NAS / Media Server 2

[colinmitton]

I'm not a 'linux / unix' person but need to setup a home server so I can backup my pictures / documents / files. I also want to put my MP3's / iTunes on it so I can share thwen between two PC's and in the future put Blu-ray movies on to it so I can play them through a PC/media player on to my TV.

I've had a little look around and getting very confused. Obivously I want to make sure its not too power hungry as I dont need a server running all the time but something both myself and the wife back back up too or access with out having to power up all the time!

I appologies if this is the wrong area to post this question but I'm not too sure where I would need to do that.

Thanks.

 

[MadMichael]

You might google for 'nas storage solutions' and look at the dedicated NAS 'appliances' available.

I have been using an IOMEGA 250GB NAS disk. It attaches directly to my firewall/router and installs as a networked drive on any PC on the network you wish to have access to it.

IOMEGA has a 'Home Media Network Hard Drive' that will be available soon, 1TB for $229:

http://store.iomega.com/section?SID=3364f1aed0329e2c684042c15a448fb14d4:4760&secid=40639

 

[Annihilannic]

Someone recently recommended FreeNAS which might be ideal if you end up using an actual PC.

Annihilannic.

 

[colinmitton]

I may have a IOMega NAS unit come my way as both the Harddrives have failed and tthere is now no OS for it. The rest works fine. I'll look in to freeNAS thanks for the tip. If all else fails I may take a look at the IOMega Home Media drive but my main issue is its not a mirrored drive and I want to be safe as all my wife work documents will be going on to it.

Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[MadMichael]

You didn't mention your RAID requirements in the OP. Just add 'raid' to the google search. Here's the sixth-from-the top hit from searching 'nas storage raid':

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3952307&CatId=207

It's a two-bay enclosure. You add two hard drives of whatever size you can afford and it can be configured as RAID-1 (mirrored).

 

[colinmitton]

The reason for me not mentioning it first is that since posting that question a friend of mine offered me a IOMega NAS (200d) that has no HDD's, Initially I thought it would do basic Mirror (RAID 1) but it does not have a controller on board so it has to be software driven.

As I said I'm not a linux / unix person I work with MS, due to all of its failings it keep me in a job!

I have googled various search terms and to be honest there are a lot of options with all the different versions of Linux I thought the posting would help aim me in the right direction. I could of course put on windows home server, a product I should have no issues with but I was trying to expand my horizon.

The FreeNAS does the job for setting up a storage area which is what I may do to start with and see how it goes (Thanks to Annihilannic for that) I was advised by a friend that having a application to stream video works better than files sat on a share. Maybe theres something that will work with FreeNAS, I will look further!

Thanks for your comments so far, hopefully this will explain where I am at current!

 

[Edcrosbys]

If FreeNas doesn't float ur boat, openfiler is another project similar.

 

[colinmitton]

Looks good, I will have a look in to this.

Thanks once more!