Home Made Servers! Please Help!

Hi everyone! Im new to Major Geeks and its my 1st post of many i hope!
To "fill you in" im using a 4 port ADSL router with internal modem and 2MB broadband. I have 1 desktop and 2 laptops using the router.

Im just an amature and enjoy experimenting with all sorts. My latest is to convert a simple 2ghz PC to a server. (To add to the 4th and final port of router)

I looked around and dont fancy paying loads for a bit of fun so im thinking of converting a unused desktop to a server ive got Microsoft Server 2003 being sent to me soon and i woundered is it possible to have the desktops running off the server having roaming profile so i can access file and folders on any machine using a domain?!?. Ive had a go but need a bit of advice to get me going!

At pressent i have all the computers/laptops on Windows Xp Home and Professional.

I aquired Novell server for this conversion.

I was just woundering the best way of competing this home network experiment.

I would be very greatful of some advise from all you pros out there!

All The best and thanks for any thoughts.

Tom Robo

 

Sounds like a good plan to me.... Ill have to, uhh.... Steal your idea!


Although, Ive got a question of my own! Is it possible to use any OS to host a server? (st00pid question eh?)

And if you CAN use any, which would be the BEST?

 

You can, however if you just use windows xp professional you can create a very simple server quite unsecure and a bit of a brute to get right (firewalls etc)
What i plan is to change a PC that was running on Xp Pro and delete that OS and intall Windows Server 2003 (coming tomorrow) as it allows you to create domains for your users a little more tidily and secure. Im strictly amature do things as a hobby.

I tried to install Novel Server enterprise and found it complex to say the least but also found it have trouble intergrating itself to my laptop and desktops and did not have the accesibility/features of Windows Server.

I hope this answers your question, im not a pro! far from it so correct me if im wrong!

Thanks for you reply and i look forward to replies rgarding my idea and ANY suggestions!

Thanks!

 

Novel Server Enterprise? Ive never heard of it.... Ill google it and check it out. Right now im using Knoppix on my brothers PC for my dads music (hosted online, FTP) But i plan on using something like Win XP Pro (if i cant get Server 2003) with programs like ZoneAlarm Firewall, windows firewall, nVIDIA's built in firewall and such for security... Although all the ports except the one UDP and a TCP which are both being used are open....

Anyways, good luck with server 2003, I am using 2 4-port routers running 8 pc's and a few wireless laptops... 5 are in normal use, 1 is for working and the rest are for servers...


Make sure they are all linked together via the windows network thing (ive found that helps instead of risking an attack using remote desktop type software)

 

Novell?? Unless you have to use special software that only works in Novell there is No really point to mix Novel into the system.

I am Not sure that you totally understand the concept of server. For most home use assigning one WinXP Pro as the server and maintaining Peer to peer topology with mapped drives is more than you can ask for.

I would suggest that you do some extensive reading before you continue with such an ordeal and at the end be disappointed.

As an example if you use a Real server (like Win2003) you would need to Route the Internet through the server, your Router would be obsolete and you would need to spend more money on software Firewall etc. to protect your server.

However if you really committed to it and the expense that goes with it can be an interesting project.

 

Ok, ive got all the editions of Server 2003. Purchased them on ebay for very cheap as a matter of fact!

My question is.. which should i install? (for a gaming server, and then for an FTP server?)

Ive got Windows 2003 Standard, Enterprise, and Web in both Retail and VLK... (i dont know what VLK stands for.... but i have it! lol)

I was thinking of using enterprise but any suggestions are welcomed!

 

i have decided to foreget the server the "spare" harware did not meet the needed spec to really get the most from ms 2003 server!

Thanks for all your help