WHS 2011 will be available in 19 different languages including: Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional, Taiwan), Chinese (Hong Kong), Czech, Dutch, English, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil), Portuguese (Portugal), Russian, Spanish, Swedish, and Turkish.

The Windows Home Server Team says that “Affordable and easy-to-use, Windows Home Server 2011 is the ideal solution to help families keep their important digital files and data automatically backed up, organized, and accessible from virtually anywhere.”

Some new changes to WHS 2011 feature a more robust system, easier installation, simpler management, better backups and more flexible remote access.

What is Drive Extender?

Drive Extender is the technology that allows Windows Home Server to create a storage pool from disparate hard drives. So if you have a two hard drives, one that is 500GB and another 1TB, DE will automatically pool those drives into a 1.5TB storage pool.

This also means that if you run out of space you can add another terabyte and Windows Home Server takes care of the rest. If you ask me, this is one of Windows Home Server’s strongest selling point.

For a more detailed write-up about this feature check out WeGotServed.com.

Microsoft’s Excuse

According to Michael Leworthy (Windows Home Server Blog), “…we have received feedback from partners and customers about how they use storage today and how they plan to use it moving forward. Today large hard drives of over 1TB are reasonably priced, and freely available. We are also seeing further expansion of hard drive sizes at a fast rate, where 2Tb drives and more are becoming easy accessible.  Since customers looking to buy Windows Home Server solutions from OEM’s will now have the ability to include larger drives, this will reduce the need for Drive Extender functionality.” Really? So what should I do about the 4 terabytes of data I have spread between 4 hard drives? Not upgrade? I am sure that I am not the only one that feels this way, just read the comments here.

Ultimately Screwed

Existing Windows Home Server users (that rely on Drive Extender) will not be able to upgrade to Vail to take advantage of the new features offered in Vail unless they switch to the new 4TB hard drives Microsoft predicts will be available at the time of release. There’s a call from WeGotServed, one of the top Windows Home Server destinations asking Microsoft to drop Vail and continue updating the current iteration of WHS until Microsoft can get it right.

What do you think? Will you upgrade to Vail if this feature is axed? Please post your thoughts below.

Last week I listed a number of reasons why everyone needs a Windows Home Server. Now that we understand the need and practicality of adding a Windows Home Sever to a network we are going to take some time to look over the specifications needed for a Windows Home Sever and some of the options that are currently available. I will also list some of the most helpful Amazon reviews for each of these devices so that you can make a better purchasing decision.

If you wish to skip all the text and head straight to the Windows Home Server Comparison  – Click here.

Home Sever Hardware Basics

The beauty of a Windows Home Server is that after you plug-in the power cord and Ethernet cable you are ready to go. There is no need for an advanced video card, nor a need for keyboards and mice, the server is headless and requires very little in terms of hardware to accomplish its tasks. The three things you need to be concerned about when looking at a Windows Home Sever is processor, RAM, and storage space and options. A Windows Home Server requires the following minimum specifications:

• A computer with 1GHz Pentium III (AMD is fine) or faster processor.
• 512 MB RAM or more.
• 70GB+ ATA, SATA, or SCSI hard drive as the primary hard drive.
• 100Mbps+ Ethernet connectivity.
• Internal or external DVD drive (only applies if you are building your own server for initial installation).
• A router with DHCP enabled.
• VGA+ monitor (only applies if you are building your own server for initial installation).
• Keyboard and mouse (only applies if you are building your own server for initial installation).

Based on the specs above you are probably thinking that you can get away with the cheapest WHS server in the market? It depends. If you plan on using your WHS server to serve files, backup your computers, and other basic functions, the aforementioned specs will suffice. However if you plan on running 4 security cameras and stream HD videos to multiple computers while downloading torrents you may run into some performance issues with these specs and might need something a little more powerful. Keep that in mind when reviewing the Windows Home Server options below.

Processor

The Windows Home Servers listed below used processors ranging from single core Intel Atom processors (used in most netbooks) to Intel Xeon server processors. You may not need the Xeon option in most cases, but as I stated earlier it all depends on what added functionality you expect from your Windows Home Server. In most cases you will probably be safe with a WHS running an Intel Celeron or Atom processor.

Processors Available

Intel Atom 230 1.6Ghz, Intel Atom N280 1.66GHz, Intel Celeron 2.2GHz, Intel Pentium E5200 2.5 GHz and Intel Pentium Dual-Core 2 GHz. I’ve pulled each of these processors using Intel’s processor comparison tool so that you can see the differences yourself (see below).

If you wish to view the the entire table check out the comparison from Intel.

Memory – RAM

The amount of system memory (RAM) required for WHS is 512MB. You will find that all of the WHS servers for sale will at a minimum have 1GB of RAM. The only real big difference between the servers listed below is the amount of RAM as well as the maximum amount of RAM the server can take. As with everything else on the server it boils down to what you expect from it. If you are planning to do more than just the basic functions I would recommend 2GB of RAM or more.

Storage Space and Options

This is where things get interesting. All servers except the HP MediaSmart LX195 have additional drive bays. This means that the only way you can add additional storage to the LX195 is by adding an external hard drive or swapping out the 640GB hard drive it ships with. The other servers have space for three additional SATA hard drives which translates to a potential 8TB of internal hard drive storage space (assuming that the primary plus all other drives are 2TB each).

If you are planning to store a lot of stuff on your server I would try to get the biggest primary disk I can. I made the mistake of installing WHS on an 80GB hard drive and eventually had to swap it out when I ran out of drive bays on my custom box. Keep that in mind.

I would probably stay away from buying additional hard drives when you purchase the server because you can always get them on your own from Amazon at cheaper price.

All servers listed below provide you with 3 connectivity options; USB 2.0, eSATA, and Gigabit Ethernet. USB and eSATA are used to connect hard drives to the home server to increase the available storage pool. The Gigabit Ethernet port is used to connect your server to the network. If your router does not support Gigabit Ethernet it will still work with WHS, but I would recommend upgrading if I were you.

Comparing the Servers and Reviews

This is where get to the pretty table I prepared to compare all seven Windows Home Servers in the marketplace. Please note that the prices listed are from Amazon as of 9/23/2010 with the exception of Velocity Micro’s NetMagix Server that must be purchased direct. Click on the table below to view the full-sized image.

Acer Aspire Home Server (3.9 Stars)

Why it rocks – Cheap, 1TB of storage, great size.

Most Useful Positive Review – Very compelling solution for backups, restores, media server, and remote access to data

“Acer’s server, when configured correctly, provides home users and small offices a powerful solution for automated backups, restores, remote access and media server capability. However, configuring this server can be challenging, and Acer makes little effort to help its customers. Microsoft’s Windows Home Server is a terrific — and stable! — operating…”

Most Helpful Critical Review –  Be careful, no tech support from Acer

“Bought this server last week. Installation went through fine in the first couple of hours. Then, one of the 4 indicator lights turned from blue to red. When I tried to set up a PC backup, an error messages says the server can’t reach the attached computer because the driver was not loaded. Followed the instruction on Microsoft’s WHS site but none of the methods suggested were able to correct the error…”

Acer Amazon Product Reviews

ASUS Home Server TS Mini (4.8 Stars)

Why it rocks – Cheap, two-threaded Atom processor, great size.

Most Useful Positive Review – Suites my purposes perfectly in all that it offers

“In searching for a server, I wanted something easy on the electricity in order to keep it on all day. If this does indeed use only 27 watts when at max operating, it’s perfect. I use it for file storage, having WinAmp running at all times to be able to remotely (via Ipod Touch) turn on to stream to an Airport Express with Airfoil (iTunes gave me problems, read below), run uTorrent all the time, and stream to a WD TV Live. It’s doing all these things for me perfectly. The only thing I don’t run on it that I had planned on is PlayOn to stream Hulu to the WD TV Live. The CPU is lacking for this, so I do run PlayOn from my laptop when needed…”

Most Helpful Critical Review –  None

ASUS Amazon Product Reviews

HP StorageWorks X510 Data Vault (5 Stars)

Why it rocks – 1TB of storage, fast Xeon processor, great size.

Most Useful Positive Review – HP StorageWorks X510 1TB Data

“I have the home unit at my house and this unit is exactly like it. The price on the Storage works and Media smart home server were about the same. I thought it might have some different functions for business, but it is the exact software as the home model. These are the best backup and file storage devices around. Once you have one you can be at peace that all of your data is safe…”

Most Helpful Critical Review –  None

HP StorageWorks Amazon Reviews

HP MediaSmart HomeServer EX490 (3.6 Stars)

Why it rocks – 1TB of storage, fast Xeon processor, great size.

Most Useful Positive Review – Not easily impressed… but I am now

“Working in the computer industry for over 25 years, I’m not easily impressed. Two quad-core processor, 8 GB of RAM and 2.5 TB of storage in a home pc… nice, but just “more of the same”. Most of the computer innovation of the last couple of years has been “more, faster and bigger”, but nothing revolutionary. However, the new MediaSmart EX495 is truly amazing: the speed, the capacity, but more importantly: the ease-of-install, and ease-of-use that DON’T “handycap” the “power user”, are fabulous. I had the server up and running in a few minutes. It’s now supporting 6 users, 1 MediaSmart Connect x280n (why did they stop making that!?), and 1 Roku M500. I added a second 1.5-TB hard drive and have already filled almost half of the total capacity (25,000 songs, 28,000 pictures, 600 videos, and loads of other stuff). This includes doubling almost every directory (I like this feature over Raid 1 as it provides much more flexibility), and backups of all PCs. The most impressive was how it enables external (secure) access by directly interacting with the router to open/forward the right ports. And it was immediately successful. Still to do: connect a USB cable to my UPS and try to set up graceful shut down…”

Most Helpful Critical Review –  Note ready for Mac

“My home network consists of two mac laptops, one windows based desktop which I have been using for backups, and an XBOX 360 and two iphone 3Gs. I bought the HP Mediasmart EX495 for backups as well as to use it as a media server. The MediaServer arrived a couple of days after order was placed. The server itself is extremely slick and well designed. It has…”

HP EX490 Amazon Review

HP MediaSmart Home Server LX195 (3.6 Stars)

Why it rocks – Small, cheap, no hassle.

Most Useful Positive Review – Simple Server Solution

“Most people will take a look at the HP LX195 MediaSmart Home Server and be a little confused as to what exactly you’re getting for your money. PC’s are becoming popular as media centers and this MediaSmart Server takes it one step further. For families who share one main computer where all of their music, movies and pictures are held, this is not going to be much help…”

Most Helpful Critical Review –  Features vs. Ease of Use vs. Cost – hard to find the perfect balance

“The Microsoft Home Server-based HP LX195 MediaSmart was designed to offer the home user ‘out of the box’ centralized backups of many connected devices as well as central storage facilities for the home’s data: music, photos, movies and so on. Its media collector can be set to periodically check the connected computers and copy newly found media files to the server…”

HP LX195 MediaSmart Amazon Reviews

The Lenovo D400 Home Server and the VM NetMagix HQ Home Servers are not sold on Amazon so there’s no product information or customer reviews on these devices.

GilsMethod’s Recommendation

Build your own. Ok, so you don’t think that you have the technical aptitude to build your own server (I’ll prove you wrong in an upcoming guide), but say you would like to keep things simple and purchase a server from the list above. If I were suggesting a Windows Home Server to a family member or a friend, I would recommend the HP MediaSmart Home Server LX195.

Here’s why:

• It’s cheap.
• Most of my family and friends would probably freak at the thought of handling a bare hard drive. With the LX195 you don’t need to worry about that. All you have to do is plug-in an external hard drive and be done with it.
• HP Qqality is top notch.
• Great size – I want to be able to plug this thing in, hide it in a corner and never worry about it again. The slim profile of the LX195 lets me do just that.
• Supports Mac OS devices on the same network.
• You can stream music to your iPhone or iPod using the iStream App from HP.

If there’s something I’m missed or if your opinion differs, please use the comments form below. Are you thinking about building your own server? Check back next week when we look for the parts to put our custom-built server together.

Do you have a computer for the kids, for yourself and one you use for work? What about an iPad or video streaming device like an Apple TV? If the answer to these questions is yes, chances are that you have movies, music, family videos, pictures and documents scattered around all of these devices without control or a backup system in place.

In the situation above, a NAS (Network Attached Storage) or a Windows Home Server would do the trick. As the title of this post suggests this series is about implementing a Windows Home Server solution and not a NAS solution. In case you were wondering here are a couple of reasons why.

• There are limits to the device’s functionality due to pre-installed hardware and software.
• An extra $100-$150 will fetch a decent Windows Home Server.
• Backup software is basic.
• Limited or no link between user accounts on Windows PC and NAS device.

Eventually I will write about setting up a NAS at your home or office, but for this guide we will stick to the Windows Home Server solution.

5 Reasons You Need a Windows Home Server

1. Media Sever – With a Windows Home Server at home you can store and organize all of your digital media in one central location and you can stream that content to other devices on your network.

2. Backup and Data Recovery – Let’s face it, most of us do not have the time or patience to make sure that all of the computers in our household have fresh backups at all times. Even if we did who wants to deal with restoration applications that can be completed or out of date? Windows Home Server makes data recovery a simple process.

3. Document Management and Remote Access – Did you forget an important document at home? Do you want to share your family pictures with friends while vacationing? Windows Home Server’s document management and secure remote access features make accessing files from any location as easy as visiting a website.

4. Extensibility – One of the most powerful features of Windows Home Server is the ability to extend its basic functionality to activities like home security, nanny cams, home control and automation, and much more.

5. Small Business Friendly – If you run an office with 10 computers or less then you might want to consider using a Windows Home Server to share files, control directories, and keep your small business running should disaster strike.

What Does a Windows Home Server Cost?

It depends. You have two options when purchasing a Windows Home Server: you can buy one from manufacturers like HP, Lenovo, Asus and Acer or you can build one yourself. I will cover both options in upcoming articles.

If you purchase a Windows Home Server from one of the aforementioned manufacturers, you will find that prices range from $279 for an Atom powered 500GB Mini SOHO Home Server from Asus – all the way to $849 for a 3TB StorageWorks X510 Data Vault from HP. However if you decide to build a server or repurpose an old computer as a Windows Home Server you can probably get below the $279 for a custom-built home server. The option is yours and I’ll help you make that decision.

Next Steps

In the following guide, we will explore the option of buying a Windows Home Server from the manufacturers above. I will gather information on each of the devices including; price, reviews, capabilities, and more so stay tuned for next week’s edition of the Weekend Project.

Start thinking about all of the content you have and look around for that old PC which might save you a couple of hundred dollars.

Before proceeding, make sure you download the Restore CD image from Microsoft – WHS Home Computer Restore CD Download.

1. Click Next to start the installation of the Windows Home Server Restore CD on your computer.

Note: All the installation does is extract the necessary image file so that you can burn the image to a disc.

A. Take note of the installation location, this is where you will find the image files we will be burning in the steps below.

2. Click Next to proceed with the installation.

When the installation is completed we need to locate the image files.

3. Locate the image files on your computer (Step 2 and A above).

C:\Users\[User Name]\Documents\Windows Home Server Home Computer Restore CD (Dual Boot)

4. Right-click on the Image file named RestoreCD_dual.iso.

5. In Windows 7 you should see the option to Burn Image (natively) or use a third-party application like Gizmo Drive to burn the image.

6. Burn the Image.

Image burning progress…

Once you are done burning the image you will be able to use it on any PC connected to your Windows Home Server.

You have two options to run the restore CD;

1. Run the restore CD on a computer while it’s running (see image above).

2. Insert the disc and reboot computer so that the computer boots off the restore CD (this option is useful if Windows does not run or respond.

Information below via ReadMe.txt

This ReadMe document is one of the Windows Home Server Home Computer Restore CD files. Unless you changed the installation location during setup, the Home Computer Restore CD files and license terms are located in one of the following folders:
* On Windows Vista: %HOMEPATH%\Documents\Windows Home Server Home Computer Restore CD (Dual Boot)
* On Windows XP: %HOMEPATH%\My Documents\Windows Home Server Home Computer Restore CD (Dual Boot)

To use the Home Computer Restore CD software, you must write the ISO image file (restorecd_dual.iso) to a blank CD. A CD/DVD burner is required to write the ISO image file to the CD. Usually a CD/DVD burner includes the software that you need to write ISO image files. Follow the instructions with your burner software, and then select the option to write an ISO image, not the option to write individual files. Note that you cannot write the ISO image by using Windows Explorer to copy the file to the CD-ROM drive.

If you have any comments please post them below or if you need help visit our forums.

Note: I used Windows Vista Ultimate and Windows Home Server for this tutorial.

Since you have not backed up your computer in a while…the Windows Home Server Connector icon in the notification are will be red, indicating that you have not backed up your computer.

1. Right-click on the Windows Home Server icon located on the notification area.

2. Click on Backup Now from the menu that appears.

3. Name the manual backup so that you can identify it later should you need to use it.

4. Click on the Backup Now button when you are ready.

A small bubble will appear indicating that the backup has started. You will notice that the icon changes from Red to Blue, when you are done and don’t have any other issues affecting your network’s health then the icon should be Green.