Thinking of building a File Server...where do I start?

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BoyBlunder

[H]ard|Gawd
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Nov 10, 2003
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I have 2 laptops and am interested in building a file server for storage. I have 2 external IDE HDDs in external enclosures (see sig; probably will buy more as well) and want to put them into a file server. what kind of motherboard would I need for this? processor? should I consider RAID?

if anyone could possible provide a guide or anything, that would be much appreciated.
 
all you need is a motherbaord that supports your external enclosures.. so basically something new enough to have usb2.. that is probably it.. or if you want to take them out of their enclosures and stick them in the computer, you just need someting new enough to support the drives.. if they are over 137gb then you need a fairly new motherboard.. or controller card for them..


ok.. i just went back and looked at your sig..
just throw together something cheap.. like a $100 sempron/mobo combo.. some ram.. which you seem to know about based on the amount ni your laptops.. and a case.. then install windows and share the drives, or a linux distro.. and then i don't know what to do with linux..

then umm.. network them.. if your laptops are wireless networked.. then pick up a wireless card and a router if you don't alraedy have one.. or get a cheap switch and some ethernet cable if you want to go that route...

i am not tottally sure what you are asking though.. i think it would defeat the purpose of having an external enclusure if you just had it connected to some computer in a closet somewhere..
 
scottatwittenberg said:
all you need is a motherbaord that supports your external enclosures.. so basically something new enough to have usb2.. that is probably it.. or if you want to take them out of their enclosures and stick them in the computer, you just need someting new enough to support the drives.. if they are over 137gb then you need a fairly new motherboard.. or controller card for them..


ok.. i just went back and looked at your sig..
just throw together something cheap.. like a $100 sempron/mobo combo.. some ram.. which you seem to know about based on the amount ni your laptops.. and a case.. then install windows and share the drives, or a linux distro.. and then i don't know what to do with linux..

then umm.. network them.. if your laptops are wireless networked.. then pick up a wireless card and a router if you don't alraedy have one.. or get a cheap switch and some ethernet cable if you want to go that route...

i am not tottally sure what you are asking though.. i think it would defeat the purpose of having an external enclusure if you just had it connected to some computer in a closet somewhere..
Click to expand...

yea, what I want to do is just get rid of the external enclosures completely and just use the drives as internal HDDs.

I didn't know it was as easy as that. always thought it was more complicated.
 
no.. it is easy... get a nice case.. make sure you get a decent psu since a lot of hard drives will stress it... and a psu that blows can take out hard drives.. then get a cheap mobo/cpu combo.. well.. ok.. you can build a computer to put those in for. $200, i would personally go more toward the $300 range and get a better case and power supply...

or you can get a dell sc420 server for about $300 shipped.. if you config it right.. you get 512mb ddr2, 80gb hd, nice server case, 3.2 celeron or something... i normally would never reccomend dell, but.. for under $300..

also.. i might be interested in buying those external enclosures...
 
ok now for my next question

should I sell these 2 hard drives I have now and get SATA or should I just keep them and go with SATA for the new ones I'll buy?
 
BoyBlunder said:
ok now for my next question

should I sell these 2 hard drives I have now and get SATA or should I just keep them and go with SATA for the new ones I'll buy?
Click to expand...
SATA cabling is nicer, but I'd be somewhat doubtful that you'd get much from selling those unless you sell the enclosures too. If you think you'll make enough that you can afford the SATA ones, I'd go for that. Seagate is my suggestion for quiet and fairly fast. There are 2 200GB sata drives in my house, both full, both decent performance. I also have 4 120 PATAs, work nicely.

Oh, and I have a pile of 13 dead WD drives, so except for the Raptors I'd stay away from them...
 
unhappy_mage said:
SATA cabling is nicer, but I'd be somewhat doubtful that you'd get much from selling those unless you sell the enclosures too. If you think you'll make enough that you can afford the SATA ones, I'd go for that. Seagate is my suggestion for quiet and fairly fast. There are 2 200GB sata drives in my house, both full, both decent performance. I also have 4 120 PATAs, work nicely.

Oh, and I have a pile of 13 dead WD drives, so except for the Raptors I'd stay away from them...
Click to expand...
I second that about the SATA drives, go seagate, you wont be dissapointed. As far as SATA goes for a file server tho, I dont believe it would hurt to hold onto both your PATA drives for now, especially if your not going to do raid, because on most mobos you can just add them in with the SATA ones. All depends on what the mobo you get supports.
 
I am going to go a different way with this.

Unless you need more than just file serving, with networking two laptops as the goal, I really think for your $$ you would be better off looking at something like a Ximeta NetDisk type appliance: http://www.ximeta.com/

==>Lazn
 
Lazn_Work said:
I am going to go a different way with this.

Unless you need more than just file serving, with networking two laptops as the goal, I really think for your $$ you would be better off looking at something like a Ximeta NetDisk type appliance: http://www.ximeta.com/

==>Lazn
Click to expand...

I don't feel too good about that...it's just a hard drive in an external encolusre with a switch built in...I'd rather have a server.
 
BoyBlunder said:
I don't feel too good about that...it's just a hard drive in an external encolusre with a switch built in...I'd rather have a server.
Click to expand...

That is fine, but I am curious why? They can do RAID 1 (with two of them) are easier to set up, just as fast, and are actually Linux servers (with a MIPS or ARM processor).

If you build your own server, you will have a higher expense (costs more), higher chanse of problems (less reliable), no added security, need virus protection of it's own, etc.

Pro's of having your own server though: It can host your own domain, you can learn how servers work, you have more control over the whole setup, and it can host games/websites/email server etc. if you want to set that stuff up (more versitile).

What OS are you planning on using?
Microsoft? for the money I recommend: http://www.newegg.com/app/viewproductdesc.asp?description=32-102-269&DEPA=6
Linux? for Linux I recommend: http://www.debian.org/

==>Lazn
 
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