Possible extra hard drive storage on ethernet...

[john1]

Hi,

Just fishing for a bit of advice ....

I've been running a little home network for a while now,
nothing special, just a small cheap router, and a few PCs.

I was thinking about adding storage, which could be accessible
to any PC using my little network, to do this such storage
would have to be on my ethernet for access from the other PCs.

I thought maybe i could make up a unit just to act as file storage
for my other PCs, as they are getting a bit full up.
I was wondering about possibly getting a cheap old motherboard
and using the four possible IDE points to hold hard drives, (maybe
50 gigs each) the first of which would i guess have to hold its OS,
to drive the mobo, and the ethernet card.

Then it crossed my mind that there might be an easier way,
maybe a PIC with an Eeprom might be able to couple together the
ethernet with a hard drive ?

Or would it be better to stick to using a mobo ?

Any comments ... ?

John

 

[Someone Electro]

An PIC is WAY too slow and windows networking can get complicated.

The best way is to use an old PC.You can then just use windows folder sharing and then make virtual drives.Also you can run an FTP or HTTP server on it to make some data avalible from anyware in the world.

Also its good to enable remote desktop so you can use that PC whithout an extra monitor,mouse... from an other real PC in the network.

 

[Styx]

Look up the NSLU2 from Linksys
It is a 10cm x3cm x2cm little box that you plug into a ethernet port on yr router and also plug in USB harddrives.

There are some hacking projects as well
http://www.nslu2-linux.org/wiki/Unslung/HomePage


That enable it to be a web server, email server, anything really not just network storage. I am taking mine to work today to overclock since I am running a torrent download and hte extra 130MHz will help

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

An PIC is WAY too slow and windows networking can get complicated.

If you search the net there are a number of PIC examples of networking, including using a PIC as a webserver :lol:

Not that I would suggest it's a good idea for this application, where a small motherboard is all that's required - or buy a network drive? (which is just a small motherboard and drive in a box, usually running Linux.

 

[Someone Electro]

Yea but a PIC woont provide an good speed.Networks are capable of 100Mbit (now some are 1Gbit) An PC will use that speed much better.Its also very contumisable. You can have an server for vasius stuff from file to game server and you can also use the PC for downloading.

Then you can also use it to store perosnal stuff like photos and stuff like that.

 

[mstechca]

Actually a PIC setup is better than bringing in another system if you are concerned with power consumption. With PIC, you don't have to plug anything into the wall if you have batter(y/ies) that supply enough voltage and current.

 

[Someone Electro]

But then agen on old pentium whith no graphics card wont get anywayre near the power consumption of todays PCs.

You could also think of an standby.Lots of network cards can wake up the PC over the net.

A PIC wodnt run off baterys for long becuse hard drives are NOT very enegrgy saving.But would comsume a lot less meaby around 2-5W hile an old PC would around 50W

 

[DirtyLude]

Like mentioned earlier, a PIC HTTP server is far more simple than trying to make it a file server. Though you could interface a PIC with a hardrive and with an ethernet device, running the software for Windows SMB networking and the handling the drives file structure as well, are not simple tasks, let alone multiple drives.

Also, like mentioned above, it would be much slower than even a throwaway PC board. Just get a throw away PC and install linux on it with Samba server. It's powerful, and has alot of security/mapping features.

Heck, I put together this headless server from a PC my sister didn't want anymore.
**broken link removed**

 

[Someone Electro]

How do you thurn it on whith no powerbutton?

 

[DirtyLude]

On the top left of the Mobo in the picture you can see the LED's I have directly connected for power and HDD activity. The black and white wires running over the mobo go to the power button, which I have mounted to the baseplate behind the hardrive. Also you can't see the mains power cord, but it is plugged into the PSU and runs behind the table. It has no keyboard, mouse, or graphics card. It did for setup, but now I connect to it through VNC to change setting or administer the Linux system.

Anyway, that computer still sits on my desk, and works, but I never turn it on. I have a more powerful server running in my basement that has all the drives on it and runs other server functions as well.

 

[john1]

Hi, Someone Electro, Styx, Nigel Goodwin, mstechca, DirtyLude,

I am a little surprised by the response to my post, it looks like
others have already been going along these lines.
Replies in same order as posts ....
*********

Hi Someone Electro,
You mention that using a PIC for this would be slow, and that windows
networking can get complicated.
Well i didn't really know if a PIC could be set up to do it,so i take
it that a PIC can be programmed do it. As for the speed, well this
would only be for stuff between my own little set of PCs, so i don't
think the speed would be much of a problem.
However, i do agree that setting up networking can often be a right
pain, and sometimes won't work properly even when its been working
properly for a while.
And if its gonna play up, then i would want to get proper graphical
monitor interface in order to do what i can to kick it into working.

So that means using a Mobo and an Operating System,
and setting it for use with a remote desktop.
**********

Hi Styx,
Thanks for that nslu2 info, if i go for a USB hard drive or two,
i may well get one of those.
************

Hi Nigel,
Yes, i think i will go along with the Mobo idea, pretty much as you
mention in your post. I have no experience of Linux, i was thinking
of a stripped down Win95/b or maybe Win3.2 which i understand can be
as small as a couple of floppies.
But maybe i should get to know a bit of Linux.
I am told it is very customisable .... and need not be very big,
although i think it would be more than a few floppies.
All i would need is ethernet capable and short start up time.
I did not know such an item could be purchased,
i will look for prices.
************

Hi Someone Electro,
I doubt if i would need anything better than the usual 10Mb Eth Cards,
yes it would be mainly personal stuff pictures, files, stuff like that.
************

Hi mstechca,
I hadn't even thought about the power consumption, but no i won't be
expecting it to run from batteries. I would be quite happy to plug
it into the mains supply assuming its only a mobo with 'Wake on Lan'
i would not expect much of a demand when its 'sleeping'.
************

Hi Someone Electro,
Yes, thats pretty much the way i am thinking now after looking through
this thread ... an old Mobo with a minimal OS and an ethernet card,
set up just for access to maybe four hard drives. Including an A-Drive
might be necessary to get it running. Dunno what sort of power i would
be looking at, but you can get 300 to 400 M/cycle processors that run
with only a heat sink - no fan. So maybe ten watts overall, bit more
if a hard drive kicks in ... (i could be way off)
************

Hi DirtyLude,
Didn't really understand all of what you said, but i think you meant
it would be quite difficult to set up a PIC to deal with networking and
multiple drives.
I'm sure you're right, after looking through this thread i will be
trying to do this using an old mobo.
You also mention Linux like many others.
Maybe i should get to know a little Linux.
I do like your 'Headless Server' i especially like the name 'Headless
Server' and i like the look of it, i hope mine looks as good!

In fact, if you dont want it, i would love to have it, i would
cheerfully pay the postage for it! i think its just what i want!

Best Regards to you all,
John