Document links using lion server

[sandimacd]

I am looking for an iDisk replacement and wondered if Lion OS server is the way to go. I do have a domain name purchased through Go Daddy but no site uploaded. Planned to use iWeb but now can't.
Will installing the Lion OS server give me what I need? We are a small extended family- about 6 of us living in 4 different states. I would like to share some photos and videos and PDF documents. I would like to allow my adult daughter to access documents on my Mac, my spouse and I to have shared access and editing of documents and my adult son and niece to access a folder of pictures and video. I don't want the hassle of establishing password and uploads on various 3rd party sites that will then have my personal information.
Is this something that the Lion server will do from my home?
Will it also allow my Mac Mini to access a photo folder and display it on my TV?

 

[sandimacd]

Calendar and contacts

Will a server allow me to sync a calendar and contacts between 4 touches and 3 macs? Will it run on a Verizon FiOS network?
I am really tired of exploring 3rd party alternatives to keep a calendar and contact list in sync and keep 3 folders open and shared with read and write access to myself and spouse on the same Mac.

 

[mainstay]

Enabling VPN on the server would allow you to establish a connection from outside your network to your server. From there you could access a set of shared folders. Each folder would have different permissions for the various users allowing you control over who has access to what.

NB: video and large images may be a bitch to view remotely as your upload speed on your home network will be the performance bottleneck.

>>Mac Mini to access a photo folder and display it on my TV?

If the Mac Mini is connected to your TV via HDMI, DVI, etc., yes.

Otherwise you would need an AppleTV to pull the photo library from your mini and display on the TV.

>>Will a server allow me to sync a calendar and contacts between 4 touches and 3 macs?

It should. According to Apple Lore, this is something that should work flawlessly, but I am still experimenting with this new implementation to give a proper answer on yay or nay.

>>Will it run on a Verizon FiOS network?

It SHOULD, but I don't know if they block any ports / services. Some people on these forums talk about their ISP's blocking everything imaginable, but I haven't experienced that with my ISP's. You can always call them and see if they block any inbound traffic.

If they do, you can change your ports around to work on ports they don't block.

 

[sandimacd]

To Mainstay

Thanks so much. Great help.

 

[sandimacd]

To Mainstay

Just wanted to tell you how helpful you have been. Went to Library and returned with SL server books. I am not ready to go for Lion and although I will transfer my MM to iCloud I don't plan on syncing much.
Our current sync is with an ext HD that rotates among the macs for backup and Sugar Sync and iDisk. My Adult Daughter works in networking and refuses to establish log ons to 3rd Party. So burning an image file for a safe deposit box or giving her remote access seems like the best way for her to serve as our Executor since she lives on another coast.

As far as the photo streaming- the Mac Mini is already connected and streams from the ext drive attached to another Mac. Of course that only works if the other Mac is turned on and not it sleep mode. My thought is the server would always be accessible and quieter and use less power. We don't often use the livingroom TV so it acts as a photoframe. Less cluttered than loads if wall pics of family.

I will rethink letting family access my photo folder at will. Perhaps I may find iCloud useful for that and post with FB from iTouch or a future iPad. Or continue my current uploads to various photo sites knowing someday I may get a message they are going under or merging and I better move them off before they disappear. Has happens with Yahoo cities, Kodak, Yahoo photos, and now Gallery not to mention other smaller ones over the years. I suppose I shouldn't be so anoyed as I am sure they are trying to keep up with tech advances.

I currently am pleased with a shared Google Cal and contacts between myself and spouse. Will stay tuned and remain on SL and iOS4 until sure a server can offer a way for both of us to edit one calendar and keep it synced across 2 user accounts and multiple devices.

I hesitate to call Verizon at this point. They may assume I am looking to host a server for masssive inbound traffic- not share a few MB in PDFs on occasion.