Whats a really cheap small quiet server type system?

[Marcos]

I just need something thats basically a NAS, that will hold 2x 500GB drives (no raid/backup needed) and basically provide streams to a media player.

i wanted to just get a couple of these freecom nas drives:

http://www.freecom.com/ecproduct_det...sCatID=1146196

but i heard nas drives can be a bit troublesome with streaming video? like stutters etc

and then i thought about something like this:

http://www.xspo.co.uk/product.php?pid=2091

the thing is, i have a laptop and i dont want to tie it down to a desk with usb drives so trying to find a storage solution thats independent.

[aidanjt]

http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Produ...oductID=340118

Something like that?

Costs more I know, but you know the old addage..

[Marcos]

up to 800gb on that one

but thats quite a price considering storage not included, i'm sure i could get a shuttle up and running for that much

[aidanjt]

The 'compatibility sheet' shows that it can take 500GB HDDs, so that's 1TB, I'm sure it could take 1TB disks as well. At least you don't have to pay for an OS and other jazz, as well as low power consumption and near zero noise other than the HDDs (which if you get AAKS disks to go with it, which is also nearly noiseless).

[Flibb]

£30 dell SFF PC of ebay and some form of linux, or even an old copy of win 2000 / xp. Install your OS on to it using the supplied cd rom, then shove an extra HD in there, or if you want more shove an PCI IDE card in there and mount the drives externally, or use cheap USB enclosures.

I currently have an old athlon 1700 rig with 2 printers plugged in to it, 2 HD, and it holds all my music, videos, photos, etc. My Xbox can playm usic and films from it and all the PCs can access files, print, etc. I can also control it using the XP remote desktop connection, and use it to download stuff.

[Marcos]

£30 dell SFF PC of ebay and some form of linux, or even an old copy of win 2000 / xp. Install your OS on to it using the supplied cd rom, then shove an extra HD in there, or if you want more shove an PCI IDE card in there and mount the drives externally, or use cheap USB enclosures.

I currently have an old athlon 1700 rig with 2 printers plugged in to it, 2 HD, and it holds all my music, videos, photos, etc. My Xbox can playm usic and films from it and all the PCs can access files, print, etc. I can also control it using the XP remote desktop connection, and use it to download stuff.

and do the videos stream smoothly?

whats the power consumption like?

[Flibb]

I use a modded xbox so that does any transcoding, not the PC. Power wise I havent clue, its hardly using any cpu power and the PSU is 350W. The box I am currently using is a comlete lash up with 7v fans, PCI printer card (can have 3 old printers on it), I've been lookin at ebay dells and compaqs for a while, we had some nice deskpros at work a few years ago that were extremly quiet.

[Funkstar]

Video streaming problems is all down to the units ability to send dat fast enough. Many little NAS devices can't cope, they have very small, slow processors.

Power consumption is going to be higher for a regular PC, but you have to factor in how migh higher it is likely to be. Is it going to cos you £170 more electricity to use over it's life than a little NAS box? Probably not to be honest.

[Marcos]

I use a modded xbox so that does any transcoding, not the PC. Power wise I havent clue, its hardly using any cpu power and the PSU is 350W. The box I am currently using is a comlete lash up with 7v fans, PCI printer card (can have 3 old printers on it), I've been lookin at ebay dells and compaqs for a while, we had some nice deskpros at work a few years ago that were extremly quiet.

i want it for use with XBMC too, but i dont want to put a large drive in the xbox itself and have to transfer everything over, not to mention the filename restrictions. thats why i'm keen on getting a standalone storage solution

[Marcos]

Video streaming problems is all down to the units ability to send dat fast enough. Many little NAS devices can't cope, they have very small, slow processors.

Power consumption is going to be higher for a regular PC, but you have to factor in how migh higher it is likely to be. Is it going to cos you £170 more electricity to use over it's life than a little NAS box? Probably not to be honest.

i was almost set on the freecom network pro drives but i guess theres no way to determine if they are fast enough without buying one

[Funkstar]

unless you can find a review of it i guess