g0dMAn said: Can you RAID with these boxes? I'm wondering what's so good about it... It doesn't do RAID but it does do file duplication across multiple drives if you select it in the options. Practically as good as RAID 1.
Hello people?!?! It's Media Server with a whole different purpose. It's running WHS and designed specifically in a home environment to stream media throughout your home and also out of it, as well as backing up to it. Apples & Oranges. Plenty of power for what it's designed to do. Green from me anyway.
fatluncher said: So..... You're paying $300 for a Celeron and a 750GB drive? And that's worth a green?
I don't get this at all. All of us have more impressive hardware in our closets and attics than this thing.
And anyone who has enough interest in a home server can google 'home server linux' and find http://www.amahi.org/ (which actually looks pretty sweet)
Like I said, I don't get how this is a deal at all.
Here we go with the "I can build it cheaper argument" which always surfaces on the WHS threads. The MediaSmart server is completely different than building something with parts on your own or the $100 Dell Server deals. This is a great deal OP.
hammer45 said: fatluncher said: So..... You're paying $300 for a Celeron and a 750GB drive? And that's worth a green?
I don't get this at all. All of us have more impressive hardware in our closets and attics than this thing.
And anyone who has enough interest in a home server can google 'home server linux' and find http://www.amahi.org/ (which actually looks pretty sweet)
Like I said, I don't get how this is a deal at all.
Here we go with the "I can build it cheaper argument" which always surfaces on the WHS threads. The MediaSmart server is completely different than building something with parts on your own or the $100 Dell Server deals. This is a great deal OP.
My dog is bigger than your dog. Now, we got that out the way.
Can you tell me WHY this is a great deal? I've said twice I don't get it. You're telling me this is a good deal but apparently you can't tell me why.
Comparing this and an IBM xSeries is apples and oranges... I love my IBM xSeries, but it is an energy hog.. but I run VMware ESX on it with 6 VM's. This Mediasmart thing is a glorified Celeron 2.0GHz with enough ooompf to throw stuff at odd home media devices and send data over Gigabit.
I like the concept, but this model's processor lacks.
The energy consumption of a Celeron is very low though. My xSeries runs 2 xeon processors and probably eats 150 watts on average.
If you do the math, you'll find that WHS can be bought for $100 right now (it was $91 last month). The 1TB and 750GB drives will cost you say $75 and $50 (let's not get nit picky here). So now your at $225. Basically you're paying $150ish for an outdated CPU, barebones mobo with no video, 2GB DDR, a quality case with nice form factor and decent power supply. Really not such a good deal hardware wise, but consider that the unit is ready to go out of the box (no installation of software and no labor to build), free tech support and a relatively hassle free warranty that covers the entire product, it's a reasonable deal and an excellent solution for many people.
If you have the need for a server, you most likely have at least some hardware laying around. The more hardware you have, the less appealing the HP is. I had practically everything sitting in a bin in my basement and was able to build my server for the cost of WHS and a gigabit NIC. And it smokes the HP...
clambert11 said: Hello people?!?! It's Media Server with a whole different purpose. It's running WHS and designed specifically in a home environment to stream media throughout your home and also out of it, as well as backing up to it. Apples & Oranges. Plenty of power for what it's designed to do. Green from me anyway.
Hello people?!?! Everything is a media server today. Big deal. EVEN IF you don't want to play with any number of point and click linux installs you can just download VLC and it runs as an application on a Windows box.
I'm just totally perplexed that people geeky enough that they need their own media server are naive enough to pay this much money for a Celeron -- especially when 20 bucks says they have a P4 (or better) sitting in a closet.
I keep saying I don't get the deal and so far, nobody has been willing to share the deep dark secret that makes this a deal. If it's a deal for you ok fine but I don't get it.
flenn said: If you do the math, you'll find that WHS can be bought for $100 right now (it was $91 last month). The 1TB and 750GB drives will cost you say $75 and $50 (let's not get nit picky here). So now your at $225. Basically you're paying $150ish for an outdated CPU, barebones mobo with no video, 2GB DDR, a quality case with nice form factor and decent power supply. Really not such a good deal hardware wise, but consider that the unit is ready to go out of the box (no installation of software and no labor to build), free tech support and a relatively hassle free warranty that covers the entire product, it's a reasonable deal and an excellent solution for many people.
OK you at least make a credible case for it... I still disagree with the DEAL part but at least you make a reasonable case for the product... for people who are willing to pay a few bucks more...
Thanks for that... I don't fully agree but you make sense.
flenn said: If you have the need for a server, you most likely have at least some hardware laying around. The more hardware you have, the less appealing the HP is. I had practically everything sitting in a bin in my basement and was able to build my server for the cost of WHS and a gigabit NIC. And it smokes the HP...
Well that was my point. If you're geeky enough for your own server, you can get your hands on a celeron box for ~essentially~ free.
Also, for those that think WHS is just a media server, here's a quick summary of what it can do:
Centralized Backup - Allows scheduled backups of up to 10 PCs Health Monitoring - Can centrally track the health of all PCs on the network, including antivirus and firewall status. File Sharing - Offers network shares for up to 10 PCs Printer Sharing - print server for networked PCs Remote Access Gateway - Allows remote access through internet to any server files or connected PC's (use them as if you're sitting in front of them) Media Streaming - Can stream media devices supporting Windows Media Connect. Selective Data redundancy - Guards against a single drive failure by duplicating selected data across multiple drives. Extensibility through Add-Ins - Add-Ins allow third-party developers to extend functionality Server Backup - Backs up files which are stored within shared folders on the server to an external hard drive.
flenn said: Also, for those that think WHS is just a media server, here's a quick summary of what it can do:
Centralized Backup - Allows scheduled backups of up to 10 PCs Health Monitoring - Can centrally track the health of all PCs on the network, including antivirus and firewall status. File Sharing - Offers network shares for up to 10 PCs Printer Sharing - print server for networked PCs Remote Access Gateway - Allows remote access through internet to any server files or connected PC's (use them as if you're sitting in front of them) Media Streaming - Can stream media devices supporting Windows Media Connect. Selective Data redundancy - Guards against a single drive failure by duplicating selected data across multiple drives. Extensibility through Add-Ins - Add-Ins allow third-party developers to extend functionality Server Backup - Backs up files which are stored within shared folders on the server to an external hard drive.
And don't forget that the HP MediaSmart Software is pretty well liked and extends the WHS built in functionality that you have mentioned above.
flenn said: Also, for those that think WHS is just a media server, here's a quick summary of what it can do:
Well I wasn't impressed by the $100 price point vs the 10,000 alternatives out there... but you mention enough features that it seems fair especially if the support is behind it.
I'm still not sold on the hardware side but that's me.
jnheinz said: eBay -- get yourself an IBM xSeries with dual Xeons used for less than $250 with 3-4GB of RAM and 2-3 36GB SCSI HDD's ready to go. Drop an external 1TB USB HDD off the back, and WOW.. you have a Mediasmart killer. If you want SATA RAID, get an external enclosure.
This Mediasmart stuff is BS. They don't even offer real RAID.. pathetic.
I am all for rolling your own server but the electricity of running such a server as you propose 24x7 will probably eat through any savings in a year or two at best unless you get your eletricity for free. In the U.S. the average cost per kilowatt is 10.5 cents. Thus for each watt your server pulls you are looking at $0.92 per watt to operate for year (24x7) at the average US rate. Thus if the HP pulls 70 watts (which is probably high based on my experience) and your server pull 150 watts (probably low with two processors and four hard drives) then the Delta in operational costs for a year is $73.60. This could be a lot higher if you live in the northeast or California (and lower in the southeast and parts of the midwest). Sure if you need that sort of performance it might be worth it but probably overkill for most home servers.
As for RAID I honestly think it is way overused for home use. RAID is not a backup, as it only protects (in some implementations) against hard drive failure. It does not protect against all kinds of other threats to your data. RAID is used in commerical setting mostly to keep the server operating in the event of hard drive failure. Personally I don't think most home servers need high availablity. Personally if my home server is down for a day or two it won't kill me. I run a second server that is normally off line that I power up once a week and syncrhonize ALL my drives too. This is much more robust backup solution than relying on RAID in my opinion though it does cost more since you have to have a one to one relationship on your drives (I recycled old hardware and used Linux so the only costs are the drives to me).
secstate said: jnheinz said: eBay -- get yourself an IBM xSeries with dual Xeons used for less than $250 with 3-4GB of RAM and 2-3 36GB SCSI HDD's ready to go. Drop an external 1TB USB HDD off the back, and WOW.. you have a Mediasmart killer. If you want SATA RAID, get an external enclosure.
This Mediasmart stuff is BS. They don't even offer real RAID.. pathetic.
I am all for rolling your own server but the electricity of running such a server 24x7 will probably eat through any savings in a year or two at best unless you get your eletricity for free. In the U.S. the average cost per kilowatt is 10.5 cents. Thus for each watt your server pulls you are looking at $0.92 per watt to operate for year (24x7) at the average US rate. Thus if the HP pulls 70 watts (which is probably high based on my experience) and your server pull 150 watts (probably low with two processors and four hard drives) then the Delta in operational costs for a year is $73.60. This could be a lot higher if you live in the northeast or California (and lower in the southeast and parts of the midwest). Sure if you need that sort of performance it might be worth it but probably overkill for most home servers.
As for RAID I honestly think it is way overused for home use. RAID is not a backup, as it only protects (in some implementations)
against hard drive failure. It does not protect against all kinds of other threats to your data. RAID is used in commerical setting mostly to keep the server operating in the event of hard drive failure. Personally I don't think most home servers need high availablity. Personally if my home server is down for a day or two it won't kill me. I run a second server that is normally off line that I power up once a week and syncrhonize ALL my drives too. This is much more robust backup solution than relying on RAID in my opinion though it does cost more since you have to have a one to one relationship on your drives (I recycled old hardware and used Linux so the only costs are the drives to me).
Agree, I used to run Dell server at home. It shouts like a jet engine and I can not afford to have it on all the time. Since I switched to HP media server, I never go back to use my old servers. They are electricity sucker.
Indeed, I have HP server on all the time. I can transfer the files from home at work. I periodically backup important files from home server to external hard drive for peace of mind.
Here we go with the "I can build it cheaper argument" which always surfaces on the WHS threads. The MediaSmart server is completely different than building something with parts on your own or the $100 Dell Server deals. This is a great deal OP.
This is a good deal. Some of us only want to add/replace hard drives, DVD burners, memory and no more. Either we don't want to, lack the knowledge, or the time to build one ourselves. I really like my lowly Celeron-based MediaSmart server from a deal a year ago. Updates are transparent. Finding answers to my questions are easy to locate on HP web site and bunch of other dedicated forums. The darn unit works quietly and reliably every day and that is all I care for.
Good deal, was looking for one to backup my Win 7 Desktop, 15" Vista Laptop (girls), Win 7 Netbook (kids), and my MacBook Pro. This will work perfect and I can remove the 3TB from my desktop and move into the server . . .
Green from me. Yes I can build a NAS for cheaper, but do a google for the HP Addons, including the iPhone App to connect back to the server and you will see this is great. Also in for the iTunes library sharing on all my PC's now.
fatluncher said: I keep saying I don't get the deal and so far, nobody has been willing to share the deep dark secret that makes this a deal. If it's a deal for you ok fine but I don't get it.The reason people did not gave you serious answer because they thought you were a troll. Since you are a member for 4 years you must have read previous threads about WHS deals before. In every thread there would be someone jumping in saying that they can build cheaper and better usually mentioning unraid, freenas, openfiler or ubuntu server but I don't think anyone actually have an IBM xSeries server as a direct competition before.
The attraction of this is a small (5.5" x 9.8" x 9.2"), low power, attractive machine that would unobtrusively fit in anywhere you want to put it and quietly serving files and backup all the computer in your house. The extra electricity cost of running you old computer 24/7 would quickly paid for this.
Besides the official features that flenn mentioned, popular uses for it is bit-torrent client, web server and email server. People also installed all kind of stuffs WHS are not meant for such as Active Directory, Sharepoint, SQL server etc. Don't know if it will works as a TV tuners farm or not. That was one of the thing I was going to test but never get around to it.
Finally, some people who hate the electric company! I agree and there are several functions to this puppy that I think are pretty cool. I have the older Media Vault, love it, usually forget it is there, quiet as a bird, and I am thinking of moving up to this one. I take about 25,000 photos per year, looking for something to provide a better common storage and backup. This thing has a common file eliminator that eliminates duplicate copies of the same files without losing the pointers, I like that! I am not a big raid fan, I will plug in a usb drive to the back and let it run automatic backups once a day.
So, back to the point, some like it, some don't but quit thread crapping just because you can build one cheaper, that is the case with almost anything, do you ever go to a restaurant, couldn't you have cooked it cheaper at home?
vh1 said: fatluncher said: I keep saying I don't get the deal and so far, nobody has been willing to share the deep dark secret that makes this a deal. If it's a deal for you ok fine but I don't get it.The reason people did not gave you serious answer because they thought you were a troll. Since you are a member for 4 years you must have read previous threads about WHS deals before. In every thread there would be someone jumping in saying that they can build cheaper and better usually mentioning unraid, freenas, openfiler or ubuntu server but I don't think anyone actually have an IBM xSeries server as a direct competition before.
The attraction of this is a small (5.5" x 9.8" x 9.2"), low power, attractive machine that would unobtrusively fit in anywhere you want to put it and quietly serving files and backup all the computer in your house. The extra electricity cost of running you old computer 24/7 would quickly paid for this.
Besides the official features that flenn mentioned, popular uses for it is bit-torrent client, web server and email server. People also installed all kind of stuffs WHS are not meant for such as Active Directory, Sharepoint, SQL server etc. Don't know if it will works as a TV tuners farm or not. That was one of the thing I was going to test but never get around to it.
I was the person commenting the xSeries erver. This Mediasmart thing is pretty cheap.. Celeron, minimal RAM.. but a real server "IS" a power hog and you will save on the electrical bill with this Mediasmart, but you will find yourself hurting for horsepower with a 2.0GHz Celeron if you do anything processor intensive.
High sides of the Mediasmart? Easy to access drive bays.. looks nice.
I really like my Sonology Cubestation. A home server is ideal when you've got several computers and media players scattered about the house. What a person really needs to make it effective is a gigabit network to the media players. I've converted my DVD library to movie files, and I watch whenever and where ever. I do my backups to it. It sits there quietly humming along.
For me, RAID 1 is important. I'm not losing files due to drive failure. Big drives are cheap, where as my data and my time are not. Why didn't I use an old P4 box? No RAID 1, it's big, it's noisy, and it would have required some new hardware to get what I would need out of it. Oh, and no web-based management software. I don't want to dick around with VNC at home--I just want things to work.
As more and more households turn to digital media, multiple computers, and slim media players these home servers will continue to be a growing market segment. These people aren't your traditional closet-of-computers geeks. They're interested in what the product can do for them, rather than what they can build. That's not hard to understand.
Does anyone know if the Mediasmart can synchronize itself with another server located in a different geographical location?
I'd like to be able to use this to back up my brother's server (who lives in another state), and vice versa. Now, I realize, that could take a BOATLOAD of time to do, but once they've done the initial back up of each other, it shouldn't be bad for them to maintain a synchronization of each other's files, right?
The other option, I'm thinking, is to go directly to him, make a direct copy of everything between the 2 servers. Then, take my server back home, and let them synch each other's files.
The whole purpose behind this is that each of our servers would have a backup offsite (in a different state even), to prevent risk from natural disasters (floods, fires, theft).
Anyone know if that is possible, or how to do it? It would be great to have an automatic syching of data over the internet on an ongoing basis. Would this significantly hinder network speed?
secstate said: jnheinz said: eBay -- get yourself an IBM xSeries with dual Xeons used for less than $250 with 3-4GB of RAM and 2-3 36GB SCSI HDD's ready to go. Drop an external 1TB USB HDD off the back, and WOW.. you have a Mediasmart killer. If you want SATA RAID, get an external enclosure.
This Mediasmart stuff is BS. They don't even offer real RAID.. pathetic.
I am all for rolling your own server but the electricity of running such a server as you propose 24x7 will probably eat through any savings in a year or two at best unless you get your eletricity for free. In the U.S. the average cost per kilowatt is 10.5 cents. Thus for each watt your server pulls you are looking at $0.92 per watt to operate for year (24x7) at the average US rate. Thus if the HP pulls 70 watts (which is probably high based on my experience) and your server pull 150 watts (probably low with two processors and four hard drives) then the Delta in operational costs for a year is $73.60. This could be a lot higher if you live in the northeast or California (and lower in the southeast and parts of the midwest). Sure if you need that sort of performance it might be worth it but probably overkill for most home servers.
As for RAID I honestly think it is way overused for home use. RAID is not a backup, as it only protects (in some implementations) against hard drive failure. It does not protect against all kinds of other threats to your data. RAID is used in commerical setting mostly to keep the server operating in the event of hard drive failure. Personally I don't think most home servers need high availablity. Personally if my home server is down for a day or two it won't kill me. I run a second server that is normally off line that I power up once a week and syncrhonize ALL my drives too. This is much more robust backup solution than relying on RAID in my opinion though it does cost more since you have to have a one to one relationship on your drives (I recycled old hardware and used Linux so the only costs are the drives to me).
HP shows 44W idle, 50 Watts active, less than a 60W light bulb
Actually you can usually upgrade the CPU in these to something like a Pentium Dual Core 2.5Ghz or so for--what-- like 60 bucks? There are LOTS of tweaks you can do to these boxes that are documented in the various Media Smart forums.
Has anyone tried running PlayOn (http://www.themediamall.com/playon) on one of these Mediasmarts to stream Netflix/Hulu/etc.? Curious about the quality of playback as that'd probably be the most resource-intensive process I'd want to run.
sfhuck said: Has anyone tried running PlayOn (http://www.themediamall.com/playon) on one of these Mediasmarts to stream Netflix/Hulu/etc.? Curious about the quality of playback as that'd probably be the most resource-intensive process I'd want to run.
jarhed said: sfhuck said: Has anyone tried running PlayOn (http://www.themediamall.com/playon) on one of these Mediasmarts to stream Netflix/Hulu/etc.? Curious about the quality of playback as that'd probably be the most resource-intensive process I'd want to run.
I use playon currently on a custom home server running WHS, but it's a much higher powered setup than the Mediasmart, and playback via Playon is pretty solid. Hopefully someone here has tried this out on these HP's?
Unless you mean you just need to get them from location to the other as a one-time (or occasional) task. In that case just buy a portable external USB or Firewire (if you have it) drive for ~$50 and use the old-fashioned sneakernet.
tazmania99 said: If your two PCs are not within the same home network, there is nothing that can speed up your file transfer coz such a transfer has to go through the internet and it is limited by the upload speed provided by your ISP.
cgott42 said: Can someone help me: I'm looking to transfer files between Computer#1 in 1 house and Computer #2 in another house. The files can be large (e.g. 6GB) and I want something that can transfer it at the fastest speed. Should I buy something like the OP with Windows Home Server or just 2 Windows XP PC's. What do you recommend, and what software do you recommend to transfer the files the fastest.
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