Windows Home Server

[rendrag]

I hate it. I'm glad it's only an eval kit. I had so much hope for this, and I'm sorely disapointed.

Install went OK. It didn't have drivers for my NIC (realtek gigabit onboard NIC located on a Asus K8N-E motherboard), and a couple other devices, but I could deal with that.

I wanted to set up the server as "Guest" only because I have a headless MCE box that's connected to my TV. The home server stores digital photos, home movies, and DVDs I've ripped to it for easy archival. For some reason, the home server connector software can't find my home server on either of the 2 PCs I've tried it on even though I can get to it through My Network Places, and no matter what I do, it needs me to provide a user/pass combo to access the shares. That's no good when I just want to turn on the MCE box and access the files.

I wanted to avoid a RAID solution for ease of expansion, but it looks like that may be inevitable.

Anyone else have some easy suggestions? I thought about FreeNAS, but haven't known anyone who uses it.

Thanks

[Incroyable HULK]

I gave one for Christmas to my brother. I used a small business server with Adaptec 1210SA Sata Card to get RAID1 security.

This card was a nightmare to install... too many drivers on Adaptec website and none working properly (as they use to do on a Win2K3 Server). This issue is related (I beleive) with the way Windows is now installing thru WinPE.

Anyway, I finally managed to install on a EIDE hard drive (must be over 80GB) then installing the RAID Card in Windows Home Server and then using Ghost to clone the EIDE drive to the Raid Array. Pheew.

I must say I am too a little dissapointed.

First, It is still too complicated for most people to setup (not talking about installing from scratch) this thing.

Then there is some interesting features but I was expecting some other stuff in there:

PRO:

- Stability of Windows 2003 Server

- Console Interface Easy to understand

- Remote possibilities thru Web Interface

- Search Engine Built in

- Possibility to add extra plugs-ins?

CONS:

- Ugly front page for the Website

- Website is mostly useless. Must go thru login to see something (why no public stuff available right from main page?)

- Website allow you to download you music and pictures files (no slideshow!!! OMFG, no music streaming)

- Icon on client always in RED meaning you have something wrong on your network (updates, domain name, WTF)

- Strange access problem for a domain integrated laptop you bring home.

- Only allow to select a .homeserver.com domain (blocking some options if you don't activate the domain)

So I sincerely hope Microsoft or other software makers will boost the features of this server.

PRIORITY #1 is a picture slideshow **** it. I don't want to download my picture you moron, I want to show them to other people.