Windows Home Server 2011

[dimme]

has anyone got WHS to work with the apple time capsule routers? i'm using the 7.5.2 airport utility and it refuses to forward 80, 443, 4125 to my WHS.

using a static ip ok
forwarding ports to that static ip
click "repair" under "remote web access" on the WHS, but fails every time.

I assume you are trying to setup remote access?
I had a simular issue with my netgear router, it would say setup failed. Then I read online that this was a common problem. WHS would set up the router correctly but would report the setup as failed. Anyway I tried mine at a remote location and it worked.
I ended up setting up my router manually, I don't care for the automatic plug and play. I think it's a big security hole.

 

[leftheaded]

... WHS would set up the router correctly but would report the setup as failed. Anyway I tried mine at a remote location and it worked...

did a quick test, and sure enough... its working even though the WHS dashboard tells me it isn't.

thanks for pointing this out dimme!

 

[jokerz126]

new n40l + itunes!

hi! just picked up an HP Microserver n40l and going to install WHS 2011 on it....does anyone use something like this to run their main itunes collection for home sharing/apple tv movies etc?? what is the setup procedure? any tricks or things to look out for? still trying to decide if I should do RAID 1 or use something like DRIVEBENDER one of the add-ins available...any input on those? this is my first home server experience!

 

[archer75]

hi! just picked up an HP Microserver n40l and going to install WHS 2011 on it....does anyone use something like this to run their main itunes collection for home sharing/apple tv movies etc?? what is the setup procedure? any tricks or things to look out for? still trying to decide if I should do RAID 1 or use something like DRIVEBENDER one of the add-ins available...any input on those? this is my first home server experience!

I use drivebender as it lets me use drives of any size. I don't want to throw drives out just because the size is different than others.

I keep my music on my desktop. I have no need to stream it throughout the house and if I need music on my stereo I actually prefer just plugging in a phone, ipod or ipad and just playing that way.

My data and primarily my movie collection is on my server. Currently 16tb worth of storage!

 

[ericrwalker]

I have a dell PC set up with WHS 2011. I have all my iTunes stuff backed up on there. 5 hard drives (system drive + Four 2TB drives in a RAID5). I have everything backed up on there every CD I ever bought, Backed up my DVD's and threw them away.

Now that we can wifi sync I am going to use this to sync my iPhone from now on. I haven't gotten it set up for it yet, but it's one of my next big projects.

I don't bother with apps like drive bender. I did like how my old WHS pooled the HD's together, but setting up a RAID was very easy.

hi! just picked up an HP Microserver n40l and going to install WHS 2011 on it....does anyone use something like this to run their main itunes collection for home sharing/apple tv movies etc?? what is the setup procedure? any tricks or things to look out for? still trying to decide if I should do RAID 1 or use something like DRIVEBENDER one of the add-ins available...any input on those? this is my first home server experience!

 

[jokerz126]

HP Microserver+ itunes/setup

thanks for the replies!...so, the microserver i got has a sort of software RAID 1 built in i think....as i understand it, i either use that OR something like DriveBender (which are both software based) OR use a hardware raid card?....the Raid 1 built in and DriveBender would both create a mirror/duplicate of everything so if any drive fails you can still recover everything??--is that right?...so if i put 2 3tb drives in, i only have 3TB usable?

...the reason I want to install Itunes right onto the WHS box is to have an "always-on" Home Sharing box for Apple TV...it will also be the hub for all my music

Thanks for your help!

 

[ericrwalker]

I do that as well, it's just a bonus I can now sync my phone with that one without connecting anything. Technology is awesome.

...the reason I want to install Itunes right onto the WHS box is to have an "always-on" Home Sharing box for Apple TV...it will also be the hub for all my music

 

[dimme]

I do that as well, it's just a bonus I can now sync my phone with that one without connecting anything. Technology is awesome.

So are you running iTunes on WHS 2011 (with home sharing on)or some sort of add on to get the music streaming to the iphone

 

[ericrwalker]

I have itunes open, then I see that with my AppleTV and can play movies from it. I also "HAD" my appleTV jailbroken and streamed my VIDEO_TS movies to it with XBMC, but that's a lot of work to set up. I don't stream to my iPhone from my server.

I also host 4 domains on my home servers, it works great if it's not a high traffic page you're hosting.

You can stream your music and video folders on the server to computers too....at least I know you can on windows computers...haven't tried it on a mac.

I stream my music folder on my work computer sometimes.

So are you running iTunes on WHS 2011 (with home sharing on)or some sort of add on to get the music streaming to the iphone

 

[tomllama]

I've just started using an add-in called ihomeserver on my WHS2011 box. I've not tried streaming to the iPhones yet but it was certainly easier to get iTunes up and running with WHS 2011 than WHS v1.

 

[ericrwalker]

I will have to go back and look at the add-ins. There weren't that many out when I built my system. There were a few I used in v1 that weren't available in 2011.

I've just started using an add-in called ihomeserver on my WHS2011 box. I've not tried streaming to the iPhones yet but it was certainly easier to get iTunes up and running with WHS 2011 than WHS v1.

 

[jokerz126]

itunes...Match?

ya I was thinking of trying that add-in..
here's what I'm thinking of doing:

run Itunes on WHS as an always on box for streaming to Appletv and Airplay
have itunes installed on 3 additional PCs (so 4 authorized computers)....I was planning on signing up for Itunes MATCH to keep all the librairies in sync...the complication is, 2 of the PCs already have music librairies but they don't exactly match each other...so, hoping MATCH will take care of syncing everything up....what do you think? or should i wipe out everything on those additional PCs and (1) put an exact copy of the itunes library that will be on my WHS onto the additional PCs, and THEN turn on MATCH OR (2) just have apple MATCH my WHS library and then download everything onto the other PCs?????

as you can tell, I'm a little lost here as to the next step..

 

[dimme]

ya I was thinking of trying that add-in..
here's what I'm thinking of doing:

run Itunes on WHS as an always on box for streaming to Appletv and Airplay
have itunes installed on 3 additional PCs (so 4 authorized computers)....I was planning on signing up for Itunes MATCH to keep all the librairies in sync...the complication is, 2 of the PCs already have music librairies but they don't exactly match each other...so, hoping MATCH will take care of syncing everything up....what do you think? or should i wipe out everything on those additional PCs and (1) put an exact copy of the itunes library that will be on my WHS onto the additional PCs, and THEN turn on MATCH OR (2) just have apple MATCH my WHS library and then download everything onto the other PCs?????

as you can tell, I'm a little lost here as to the next step..

I think you can just have your library on the WHS machine and turn on Home sharing Or tun on Library sharing in the preferences.Then that share will show up on all the PC's

 

[tomllama]

I use PowerTunes to copy and switch between libraries. I want to get to where I simply point all the Macs and the ATV to the WHS server and keep a backup of everything on my MacPro. All it takes is lots of time ...

I'm still debating buying a Mini Server as all the computers I have are Mac (and all run boot campt too).

 

[joe22790]

I am having same issue, I can not get my WHS 2011 computer access through my Airport extreme using 7.5.2 airport utility and it refuses to forward 80, 443, 4125 to my WHS. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[dimme]

I am having same issue, I can not get my WHS 2011 computer access through my Airport extreme using 7.5.2 airport utility and it refuses to forward 80, 443, 4125 to my WHS. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Have you tried to manually configure your AE and tried to access your WHS outside your network. There is a bug in WHS 2011 it will keeps saying that it is not configured when it is.

 

[joe22790]

Outside of my network? Are you saying from another computer that does not use my AE? Like trying to sign in from work? Sorry, this is my first attempt at using a server.

 

[dimme]

Outside of my network? Are you saying from another computer that does not use my AE? Like trying to sign in from work? Sorry, this is my first attempt at using a server.

Yes try from work. Is not this the reason to forward the ports so you can access the server from outside your network? r were you trying something else?

 

[joe22790]

Yes try from work. Is not this the reason to forward the ports so you can access the server from outside your network? r were you trying something else?

Thanks, I will try it from work. I cant even access from my laptop in same house and I can not get it to configure in WHS. I have set all manual settings in my AE, but I still can't see it in my network or through my http://

Thanks, for the help.

 

[dimme]

Thanks, I will try it from work. I cant even access from my laptop in same house and I can not get it to configure in WHS. I have set all manual settings in my AE, but I still can't see it in my network or through my http://

Thanks, for the help.

I you can't access it in you house it could be another problem. It's my understanding port forwarding is only outside your network

 

[ericrwalker]

Wow, $30 for the add-in? I will still probably buy it. If they continue to support it and work with updates it will be worth it.

I've just started using an add-in called ihomeserver on my WHS2011 box. I've not tried streaming to the iPhones yet but it was certainly easier to get iTunes up and running with WHS 2011 than WHS v1.

 

[jokerz126]

got my itunes centralized now on my new WHS 2011 microserver...in the process of setting up itunes match...almost finished uploading the final files...was testing the ihomeserver app, but was having issues with the watch folders and itunes not getting updated...not sure if it has anything to do with the fact i'm running Drivepool on the WHS.....
...next issue will be: how to set up Time Machine backup of a G5 iMac to the WHS...seems to be an issue cause the add-in which came out recently to work with WHS 2011 for this purpose does NOT support OS 10.5 leopard...and G5 power pc macs can't update to 10.6 cause that's when they changed over to intel macs...hmmm....any ideas?

 

[kalex]

Very nice thread. I just finished setting up HP Microserver with WHS2011. I have a mixed environment with my main computer being Mac Pro and my second desktop is Windows 7 that i use as media center. So far its working rather well and without issues. Setup was pretty straight forward except for memory upgrade. I also upgraded to 8GB which so far is unnecessary. I've been monitoring my usage and so far i'm still under 2GB

I'm running sabnzbd, sickbeard, air video on it right now and dont see any slow downs. Only time i see max cpu usage is during live conversion of air video stream but server is still responsive. Windows remote access is pretty neat feature as well. Going to start working on integration of WHS to my Media center.

WHS2011 does have TIme machine support but I didn't try it yet. There is also a nice addin that automates Time machine setup and configuration.

 

[pterhaar]

I'm running my WHS2011 now since May and it's been a good investment. I used to run WHS1 on an other box and keep that as spare on the side for now.
My network is 4 Windows laptops, an iMac and a Mac Mini plus Sonos for music streaming through the house and a WD TV Live for movie streaming to my TV. My server setup is Core i5 with 8GB RAM and 6 HD's of 10 TB total.
The Sonos and WDTV read from the server, because it's on 24/7. I synchronise my iTunes files from my iMac to the share that the Sonos read using Windows Live Mesh (works really well).
The server does all the standard things like automated PC Backup.
For TimeMachine I installed a simple FreeNAS virtual machine on VMWare Server 2.0 and it works like a treat. I just created a 1TB virtual disk on one of the harddrives and it's fine.
I didn't bother with RAID and don't care that much about losing the Drive Extender stuff from WHS1. I backup everything to CrashPlan Central, which costs me a few bucks per month for unlimited cloud backup. Not fast, but it works fine. I only use the built in server backup for the C partition and used it once to replace the primary harddisk. Perfect.
So all together maybe a bit of a combo of stuff, but then it's a home server and the only one who'll get angry if it doesn't work is me, not the whole enterprise.