Windows Home Server experiences?

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freitasm

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#15405 21-Aug-2007 11:19

Is anyone else using Windows Home Server already?

Any suggestions, feedback, recommended add-ins?

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#83128 21-Aug-2007 12:55

Isn't it only available to OEM developers?

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#83129 21-Aug-2007 12:59

I think Microsoft have relaxed the term "OEM" to system supporter. Like you can go to IT vendor/channel and get a hard drive or barebone computer and requested to include WHS OEM, you are essentially be trusted with the supporting role for your network (or home in this case) to maintain the system. The downside to this is, being OEM, it is fixed to that particular machine/configuration. You cannot migrate the OEM license from that machine to another machine. Hence why OEM is usually priced lower than the retail box.

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#83131 21-Aug-2007 13:12

freitasm: Is anyone else using Windows Home Server already?

Any suggestions, feedback, recommended add-ins?

Sure am. I took part in the beta test program (as I'm sure you previously said you had done) and took delivery of my RTM version last Friday and completed a new installation on the box I had been using for testing, that went without a hitch. I haven't activated it yet (30 days to do so), as I want to make a few changes to the configuration.

When I first heard about the product, I was somewhat sceptical, as it it didn't really seem to do very much, but the more I used it and the more I realised how painless the whole backup process had become for a bunch of home PC's - that, yes I admit, were very rarely backed up previously.

The whole remote access scenario is pretty good as well, both to my Home Server website and also to the Desktops of my home PC's. However, I don't think MS are doing enough to make an average home user realise that Remote Desktop won't work unless that have XP Pro or Vista Business or above - e.g. http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/windowshomeserver/features.mspx says:

Get on your home server when you're not at home.

Windows Home Server lets you connect remotely to the computers in your home. You can run an application or even send a file to your home printer, all as if you were sitting in front of your home computer.

without any indication of what is required at the desktop end.

I've yet to reload all the add-ins, but I particulary like:

- the Photosync add-in to let me sync photos stored on WHS with Flickr http://edholloway.com/Blog/archive/2007/05/17/PhotoSync-For-Windows-Home-Server-_2D00_-Beta1.aspx (now if I could just get my Yahoo!Xtra Bubble's Flickr site to actually merge with my original free Flickr site, like it says I'm supposed to be able to.....)

- the Whiist web site management add-in http://www.andrewgrant.org/whiist, which allows you to easily manage web sites hosted on WHS. This combined with Photohandler http://weblogs.asp.net/bleroy/archive/2007/06/21/photohandler-migrated-to-codeplex.aspx does a great job of displaying photo thumbnails in a web page.

An excellent resource for published add-ins is http://www.wegotserved.co.uk/whs-add-ins/

I'm toying with the idea of ditching my SBS server as it's probably overkill really - and just running WHS. While testing, I installed:

- Smartermail http://www.smartertools.com/Products/SmarterMail/Free.aspx which worked a treat and has good Outlook 2003 integration (didn't test any other version), including appointment handling (it understands MS winmail.dat files) as well as a pleasing webmail interface.

- Windows Sharepoint Services V3 http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=D51730B5-48FC-4CA2-B454-8DC2CAF93951&displaylang=en

which together, probably emulate anything I'm using SBS for.

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#83135 21-Aug-2007 13:36

http://www.aquilatech.co.nz/productDetail.asp?idProduct=MSO2026

Available on the 28th apparently $233

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#83147 21-Aug-2007 14:13

allan: Smartermail http://www.smartertools.com/Products/SmarterMail/Free.aspx which worked a treat and has good Outlook 2003 integration (didn't test any other version), including appointment handling (it understands MS winmail.dat files) as well as a pleasing webmail interface.

I have SBS 2003 R2 at home, and seeing that I can't get both SBS and WHS mutually running together, I opt to keep SBS despite WHS is great and I love it!

You said you used/are using SmartMail, on the site, it said it is free for 10 users for a domain, is this web/email domain or internal network domain?

I have 3 web domains that I get emails from in various addresses, and using WM devices for Exchange-ActiveSync.

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#83150 21-Aug-2007 14:50

chiefie: You said you used/are using SmartMail, on the site, it said it is free for 10 users for a domain, is this web/email domain or internal network domain?

That's for a web/email domain - i.e. one "outgoing" domain, but Smartermail does also allow for POP3 downloads into mailboxes, which may allow you to get around your multiple domains scenario. It's not going to help with the WM & Exchange Activesync of course. I've also got a WM device, but have never bothered doing anything other than cradle-based sync, or Wi-fi sync at home (from which you can tell I have a pre WM5 device....)

I haven't quite decided to ditch SBS yet - we'll see.

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#83154 21-Aug-2007 15:11

I was playing around with WHS beta uptil RC1 and seriously its a very nice product. Considering it even connects to you Xbox 360 so that you can view stored videos and photos onto your TV, its quite a feature. Mind you I did have issues with that feature but as far as serving up files and backing up machines on your network was concerned, It worked like a charm even before RC1. I'm not sure on this one but apparently the new Windows Live One Care 2.0 is supposed to hook up to WHS's backup feature. Not sure if its a feature or a wish but I did read it somewhere. Compelled me to replace my FreeNAS based box with WHS RC1 ( but had to double up the RAM on the box).
I am still waiting for the server that was displayed at CES by HP. I might just buy that one. Looks quite cool also.

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#83155 21-Aug-2007 15:15

Yea the http://www.wegotserved.co.uk/whs-add-ins is a good source of information regarding add-ins for WHS.

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#83156 21-Aug-2007 15:21

While I was writing the previous posts, Engadget just came up with a post regarding those HP MediaSmart Servers. They are going for $749US approx for a 1TB box which does seem a fair bit high to me.

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freitasm

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#83159 21-Aug-2007 16:15

Yes, I was in the beta, and yes I have RTM installed already (from some other sources I can't name now).

I use the Whiist web site management add-in and tried WebGuide (this only works ok with photos for me).

I am running it as a virtual machine, and might migrate to an actual server later, although I have to think about it, since it uses some very easy to manage virtual HDD...

I was thinking I could actually have it running Virtual Server and move my Virtual Machines (currently four) to the new OS. If I do this then I only have to move three VMs, since WHS is currently one of the VMs, replacing the host OS on this box (Windows Vista) and giving it more functionality than now - my current host machine is just a dumb thing, it would be better to use it for something smarter, such as WHS actually.

I run the Virtual Server on a P4HT 3GHz with 3GB RAM, 1.461 TB discs (160 GB internal, 1 TB external, 300 GB external), so this would be plenty enough for the WHS.

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#83172 21-Aug-2007 16:54

freitasm: I was thinking I could actually have it running Virtual Server...

During my beta testing, I got VS2005 installed and ran Windows XP as a client. And also have tried VMWare Virtual Server running WHS beta too, just as fine.

Allan: I had a look at SmarterTool's SmarterMail 4.x and am impressed with Enterprise version. Seems like it can do what Exchange is doing, from Windows 2000/XP/Vista/2003. My main requirement for SBS 2003 is mainly for single-easy-configuration for Exchange mailbox. Though US$400 is quite a bit of money to fork out for considering that I can get MS Partner's ActionPak for NZ$869/year with not just SBS2003 but other applications too. Hmmm...

Other thing is, if SmarterMail 4.x Sync can also support WM2003 devices then that's a huge bonus too which can tip the scale quite a bit in my next consideration. Think about it... WHS + SmarterMail + Support for WM2003/5/6 = Very happy home network.

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#83615 24-Aug-2007 14:34

Chiefie - I've also just come across the beta for the latest Software602 602LAN Suite product http://www.software602.com/products/groupware/ which appears at first glance to be a vastly improved product over their previous version and includes mailserver and "groupware" offerings. I will probably try installing this on WHS at some stage to see how well it functions.

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#83621 24-Aug-2007 15:26

Allan, does it support WM2003 and WM5 and Outlook on Contacts, Calendar, Tasks, Email etc? the usual Exchange-Outlook-ActiveSync combo.

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#83632 24-Aug-2007 17:19

I suspect not. There are no release notes on their site, so it's hard to know. I've downloaded the beta & I'll install & have a look at it over the weekend.

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#83667 24-Aug-2007 21:17

hey Allan. I also found Kerio Mail Server 6.0 could be a solution and it support Exchange-ActiveSync with WM devices and other Smartphone too.

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