Share your Server setup and give the rest of us IDEAS

[richman]

I would like some of you guys that have been around here a long time to share your NAS/PC/router setup with the rest of us.

I'm looking for cheapest/lowest power/solution to make squeezebox server.

At present I'm using either my laptop or desktop computer and even my netbook to run my server.

I do have an asus 520gu router with usb 1 TB hard drive attached to it , running tomato firmware, was hoping to run server software just from that and I can't find anyone who did it yet.

If you have a CHEAP NAS solution and link I would appreciate it.

If you have great setup, please share it with us. Even tell us the things you tried that didn't work, so we gain from your experience and don't buy something that sucks.

Since this is end of MAY 2010, figured the info in this thread is CURRENT STUFF and not stuff from a few years ago, since tech gear changes very fast and NEW STUFF comes out.

So , tell us your setup and successes and failures.

[JeffHart]

My first system was cheap - an hand me down Dell w/XP, a couple of GB RAM, and a couple of hand me down hard drives. Cost $0

Then it died.

I have a Asus eeeBox 202 running Ubuntu behind my TV that is now my SqueezeBoxServer server. Since I bought it for surfing and watching streaming media from the internet, this is kind of free - at least no additional cost.

However if I were starting anew and didn't have a receiver or Boom already everywhere I listen to music in the house, I think I'd just pick up the Touch and attach a USB drive for zero server cost.

[carib]

However if I were starting anew and didn't have a receiver or Boom already everywhere I listen to music in the house, I think I'd just pick up the Touch and attach a USB drive for zero server cost.

I'd check the Touch thread first before going this route. This particular setup has its drawbacks.

[tcutting]

I set up an MSI WindPC a while back with Ubuntu Linux. It's not the easiest, cheapest, lowest power, quietest solution available, but it works very well for me. I wanted to "learn" a bit more about Linux, so it was a good way to do that. It wasn't too expensive - I got most of the parts on-sale at Newegg, and I believe there was a rebate on the WindPC. I measured the power a while back, and think it came in around 20W. It's not completely noiseless, as there is an internal fan, but I find it very quiet. I have it in my office, and most of the time I'm there so a little sound is OK, but I think you have to basically put your ear next to it to notice any noise.
In addition to SBS, it is setup as a Samba server, so I use it for my user files for my Windows desktop and network. I periodically connect a USB HD to it to back up. There should be dual-core Atom PCs out there now, with lower power support chips, but as I say, this setup works well for me.

[raven22]

I would go for a sheeva or tonido plug (search the forum) and a 2.5" harddrive. Consumes just 5 watt in total and is rather cheap and with help of the Squeezeplug image very easy to setup. http://wiki.slimdevices.com/index.php/SqueezePlug

[richman]

Ok , I just ordered a tonido plug.
Not sure where you were referring to in forum to figure out how to install server on tonido. I did find stuff for the sheevaplug. Could someone who has the tonido plug post link just for the tonido plug and putting server app on it.
Thanks

[lrossouw]

When I upgraded my desktop I just downgraded my old desktop (pulling stuff I don't need in it) and put it in the cupboard. Running my server off it. It had XP Pro so I use remote desktop to access it if needs be. You could also use vnc etc.

[raven22]

Ok , I just ordered a tonido plug.
Not sure where you were referring to in forum to figure out how to install server on tonido. I did find stuff for the sheevaplug. Could someone who has the tonido plug post link just for the tonido plug and putting server app on it.
Thanks

How to run the tonidoplug from a usbstick is discussed here: http://www.tonido.com/forum/viewtopi...t=209&start=10

After this it is just a linux install. copy the squeezeboxserver.deb file to your plug using either samba or winscp. Then do apt-get update and dpkg -i squeezeboxserver*.deb. That's it. To solve dependencies run apt-get install -f.

[bernt]

I use two old HP SFF that I got for free at my work. One loaded with Vortexbox and one with FreeNAS for backup.

Look for ones with DVD player and SATA controller. Like this one. http://viewitem.eim.ebay.se/HP_dc760...434411055/item

Backup and schedule tip.

First setup Vortexbox on one box.

For backup I use a old HP dc7600. It has room for two SATA disks and a DVD player.

Burn FreeNAS to CD, put a USB stick in the computer and boot from the FreeNAS CD. Note the ip adress on the screen. If you don't have a screen look in your router for the ip adress.

Surf to that ip from another computer. Log on with user admin, password freenas.

Follow this guide to setup JBOD. http://freenas.org/documentation:set...:software_raid

Go to Services > Rsync > Rsync client.
Set the Vortexbox ip address.
User “root”.
Module “files”.

If you don’t use Vortexbox use your own settings.

Set a schedule. That’s it. No single command was typed.

My schedule.

Vortexbox shutsdown 01:00 if no player have been used after 23:00. It boots up again at 06:00. Runs Clear and rescan at 06:30.

Freenas boots up every Sunday morning at 07:00 and runs the backup at 07:30 and shutsdown 6 hours later.

To restore use FreeNAS as rsync server and Vortexbox (or your Windows box) as rsync client. http://vortexbox.org/documentation/b...x-using-rsync/
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[pski]

When I upgraded my desktop I just downgraded my old desktop (pulling stuff I don't need in it) and put it in the cupboard. Running my server off it. It had XP Pro so I use remote desktop to access it if needs be. You could also use vnc etc.

The lowest consumption option is a pc running vortexbox. I don't mean power.

512Mb would be a lot depending on the cpu. I would think a 750Mhz+ P3 might be sufficient if you weren't playing more than a couple of transcoded streams at the same time. I've done an old P4 at 1.6 with decent results.

The only other question is storage. I like NAS for the data storage.

Agillis?