Home Network

Hi!
I am looking to setup a Home Network consisting of two Desktop Gateway's DX4840's and a HP Elitebook 8460p. One of the Gateways has two hard drives with 1 TB each. I have two Plex servers on it and use the 2nd drive to house some videos files that I download, etc. I have mapped several network drives to a Synology NAS DS220j where I house all the files for Plex. So the second drive is mainly storage for video files.

What would be the easiest way to start? Things have changed so much from Fifteen years ago. I want to run MS Office 365 and have this copy as the only one the other computers access. That way I can get on any computer and check my Outlook mail from any computer. Or open a Word or Excel document, etc. I have a wireless adapter for both desktop computers, so that they can network and see each other.

Questions:
1. Do I need to buy a server or can I just designate one of these computers as the network server.
2. Do I need to get server software?
3. Is there an easy tutorial to watch? YouTube?
4. Is there another website I should go to for this info?

About me, I am A+ certified and work as an IT Security Analyst. What am I forgetting?

Thanks!

Stormy

 

This is Windows 10 that I am running.

 

You can't share apps like that. With a Windows Server OS you can do what is called - Remote Desktop Services(RDS) RemoteApp. We use Citrix in our environment to "publish apps".
If you're talking Outlook mail, I mean you can always use the web interface, or if you have Office 365, you can use web version of office from www.office.com
There is an option from TSPlus.net that has application publishing for a fee.

 

You mean I can't setup a home network without a server either? Yes, I follow you on setting up Outlook in the cloud but I am trying to avoid that for privacy reasons. I don't even use OneDrive. I will look into TSPlus.net as I have never heard of that.

Thanks for your input foogoo! You are the only one to respond.

Now to move on and find some good cloning software for the new hard drive coming today.

 

A server, provides a service - web server, FTP, mail, DHCP, Active Directory. Why do you want a server? You can have a network with any OS where you can share files.
You say you have a NAS with shares mapped.. the NAS is a server. Why do you have two Plex servers?