnt deserve a new thread.

I've been running SATA on linux for several years now...I don't think there's a single SATA controller that has no support anymore.

Ebola said:
Windows provides a great server platform that is easy to use and very secure. You'll be fine using Windows XP and there is no need for realvnc. Just use RDC if you need to log in.

Yeah, except it's not actually secure (way too many exploits), and Windows is almost always less efficient, especially with server duties. It's a server, you don't need a pretty frontend on the server machine, daemons do well.

jimmsch · Oct 16, 2007

OK,so I will try using one of the Dell's as a server. One has 1.4ghz P4 and 128MB Pc133 SDRAM. The other has 1.6ghz P4 WIllamette Stepping 2 Revision DO and 256MB PC133 SDRAM. I took the 128 stick from the slower machind and added it to the faster machine. I also found someone selling 2 256mb sticks of PC133 for decent price so maybe I will buy them and have the mobo's max of 512.

It is at this time installing XP Pro.

I guess I will remove the 56k modem and soundblaster from it. I suppose I also do not need both CD and DVD drives, so I will remove the one of them.

WHich one though? The CD drive is a burner and the DVD is not. Maybe it is more important to keep the DVD read possibilities and ditch the burner.

I partitioned the 40gb HDD into a 12gb OS/app drive and the rest as D drive. I guess if I get rid of the CD burner then I can add 2 more IDE HDD's.

Maybe I should just get a couple SATAcontroller RAID cards? I dunno...I am new to servers.

jimmsch · Oct 16, 2007

OK A little help with XP Pro remote desktop. I am using it now with one of thoise Dells. I would like to set a password, but how will I boot into windows with no keyboard and no monitor if I have a password?

telexen · Oct 16, 2007

I'll maintain my stance that MS's Remote Desktop is not a very good option. I would never leave an MS operating system without a head.

However, you don't need to be logged into Windows for RD to work IIRC. It's not like a normal VNC setup, it will actually log you in seperately, though not like linux as in a multiuser environment - more like using the "switch users" feature. What you're doing in your RD session will not be shown on a physical screen if one is hooked up, it will only show the welcome screen and your user as logged in.

OK...So I wanna build a server

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