Reccommendations please.

sdanseo

I've just ordered a new gaming PC and expect to take deivery of it in the ext week or two. My existing pc, which is currently out of action due to a busted HDD, will then be suitable fr nothing because it's old and I'll be canibalising some parts. So basically I want to use it as a basic server. I'll be getting a new HDD i the near future for it.

Bearing in mind that I need this cheap, as all my money has gone on the new rig, and also that the only hardware I currently have is a dlink wreless 54mbps router, im looking for reccommendtions on:

• Wired or wireless?
• Any hardware I need to buy (again, money IS an issue)
• Open source server software (I'm used to windows environment)

I've a good lot of home networking experience, but virtually none when it comes to servers other than from a client standpoint. I'd appreciate a few views on this one.

Cheers

sdanseo

Wrong forum for this maybe?

arseagon

Have a look at SME Server as your open source server software.
http://wiki.contribs.org/SME_Server:Download

I always find it simple to install, hardware friendly and easy to set up the way you want it. I've never tried a wireless NIC in one though so I don't know how it would perform on that. If you have 2 NIC's you can use it as both a server and router for your network. It is a DNS server, SMTP server and web server as standard so plenty to play around with and file sharing on it is a doddle too.
The forums are pretty helpful too if you get stuck. Just browse the link i gave you.

As for hardware, A few NIC's and maybe a 5 or 8 port switch shouldn't set you back any more than €100. The replacement HDD will be dearer than the other stuff you will need.

sdanseo

zippy28 wrote: »

Have a look at SME Server as your open source server software.
http://wiki.contribs.org/SME_Server:Download

I always find it simple to install, hardware friendly and easy to set up the way you want it. I've never tried a wireless NIC in one though so I don't know how it would perform on that. If you have 2 NIC's you can use it as both a server and router for your network. It is a DNS server, SMTP server and web server as standard so plenty to play around with and file sharing on it is a doddle too.
The forums are pretty helpful too if you get stuck. Just browse the link i gave you.

As for hardware, A few NIC's and maybe a 5 or 8 port switch shouldn't set you back any more than €100. The replacement HDD will be dearer than the other stuff you will need.

Looks handy, thanks for the link...bear in mid of course this is only going to run two computers and itself, so the scale is very small - 8 switches would be massive overkill methinks. Then again, I have NO experience with servers yet...just want one as a project and need one at this stage to put all my sh!t on.

arseagon

The smallest switch i've ever seen is a 5 port but I generally like to have a few ports free for messing about with stuff so that's why I said 8.