server query. need some advice.

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Dec 19, 2009
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hi guys, need some advice.
im setting up a home server for work, and have 1 or 2 questions.
the server will be used for this:

4 people accessing their peronal partitions, the communal partition and their e-mails from the server through the internet.

what i need is...
1 > a suitable operating system for the server.

2 > would i be better using an ftp like filezilla, or allowing them to connect through a vpn and map the network drives?

kinda on a budget for the software i need. so as cheap as possible would be great.
i was thinking of windows server 2003. would this be suitable?

Microsoft Win 03 Server, 5 Device, Licence Pack Clients only OEM

the clients connect to the server through their laptop's, and i think all 4 are using xp 32bit.
im hoping to keep to mircosoft as if something goes wrong, the person using it doesnt have a clue about linux etc.
so any suggestions?
 
Sounds like Windows Small Business Server (SBS) would meet your needs.

Not sure on if it does VPN though...someone else may chime in if it doesn't.
 
"setting up a home server for work" huh?

"4 people accessing their peronal partitions, the communal partition and their e-mails from the server through the internet"
So your going to have 4 people connected to 2 shared folders on the server, over the internet
For the emails, if you have to sitck with windows, youll need Exchange server...so SBS2003/2008 would fit, it comes with 5 'CALs' so youd be covered.
As for the folks connecting with there laptops...your going to add the laptops to the new domain you make and redo all the settings on the laptops? or are you going to make batch files for them to map the drives with a different username/password than they get onto the laptop with?
 
ok, ive picked up windows server 2003 very cheap, and after reading, it seems its going to suit everything i need.

dbwillis, im going to setup vpn connections on all the laptop's, and map the network drives for their partitions. Once thats done, all they should techincally need to do, is connect the vpn, and their drives should be accessible from my computer.

as for the e-mails, im going to have a look for exchange 2003.

Does it come with windows server 2003, or is it a standalone package?
 
exchange is a stand alone package, and it (and licensing) will cost a bit

The users logon scripts wont run automatically after the vpn connects..they wil lprob have to run a batch file to connect the drives.
but over the net...hopefully they arent using any large files...
 
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