For quite some time I have found the need to have a small dedicated computer to act as a file and print server for the multiple computers I have running at home.
I did research of the best possible hardware for the tasks which I needed the server to perform. Since the server will be running 24/7 I needed it be reliable, quite, small on power and not to produce too much heat.
After careful consideration I purchased these components which I though would be best suited for my setup:
- Antec ISK 300-150 Mini-ITX Case
- Intel D410PT Desktop Motherboard with Intel Atom (D410 1.66GHz)
- 120GB WD 2.5 SATA Scorpio Blue HDD
- Corsair Memory XMS2 2GB DDR2 PC2-6400 (800) Dual Channel
Once I managed to get everything built I decided to install Ubuntu Server 12.04 LTS since it was free and ran with a small footprint which would allow me to get more performance from the Atom processor and the limited amount of RAM. I didn't bother installing the GUI (Graphical User Interface) since I would be running the server as a headless device, although if I did need to get access to the terminal I would SSH into it from another computer using a free program called PuTTY.
I then installed the required software. Samba and Cups were installed to handle file and print serving. I also decided to install Mediatomb for media streaming to my UPnP devices, vsftpd (Very Secure FTP) was installed for FTP file transfer and Apache was also installed so I could host an internal website it required.
Everything went extremely smoothly to get the server up and running. I now have a network server which I can use to easily share files and printers around the house. The 120GB Hard Drive may need upgrading in the future, although I find the Atom processor and 2GB RAM handle all my requirements without any issues.
If anyone is thinking of setting up a server for then home, then I would highly encourage you to take the step and get involved.