Does anyone have any home network projects for this year?

[Jay]

I have decided to buy a 12U rack, buy a rackmount gigabit switch to replace my old Cisco 2924XL, a rackmount KVM, CAT5 every room with a proper RJ45 socket, full patch panel, VM my test bed systems, replace my routers (I have 2 internet connections) with an home made pfSense router and replace my ATX server with a ITX server and SSD (only 7w draw without HDDS!)

I have the rack, faceplates, patch panel and KVM on delivery for next week and the ITX server already built. The pfSense router is costed and on for order next month and now I need to save for a 16 port gigabit router (rackmount) these don't come cheap!

[PeteSmith]

Why? That money must literally be burning a hole in your pocket. My only planned home network project is buy a new NAS box, probably the Synology DS408, still unsure. Good luck with the project.

[PeterStoba]

My only plan is to successfully link my laptop and desktop, to each other so i can drag files from one another, since they're both running vista, but i could when they were 1 xp 1 vista. Other than that it's try and find some sort of external drive that connects to the router (thats a nas right) for storing films and streaming to the 360 to my tv, and maybe find something for streaming it to the downstairs tv too

[kopite]

Thats a pretty impressive project mate.

Mines on a lot smaller scale. I want to get my power edge server set up as a file server in the loft, Get my htpc set up in the front room and then get a gigbit router to share the internet connection thoguhtout the house.

[Funkstar]

I'm hoping to get a bigger place sometime this year and when I do a complete hard wires network will be put in place. I'll need to get a 16 port gigabit switch, nothing fancy though, just a basic unmanaged one. I think a friend has a 24port 10/100 switch for me that was "skipped" by his former employers.

Hopefully O2/Be will get their act together and offer ADSL2+ on the exchanges in Aberdeen so I can get some decent boradband (although 600kbs+ on Nildram 8mb isn't shabby).

As for storage, I need to upgrade the disks in my first N5200 to 1.5TB disks. Waiting for the more reliable versions though, the current Seagate has problems.

[SiM]

Probably build a new fileserver with 8 SATA ports (and some 2TB hard drives)
4 SATA ports/4TB is not enough.

[handscombmp]

Mines only to go to wire instead of wireless and install a NAS for backups and all my music etc.

Want to do it before my gf moves in so the house isn't a mess with

[Funkstar]

Thats something I might consider with a larger place (and dedicated study/computer room).

Would be good to build a decent, larger server sytem in a Stacker or something. Never had the space before.

I have plans for non-networking hardware too though. A second 24" monitor on my desktop, decent networked colour printer, flatbed scanner with transparency adapter, etc.

Oh to have a decent anout of space!

[Jay]

Why? That money must literally be burning a hole in your pocket. My only planned home network project is buy a new NAS box, probably the Synology DS408, still unsure. Good luck with the project.

Becuase I am out of space as it is, it should reduce noise and it will cost less in Electricity. up to now I have spend £120 and I expect that the VMs and low power server will save me that in 12 months of electricity.

**EDIT**

thie Synology DS408 costs about £450!

[Jiff Lemon]

Becuase I am out of space as it is, it should reduce noise and it will cost less in Electricity. up to now I have spend £120 and I expect that the VMs and low power server will save me that in 12 months of electricity.

Been there done that!

My solution was similar; Except I moved the VM server into work's rack; Given that 90% of my testing was work related, it made more sense!

Impressive project all the same. I'm about to start cat 5'ing my place, more with home media serving in mind. You channeling walls or going behind skirting boards?

[Jay]

behind skirting boards and around the gap in the wood flooring

I have had to do a few runs the living room but it means I can ditch the home plug and a switch. I am sure the electricity bill will drop quite a bit and it will look so much better. I'll post pics when the stuff arrives on Tuesday.

I got an 8 port rackmount KVM cheap off ebay because it didn'thave the external PSU. I think the seller hadn't bother to read up that the PSU was not needed and didn't come as standard as the power comes from the PS2 on the connected devices.

[Guy]

The plan for 2009 is to fully Cat6 the house. No more wireless drama's.

Then stick a couple of TB drives in my HP server, and sort out transferring all my files and media to it.

If only something could be done BB wise, I'm along way away from the exchange, and my options are either BT or Tiscali

[Jay]

[funkymunky]

Not got a lot planned to be honest, may shuffle my NAS and server in to the buildings' comms room (no more humming and saves me paying for the power ). May invest in some Home Plugs at some point as I can't run cable in as it's a rented apartment and there's no sensible cable route without pulling the place to bits.

If I need to test anything for work etc. I can usually do it all remotely which saves a lot of hassle, alternatively I have a spare box in a cupboard.

[Sinizter]

Build a server - with squid.

Reconnect stuff with powerline networking rather than having wires running around.

Build a new MediaPortal machine to watch record freeview/freesat as well as play all my DVDs off the hard drive.

Set up VOIP Asterisk stuff ... with a cellphone connection to reroute calls.

Any details on specs of the 7W power draw server ?

[alsenior]

rebuilding the server and at the same time using open solaris and zfs. giving it a new role as well as a myth-tv backend. i'm also wireing up the house to keep the cables out of the way.