How to build a Windows Home Server to back up your PCs and stream all your movies, music and photos
Your PC’s hard drive is probably packed to the platter’s edge with hundreds of ripped DVD videos, gigabytes of digital photos from your camera, and tens of thousands of songs. And that’s not even counting the high-definition digital video from your last family vacation that you’re still planning to unload. But with terabytes of media just gathering dust on your desktop PC, you risk losing years of aggregated files when your hard drive inevitably gives out (don’t even think about backing it all up to the cloud). Our solution: Keep all your data backed up on a Windows Home Sever. More than just a generic NAS box, Windows Home Server maintains backups, streams media files, and works as a file share across your home network. And the best part is that you can build one yourself—we’ll show you how!
Windows Home Server: An Overview
More than just a stripped-down version of Windows Server 2003, WHS has numerous features that make it ideal for small home networks
No-Hassle Backups
WHS’s primary function is providing automatic backups for computers on your home network. You can schedule daily backups for up to 10 Windows machines, and you have the option of picking specific local drives or excluding individual folders from backup. The backups aren’t image-based, either: WHS looks at the file system and stores only one copy of every file on its data partition, regardless of how many PCs that file appears on. WHS also monitors the antivirus and firewall status of all client PCs, a useful tool for home admins.
Intuitive File Sharing
The WHS administrator can create user accounts that give friends and family members access to shared files on the server, as well as a password-protected account folder to store personal files. Users’ PCs access the server like they would any other network-attached storage device, and they have the option of enabling data redundancy to duplicate selected folders across multiple physical drives on the home server.
You can add up to 10 Windows machines to back up with WHS,
as long as their drives are formatted using the NTFS file system.
Robust Remote Access
Getting access to your files and managing backups on WHS remotely is easy as well. Users can use the provided Console Connector client software to change their own backup settings, navigate the file system in Windows Explorer with a network address, or even remote desktop into the server. Read more about remote access later in this article.
Versatile Media Streaming
Built into the latest version of WHS is the Windows Media Connect UPnP server software, which lets any compatible digital media receiver (like the Xbox 360, PS3, or Windows Media Player 11) stream movies and music off the home network. WHS’s Power Pack 2 update added support for MP4 video files and metadata, and third-party add-ins and server software enable advanced features like real-time video transcoding, so you can stream almost any file type.
Easy Expandability
One of the coolest things about WHS is its ability to seamlessly integrate any new hard drives into its data partition. Whether you’re adding new internal SATA drives or plugging in additional USB hard drives, WHS will automatically format new storage devices so all drives are treated as a single unified storage space. Replacing older hard drives is also relatively easy, though the removal process may take several hours as WHS relocates backup files to the remaining physical drives.
Why settle for the limitations of a store-bought server when you can build one that's even better?
Even though several PC manufacturers offer complete Windows Home Server solutions (like the ones reviewed later in this article), there are many advantages to building one yourself. Most WHS packages are limited to a maximum of four storage drives, and generally include a 1TB drive to get you started. Our build allows for up to six internal SATA drives, with a starting capacity of 4TB (two 2TB drives). Additionally, we included a dual-core Athlon processor, which is far better suited for video transcoding tasks than the typical Atom or Celeron that’s included in current WHS builds. Finally, even though our build is a little more expensive than pre-assembled offerings, WHS software runs perfectly on normal PC hardware, so we recommend that you scavenge parts from old PCs to save on costs.
The Parts List
Case: Antec 200
$59,
www.antec.comMotherboard: Asus M4A78 Pro
$110,
www.asus.comProcessor: AMD Athlon X2 240
$61,
www.amd.comRAM: 2GB Corsair DDR2
$40,
www.corsair.comStorage: (2) 2TB Western Digital Caviar Green
$440,
www.wdc.comPower Supply: Rosewill RP550-2
$55,
www.rosewill.comOS: Windows Home Server OEM
$95,
www.microsoft.comTOTAL: $860
Optical Optional
We omitted a DVD drive ($20) from our parts list because, aside from installing the OS, you're never going to need an optical drive for your server. WHS can be installed from an external USB DVD drive, but we also recommend installing from a 2GB USB key ($10).
1. Prep the Case
We picked the Antec 200 because it’s an inexpensive chassis with six 3.5-inch drive bays. It also one-ups other budget cases by including an external easy-swap SATA bay, which is convenient if you plan on frequently replacing your WHS’s drives. The included 14cm fans also have adjustable rpm switches, so you can turn them down to keep the system whisper-quiet. To start, you’ll have to snap in the motherboard’s included I/O shield in the back of the case (image A), and then screw nine motherboard stands into the belly of the chassis (image B). We also took this opportunity to install the power supply (image C).
Image A
Image B
Image C
2. Insert the CPU
Next, place the motherboard on a static-free surface and install the CPU. Make sure to align the CPU properly (matching the triangle on one of its corners to the mark on the motherboard) before locking it into the socket (image A). Once the CPU is in place, plant the stock cooler on top of the proc and clamp it into the plastic bracket (image B). Then plug the cooler’s three-pin fan connector into the motherboard.
image A
image B
3. Drop in the Motherboard and RAM
With the case flat on its side, carefully place the mother-board inside, aligning its screw holes on top of the standoffs (image A). The Asus M4A78 is a full ATX-size motherboard with six SATA ports. It also has onboard video output, which we’ll use to access the BIOS and also install the WHS software. With the motherboard screwed into place, insert your two 1GB RAM modules into slots 1 and 3, which allows the DIMMs to run in dual-channel mode (image B).
image A
image B
4. Mount the Drives
Now it’s time to install your WHS’s hard drives. With the case side panels removed, slide each drive into an open bay until its screw holes are visible from the side. Affix each drive using four screws. We went with two large-capacity drives to give our server ample storage space without having to worry about replacing drives anytime soon. WHS partitions 20GB for the operating system, and then corrals the rest of the disk capacity into one extended storage space using symbolic links to trick the file system into thinking you have only one really big hard drive.
5. Attach SATA Cables
Use the included SATA data cables to connect both of the drives to the motherboard (image A). We also connected a third SATA cable to the case’s easy-swap drive slot, which rests right above the internal drive bays. After the data cables are attached, connect the SATA power cables from the power supply to the drives as well (image B).
image A
image B
6. Wire It Up!
With all of the physical hardware in place, it’s time to wire up the loose ends. We want to be able to plug USB keys and portable hard drives into the front of our WHS, so we plugged the case’s two front-panel USB cables into the motherboard (image A). The other front-panel connectors, including the power switches and LEDs, are easily attached to the motherboard using Asus’s motherboard adapter (image B). You’ll also want to direct power to the case fans using four-pin Molex connectors from the power supply (image C). Finally, give your motherboard some juice by attaching both the main 24-pin ATX connection and four-pin CPU power connector to the motherboard (image D).
image A
image B
image C
image D
source:maximumpc
