Questions Regarding creating a Windows server 2012 standard media server for home use

[henk506673]

I am in a unique position where i am trying to create a media server with a old destop (Ok it realy isnt that old but it is older compared to other computers i am useing but it is realy the middle aged machiene i have.) I want to turn it into a media server. It is running windows server 2012 standard and has 5 different hard disks in it. i have multiple computers at my house. 2 running 8 pro, 1 running server 2008 (not r2), 4 running seven pro, and 3 running xp pro sp3, What i need is to make the 2012 server able to be used as a central media hub for all of them, and if not then atleast the 2 running 8 and the 4 running 7 and if possable the server 2008. please help. also i forgot to mention that if remotely possable i would love to get 3 android devices talking to it as well. each has wifi only capabilities, 2 run gingerbread and one runs ics.

 

[essellar]

Re: Questions Regarding creating a Windows server 2012 standard media server for home

You might be a lot happier with a Linux NAS server like NASLite-M2. Depending on how it's approached, it can be a plug-and-play NAS (network attached storage) device appearing as a RAID array, a consolidated "single disk" or JBOD (just a bunch o' disks), but it also supports standard media streaming protocols (compatible with iTunes, WMP and most mobile devices). It's not the only one out there; there are a number of lightweight Linux-based NAS servers that are essentially turn-key solutions with a web admin interface. There's no need to worry about domains and so forth, though you can usually set user permissions if you need to (to keep the stuff for daddies and mommies who love each other very much away from the kids who'll tell everybody what they saw at kindergarten). It's a lot less hassle than trying to set up WinServ to do the same sort of job (and you won't run into the same sort of hardware difficulties you would trying to get desktop *nixes working). Just a thought.

 

[henk506673]

Re: Questions Regarding creating a Windows server 2012 standard media server for home

I want to be able to use what i have and would prefer to use windows server 2012 because i have found that it is less of a pain for me than linux (lets just say some of the hardware i have is not exactly linux friendly and easy to use with linux). Also, most of the computers that hold the most media data in my house run 7 or 8 so i would prefer to use a compatable system. Additionally, the server is only going to be used in the house only, no need for outside access (i have RDC set up to allow me to do that). It is going to be used just to backup the vast amount of media data that my family has (home movies, purchaced music, family photographs, The works.) The last reason i am against using linux for this server is because i dont want to constantly need to deal with command line. I just need to know how to configure it. Put it to proper use as they say.

 

[henk506673]

Re: Questions Regarding creating a Windows server 2012 standard media server for home

I should add that Streaming is something i would like to have. a means of using the server as something to send media to and from to view and save to as well as edit.

 

[essellar]

Re: Questions Regarding creating a Windows server 2012 standard media server for home

The thing about the NAS OSes is that you don't need to get down and dirty with the command line... ever. And hardware won't be an issue; the machine is headless in operation, so all that needs to work is the CPU&memory subsystem, the hard disk controller and the NIC--I'm not aware of any problems with drivers, etc., with any commodity hardware. They'll turn your machine into an appliance, one that's almost (but not quite) as hard to work with as, say, your average wireless router. You are insisting on becoming a sysadmin; I'm suggesting you plug and play instead. There's nothing to buy, no overhead, no admin besides the ordinary disk space hygiene you'd use if the machine were an external hard drive.

 

[henk506673]

Re: Questions Regarding creating a Windows server 2012 standard media server for home

I am fimiliar with with windows more than linux and have already gotting the networking up and running. The server is findable on all of the local computers in the house. The networking is already done. i just need to get it to start running the backups properly