Back in the last century, I was asked to design and set up a small network for a school. It consisted of an NT4 Server and 15 NT4 desktops connected via cat5 ethernet. It had a (free) email server because at the time ISPs charged way too much for each child to have an email address.

I had a pilot installation at home to check things out first. Over the years, the school network grew to 2 x W2012 R2 servers, over a hundred laptops, desktops and printers, connected by cat5e and fibre cables and Wireless.

I updated my home pilot computers first  to verify the changes. The home network also does duty with some domestic stuff: it retained an email server, LMS for music, Mediaportal for TV, some homebrew software and relay interfaces to control irrigation, and some other small stuff on ESP8266 boards e.g. thermostat and heater controls.

We have a Windows 10 desktop, Windows HTPC, an iMAC, a MacBook Air which are all on the home Windows domain, and 2 iphones and 2 iPads.

I have now retired from the school, and need to simplify my home setup which is overcomplicated, expensive to run and maintain and has a very low WAF.

I am seeking advice on what I should be aiming for. I would like to ditch the windows domain and servers as I cannot justify the licence and electricity costs of having 2 servers on 24/7. Is there scope for putting some of this in the cloud? If I put up with non-syncd passwords which for 2 users isn't a problem, should I use MS and/or Apple for authentication and simply duplicate the userids?

Should I move the email to Google (I have an internet domain, so I can alter MX). I really would like to retire from being an email service provider!

Mediaportal and LMS can cope with the server being asleep, waking it up when necessary which would help the electricity bill. I would hope to keep one of the servers to act as a file store and streamer as it does now, but perhaps running Unix, and ditch the other server.

But I am open to any suggestions. I was told this is the right forum to ask in.

Ken