[jay3ld]

I need a cheap server

its only going 2 have 3 computers and at the most 2 printers hooked up to it plus our internet

Apple store has some but i dont want to spend $2000 on a server made for 30 computers!

Where can i find me a nice small one.

[Kristoff]

uh...buy a mac mini and install OS X server on it.

[typoon]

Originally posted by Kristoff:
uh...buy a mac mini and install OS X server on it.

I'll second that. I did that exact thing. Mac mini with OS X server. It runs great for light to probably medium duty Service.

[jay3ld]

but i only see one ethernet port on it.

how would it be done?

[waffffffle]

I think you need to be more specific about what you want to do with this server. Web server? Internet sharing? Also, some people have reported difficulty with installing OS X Server on a Mac mini because it can't boot off the install CD, so you need to put the mini in target disk mode and use another Mac to install it.

[Angus_D]

Originally posted by jay3ld:
but i only see one ethernet port on it.

how would it be done?

What do you mean? Why would you need multiple NICs for what you describe?

[jay3ld]

ok i got 3 computers at home (2 mac and 1 pc [YUK])

im wanting to make the 2 macs connected.
like a network log in. but the mac os x servers are 2 grand! but i only need 2 computers hooked up to it for 7 people and about 80 gb
I then want to hook my printers to the server so we can print off any mac and my internet i might.

[Angus_D]

Originally posted by jay3ld:
im wanting to make the 2 macs connected.
like a network log in. but the mac os x servers are 2 grand! but i only need 2 computers hooked up to it for 7 people and about 80 gb
I then want to hook my printers to the server so we can print off any mac and my internet i might.

Do you really need network log-in? You can connect to other Macs/PCs without requiring an OS X Server, USB Printer Sharing works on OS X Client, etc.

[Kristoff]

If you want a network, you have to buy a switch.

If you want to share your bbd connection, then buy a router/switch combo.

I recommend Netgear.

[Millennium]

Originally posted by jay3ld:
ok i got 3 computers at home (2 mac and 1 pc [YUK])

im wanting to make the 2 macs connected.
like a network log in. but the mac os x servers are 2 grand! but i only need 2 computers hooked up to it for 7 people and about 80 gb
I then want to hook my printers to the server so we can print off any mac and my internet i might.

Here's my recommendation: Get a Mac Mini, and AirPort Extreme base station with a printer port, and a small switch (I second the NetGear recommendation, by the way).

Whatever your outside connection to the Internet is going to be, hook it into the WAN port of the AE base station, the Ethernet switch into the LAN port, and the printer into the USB port. Hook any wired machines into the switch. Set up the AEBS to distribute IP addresses via DHCP; it'll hit the wired machines when you do this as well. Whatever your ISP says to do for setting up your machine, set up the AEBS up that way; if the other machines all work via DHCP then the AEBS will take care of them for you.

As for the Mac server, how familiar are you with Unix-based server technology? OSX Server is really just OSX with a couple of extra programs, most if not all of which can be downloaded for free (minus the pretty Apple GUIs). If you're familiar with Apache, Postfix, and Samba already, or you believe you could pick these up without much trouble, than a Client installation will be more than sufficient, since it comes with all three of these things.

[Detrius]

Originally posted by waffffffle:
...Also, some people have reported difficulty with installing OS X Server on a Mac mini because it can't boot off the install CD, so you need to put the mini in target disk mode and use another Mac to install it.

This is just because they didn't read the directions. This is what Disc 2 is for. You don't need to reinstall OS X, since the machine already has OS X. You just need to make it Server.

Some people have problems driving a straight drive. This doesn't mean it can't be done or that it is even difficult to do. You shouldn't worry about something because "some people have reported problems." After all, that's why you see idiot labels on EVERYTHING--someone didn't realize that coffee is hot.

and of course... someone will get mad at me for saying this.

[Detrius]

Originally posted by jay3ld:
ok i got 3 computers at home (2 mac and 1 pc [YUK])

im wanting to make the 2 macs connected.
like a network log in. but the mac os x servers are 2 grand! but i only need 2 computers hooked up to it for 7 people and about 80 gb
I then want to hook my printers to the server so we can print off any mac and my internet i might.

If you are going to network log in, you would want a faster computer with gigabit ethernet and a good speed hard drive--especially if you want multiple people using it. You can get a used Power Mac G4 and get the 10 client version of OS X Server for $500.

If you want multiple people storing their data on the same machine at the same time, the Mac mini is not a good way to go--it's only 100Base-T and a single laptop hard drive. You would have to upgrade it right off the bat.

[jay3ld]

so what would i get?

[megus]

I would choose this setup.
- A Mac mini with the default installed OS, since I don't think you really need OS X Server.
- A broadband router with at least 4 ports. I to recommend Netgear. I have a DLink 624+ myself, and wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
- SharePoints to set up shared network resources on the Mac mini.
- Use USB print sharing (available in the standard OS version) to share your printer connected to the Mac mini.

I have a similar setup at home (though I use a Cube). Works fine. Even have the Cube setup as a Web/WebDAV server for Internet Server and iCal sharing.

[Edit. Are you sure about the need for Network Logon? This is an OS X Server option only, where the users home direcories (and/or applications) are stored on the server and not on the client machine. In setups like this, the client machines are able to actually boot off the Server. Practical in Lab-environments with centrally controlled installations. If this is what you need, the above setup won't do at all. You need a much more powerful system.]

//megus

[Gavin]

I'll second megus. But I think you can use cheaper hardware.

I sounds like you want to log in for file sharing, as opposed to having the home folders on the server. It doesn't take much of a box for this or OS X Server, regular OS X will do everything you need.

Any used g4 will handle it. Or even a 350MHz B&W G3 which you can get for $200. Put the difference into ram and a big fast drive. A mini will be newer of course and have USB2 and faster ethernet, but even a used desktop will have a faster hard drive and you can add more drives as needed.

Something else to consider is to simply make one of the existing computers the server. You can get a 10,000 RPM 250GB drive and add lots of ram for less than a new computer. Unless you're rendering video or burning DVDs any newer Mac should be able to handle being a workstation and a server.

You can get a wireless broadband router cheap. A router generally comes with an ethernet hub, all the computers hook into it. Airport is easy to set up but any wireless router will do. I got one for $19 at comp USA with a rebate deal, it has a sucky interface and was tricky to set it up but it works fine. You pay more for a better set up interface and for faster connections, 100 or even 1000 baseT ethernet. Faster is much nicer for file sharing, it doesn't really matter for internet because broadband is still way slower than the slowest ethernet. It also depends on how fast the ethernet cards in your computers are. Most macs can do at least 100BaseT but only recent ones have 1000, so getting a router that can handle 1000 is probably overkill.

If you don't need wireless then save your money but you still need a Router if you want to hook your network to DSL or cable. If you are just hooking the computers to each other with no Internet then you just need a Switch or a Hub, a switch is better, especially if the computers on the network run at different bandwidths, like one only has a 10bT card.

Hook a USB hub to the server and plug as many printers as you need. Get a powered hub.


So, shopping list:

1. Broadband Router - People here said Netgear and I also like Lynksys
2. Any powered USB Hub

Try using a computer you have as the server. if it just isn't working for you, then:
3. Any Mac with OS X, lots of ram and a fast drive.

You may be able to get everything you need for less than $400.