What is Windows Home Server?

How To Check Your Broadband Router Compatibility for Windows Home Server Remote Access

Andrew Edney

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Aug 15, 2009

Before you start configuring your Windows Home Server for remote access, you might consider taking a few minutes to check that your broadband router is compatible for automatic configuration by Windows Home Server. Don’t worry if it turns out that it isn’t, you can just configure it manually, it’s just quicker and easier to have it done for you.

Fortunately, Microsoft provide a very useful tool for checking the broadband router called the Internet Connectivity Evaluation Tool. It’s quick and easy to use, doesn’t require you to download and install anything, and best of all its free!

The Internet Connectivity Evaluation Tool is not a tool that is specifically for use with Windows Home Server. You can use the tool to check any Internet router to check what it can do and check that it supports certain technologies.

To use the Internet Connectivity Evaluation Tool, follow these steps:

Note: In order to perform the tests, you must be using a computer that can connect to the Internet and that the computer is either running Windows 7, Windows Vista or Windows XP.

From your Internet browser, go to the following URL: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/using/tools/igd.

This will display the Internet Connectivity Evaluation Tool start screen.

Read through all the instructions that are displayed on the screen to ensure you know about the tests.
Check the I have read and ACCEPT the terms of the license agreement box.
Click the Continue button.
Click the Start Test button to begin the various tests.

The testing will then begin. You can monitor the progress of the testing of each element.

The following tests will be performed on your broadband router:

Basic Internet Connectivity test
Network Address Translator Type
Traffic Congestion test
TCP High Performance test
UPnP Support test
Multiple Simultaneous Connection States test

Detailed information on each test and what constitutes a success can be found in the tool itself – you can review each one while each test is being performed.

When all the testing has completed, you can scroll down to the bottom of the page and click View Detailed Report to view a more detailed report.

You can click on each Test line to expand or hide the details and results of each test.

You should now know whether your broadband router could be configured automatically for you.

In my case, as my broadband router does not support UPnP then I will have to configure it manually, but more on how to do that in another article.

Using Windows Home Server to Back Up Windows Small Business Client Computers

Windows Home Server

Andrew Edney

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Aug 15, 2009

1

Microsoft have just published an article on their TechNet site on how to use Windows Home Server to backup your clients on a Small Business Server (SBS) 2008 network.

You can read it here.

New Version of AutoExit Add-In for Windows Home Server

Windows Home Server

Andrew Edney

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Aug 12, 2009

2

Nick Asseloos has been in touch to let us know that he has released a new version of AutoExit, that great add-in for Windows Home Server.

This version includes:

Shut down your machines over the Windows Home Server network.
It can be used to shut down, reboot machines in your home network from within the console. Wake On Lan is also supported, this enables you to easily boot up machines remotely.
You can put the machine into hibernation, sleep, log off the user or lock the machine.
The server can also be shut down from the toolbar now.
You can execute these actions per machine or for all machines.
Changes in AutoExit 2009 (minor update):
– Wake On Lan all clients.
– Send a message to all connected clients.
– Warn users when the server is going down.
– Support for Windows 7.
– Possibility to the Wake On Lan port to send to.
– Possibility to enable easy logging on the client side.
– Mac-address of the server is retrieved when opening the diagnostic dialog and the Mac field being empty.
– When downloading an update, it is automatically saved to the ‘Server\Software’ or ‘Server\Logiciel’ folder, if none of these exist the browse directory dialog is shown.
– Fix: On some machines the actions did not work and an error 998 was displayed, this has been fixed.
– Fix: Fixed issue that settings in Vista/Windows 7 weren’t read correctly and made the AutoWOL Server function not work.
– Fix: Now when a client comes out of sleep, a WOL packet is sent to the server if enabled.
– Fix: Small improvement to the update dialog to show the product name.
– Fix: When using hibernate/sleep, the machine sometimes couldn’t be enabled again.
– Fix: Detects if Remote Desktop is enabled on a Home Edition.
– And some other minor adjustments.

For more information, including how to download AutoExit, click here.

Review of VMCMOTE

Geo Webb

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Aug 10, 2009

0

This is my first review for UsingWindowsHomeServer.com and I thought I would start by reviewing a Remote Control Media Center App called VMCMOTE. Yes, I did say App so that means that this review is more for the owners of the Iphone or Itouch who own Vista Media Center running 32 bit, it will not work with the 64 bit version. VMCMOTE has two functions, the first is being able to access your media center music library and play any album, song or playlist instead of using a Media Center remote, let’s be clear, this does not stream music to your Iphone/Itouch but remotely controls your media center. After synching VMCMOTE to your music library you can easily scroll through your library searching by Album, Artist, Genre or custom search. Once you choose your music to play the album art and info and timeline will be displayed as well as some basic functions like play and pause. You also have the capability to add more songs to a queue or create and play a playlist and view your queue. Keep in mind that this is all done over your wireless network so line of site is not an issue. The second function in VMCMOTE is a remote touchpad that replaces the clunky media center remote and has all the normal functions as well as a keyboard. A couple things I would like to see is have the Iphone/Itouch be able to act like a gyration remote using the built in accelerometer, a volume control on the now playing screen, also the remote function does not work with the Netflix app.

VMCMOTE comes in two flavors, the lite version (demo version) is free and is limited to synching only 100 tracks from your library and the remote does not include some functions. The full version is $7.99/5,99€, while this might seem a little pricey for a web app just think of what it would cost you for a touch screen remote that has this type of functionality? I went ahead and bought the full version, one so that I could do a full review and two because I like the idea of not having to buy a special remote to get this functionality, plus who needs another remote to add to their collection? Installation is very easy, besides downloading the app from Itunes you also have to download a media center addin from the authors website and follow the basic instructions and make sure you have .net framework 3.5 installed.

If you are interested in VMCMOTE I suggest you try the lite version first, for more info and a ton of more screenshots plus the media center addin and instructions please visit Thomas Mangel’s site at http://vmcmote.blogspot.com/.

Update: I upgraded my test Vista Media Center box to Windows 7 Media Center (RTM, 32 bit) today and VMCMOTE works perfect with it.

Geo Webb

ITunes Links:

App Store link: vmcMote Lite
App Store link: vmcMote

Review of the Asus Eee PC 1005HA Netbook

Andrew Edney

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Aug 9, 2009

3

As we have stated previously, Netbooks are currently all the rage. They are small, light, cheap, and are great for taking everywhere with you if you only want to do certain tasks – such as surfing the Internet, sending email, etc.

Asus are probably the biggest supplier of Netbooks on the market – it seems every time you turn around, they have another new one out there – which I suppose from a consumer perspective isn’t necessarily a bad thing!

This particular Netbook, the Eee PC 1005HA, part of the new Seashell range, is one of the latest ones, sporting a 10 inch screen, an Intel 1.6GHZ ATOM N270 processor, 160GB Hard drive, Windows XP Home edition and weighing it at around 1.3KG, so it is quite light.

For those of you interested in a little more specifics:

Processor(s)

Number of processors	1
Number of cores	1 per processor
Number of threads	2 per processor
Name	Intel Atom N270
Code Name	Diamondville
Specification	Intel(R) Atom(TM) CPU N270 @ 1.60GHz
Package	Socket 437 FCBGA8
Family/Model/Stepping	6.C.2
Extended Family/Model	6.1C
Core Stepping	C0
Technology	45 nm
Core Speed	798.1 MHz
Multiplier x Bus speed	6.0 x 133.0 MHz
Rated Bus speed	532.0 MHz
Stock frequency	1600 MHz
Instruction sets	MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSSE3
L1 Data cache (per processor)	24 KBytes, 6-way set associative, 64-byte line size
L1 Instruction cache (per processor)	32 KBytes, 8-way set associative, 64-byte line size
L2 cache (per processor)	512 KBytes, 8-way set associative, 64-byte line size

Chipset & Memory

Northbridge	Intel i945GSE rev. 03
Southbridge	Intel 82801GHM (ICH7-M/U) rev. B0
Memory Type	DDR2
Memory Size	1024 MBytes
Memory Frequency	266.0 MHz (1:2)
CAS# Latency (tCL)	4.0 clocks
RAS# to CAS# (tRCD)	4 clocks
RAS# Precharge (tRP)	4 clocks
Cycle Time (tRAS)	12 clocks
Bank Cycle Time (tRC)	16 clocks

System

System Manufacturer	ASUSTeK Computer INC.
System Name	1005HA
System S/N	96OAAS212909
Mainboard Vendor	ASUSTeK Computer INC.
Mainboard Model	1005HA
BIOS Vendor	American Megatrends Inc.
BIOS Version	0505
BIOS Date	06/12/2009

Memory SPD

Module 1

DDR2, PC2-6400 (400 MHz), 1024 MBytes, Hyundai Electronics

Software

Windows Version	Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition Service Pack 3 (Build 2600)
DirectX Version	9.0c

Thoughts and Conclusion

This particular Netbook is very nice – with a whopping 350+ minutes of battery life, which is in part due to the 6-cell battery so you can really got a lot of use out if without the need to carry the power supply around (which actually is pretty small itself). Asus themselves claim you can get around 10 hours of battery life, but this will have a lot to do with what you are actually using it for,plus there are 3 different battery models for the 1005HA, so make sure you pick the one you want.

I liked using the 1005HA, in fact, I didn’t want to give it back, so you should really consider taking a look at this one if you are in the market for a Netbook. Like a lot of things, choosing this particular model will probably be more to do with personal taste than anything else, so if you can get a good deal on one, take a look today.

The retail price for the 1005HA (with the biggest battery) here in the UK is £379 (from Amazon) but look around as there are probably some deals to be had.

New Version of KeepVault Now Available

Andrew Edney

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Aug 9, 2009

0

Back in May, we reviewed KeepVault 3.0 for Windows Home Server. We received this information from KeepVault yesterday that might be of interest:

We have an upgrade to KeepVault for Windows Home server. It is version 3.10. With this release we are proud to announce a sister product, KeepVault for Windows, which allows you to protect all of your PC’s to the same KeepVault storage account used by KeepVault WHS. A single storage account for all your devices at one low price. In the coming months we will be releasing KeepVault for USB (protect your files directly from your USB storage device; no software to install) and KeepVault for Mac OSX. More detail can be found on our newly designed website http://www.keepvault.com. We’re also working on a new and exciting WHS sync/archive product.

Changes from the previous KeepVault version 3.05:

· Compatibility updates to share storage with other KeepVault family products (KeepVault for windows, WHS, Mac, USB Key)

· Network retry optimization

· General bug fixes

Installing the latest version of KV for Windows Home Server:

· Uninstall your existing KeepVault via the WHS Console

· Download the latest version http://www.keepvault.com/builds/current/KeepVaultWHS.exe

· Run KeepVaultWHS.exe on any PC connected to the WHS Console (or run directly on the WHS via RDP) to extract the MSI installer file into the WHS add-in’s folder

· Launch the WHS Console and install the new KeepVault add-in from the Settings page

You can download KeepVault for Windows client here http://www.keepvault.com/builds/current/KVWinSetup.exe to install on all of your Windows-based PCs. Use the same login information you use for KeepVault WHS.

Installing the LX195 Windows Home Server on a Friday night

Timothy Daleo

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Aug 8, 2009

8

Today I am in the lovely city of Reno, Nevada for the Hot August Nights car show and to visit my sister with her dead Buffalo. While I am here I will be replacing that Buffalo NAS with a new $200 HP MediaSmart LX195 Windows Home Server.

Background

My sister called me last month and said the Buffalo NAS drive I had bought her was no longer accessible. She lives over 500 miles away so there was nothing I could do to help her. Knowing that I could not remotely fix this drive, I decided not only to try and retrieve the data on my next visit but to also come up with a solution for future access issues. The solution was a LX195 by HP. Since I was coming up to go to Hot August Nights in a few weeks I thought I would surprise her with the new HP LX195 and write an article about the installation.

Her main use of the Buffalo L320GL NAS was for music and PC backups, when she remembered to perform them. In all fairness, with the birth of her son last year, she really has not had the time to maintain her backup policies. In addition, two of her four Dells are wireless so using the XP Backup Utility was a pain, unreliable and did not always work across the wireless network.

Enough of the background. Everyone needs a WHS. No reason to keep justifying it. Seriously.

Lets set this pig on fire!

Equipment Needed:

LX195 MediaSmart Server
Six Imported Beers (provided by my sister but always optional)
The First Five Add-Ins
UPS Power Supply (Optional – CyberPower UPS 550VA UPS on sale at BB today)
A copy of the Windows Home Server Users Guide to leave with her so she can get to know and love her new WHS as we all do

LX195 Description

Once out of the box the LX195 has a nice look that should fit in with any home or small office. The size is just right for her needs as she has been using a 320GB Buffalo and still has a little space left. I am so used to my Dell PowerEdge that when I see something this small I have to take a step back and appreciate the technology. If she really starts using the storage capabilities we can always add a 1TB drive later on.

Installation of the LX195

Installation of the LX195 is easy. There is a power cord with external power block and one Ethernet cable to connect. I am also adding a USB cable to connect to the UPS to the WHS. Installation complete. I press the power switch. The pig is officially on fire.

Mental note: Hope this goes fast and easily. I cannot wait to play Keno in a Casino in Reno. What’s in your wallet?

Setup and Configuration

Setup of the LX195 is simple. Put in the WHS Connector CD and let the first connected PC do its thing. You probably should not leave it unattended since your firewall program will need you to make some allowances during the set up process.

Setup took me 19 minutes from the time I plugged it in to the time I could start using the WHS console. Keep in mind I was also doing screen shots during this time so it probably was actually half that time to get it running.

Each step is self explanatory and no additional directions are needed. I will spare you the the step by step in the main body of this article and put the screen shots at the end. The HP guide and setup process is very nice. Being an OEM myself, and installing my parents EX470 long ago, the new software interface has a nice feel to it.

Mental note: Our OEM versions miss out with the customization and support that companies like HP offer with their systems. My OEM does not have the iTunes server, McAfee (TBD good or bad) or the HP Online Backup.

Installation and setup is complete and I am ready to install some Add-Ins to enhance the functionality of the HP LX195 and WHS.

The First Five Add-Ins

In my opinion you should install five core Add-Ins before you can “walk away” from any WHS installation. The Add-Ins below are just MY core installs and are listed in no particular order.

Grid Junction
WHS Admin Installer
WHSBDBB
WHS Disk Management
Remote Notification

Download these core Add-Ins (and many more) at:

http://www.homeserverland.com/downloads/m/whsaddins/default.aspx

I have written articles on each of these Add-In so please read those posts for detailed information on each of these wonderful Add-Ins.

The Add-In installations were quick and easy. The CyberPower UPS was recognized instantly by the Grid Junction Add-In, Remote Notification was easy and just required entering the data similar to my other WHS systems and WHS Management is for future use.

Conclusion

I am very happy with this installation. I am doing the initial backups for each system as I write this article and already feel confident about the LX195 as WHS.

Mental note: I am adding a little USB powered 160GB Western Digital hard drive to the LX195 so I can copy the BDBB to an off-site location.

The HP LX195 is now watching over my sisters network and I need to get to a casino. So much for the HOT in Hot August Nights. It was a cool 66 degrees here today. I am off to watch Cruise Night in Downtown Reno so this article is officially in the books.

See you next Friday night,

Timothy Daleo

Screen Shots of the HP LX195 Setup and Connector Installation Process

and finally…

Windows 7 RTM is Live on MSDN and TechNet

Andrew Edney

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Aug 6, 2009

0

If you are a subscriber to either MSDN or to TechNet then the RTM version of Windows 7 is now available for you to download.

All the versions are there, in both 32bit and 64bit were applicable.

Have fun 🙂

Preview of the Asus U80V Laptop

Andrew Edney

-

Aug 6, 2009

3

Asus have recently launched a new series of laptops, known as the Asus U Series. Here we take a look at one of those new laptop models, the Asus U80V laptop, which is due out soon.

When you press the power button on the laptop you get a really cool little lightshow on the keyboard track pad. Well, ok, I liked it, but I suppose eventually I would be bored with it! However when you are using the track pad in Windows the little lights track your movement, which is amusing. The track pad itself is multi touch – so you can use it to zoom in, out, etc. This sounds pretty cool, but to be honest I had a lot of problems with it and found it to be fairly unresponsive at times. Also, considering you would would to use this feature, its probably a little too small!

Also, depending on the light wherever you are using the laptop, the keyboard is backlight. Unfortunately you cant see that very well in the following two pictures, but believe me when I say it is very nice.

One of the selling points on this laptop is a feature called Express Gate V2. This features enables you to boot up the laptop in around 8 seconds or so in order to quickly gain access to applications such as Instant Messenger and Internet Explorer.

The specifications for the U80V are as follows:

Processor(s)

Number of processors	1
Number of cores	2 per processor
Number of threads	2 per processor
Name	Intel Mobile Core 2 Duo
Code Name	Penryn
Specification	Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU T9550 @ 2.66GHz
Package	Socket P (478)
Family/Model/Stepping	6.7.A
Extended Family/Model	6.17
Core Stepping	E0
Technology	45 nm
Core Speed	1600.4 MHz
Multiplier x Bus speed	6.0 x 266.7 MHz
Rated Bus speed	1066.9 MHz
Stock frequency	2666 MHz
Instruction sets	MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSSE3, SSE4.1, EM64T
L1 Data cache (per processor)	2 x 32 KBytes, 8-way set associative, 64-byte line size
L1 Instruction cache (per processor)	2 x 32 KBytes, 8-way set associative, 64-byte line size
L2 cache (per processor)	6144 KBytes, 24-way set associative, 64-byte line size

Chipset & Memory

Northbridge	Intel PM45 rev. 07
Southbridge	Intel 82801IM (ICH9-M) rev. 03
Graphic Interface	PCI-Express
PCI-E Link Width	x8
PCI-E Max Link Width	x16
Memory Type	DDR2
Memory Size	4096 MBytes
Memory Frequency	400.1 MHz (2:3)
CAS# Latency (tCL)	6.0 clocks
RAS# to CAS# (tRCD)	6 clocks
RAS# Precharge (tRP)	6 clocks
Cycle Time (tRAS)	18 clocks

System

System Manufacturer	ASUSTeK Computer Inc.
System Name	U80V
System S/N	100302350014
Mainboard Vendor	ASUSTeK Computer Inc.
Mainboard Model	U80V
BIOS Vendor	American Megatrends Inc.
BIOS Version	204
BIOS Date	04/23/2009

Memory SPD

Module 1	DDR2, PC2-6400 (400 MHz), 2048 MBytes, Nanya Technology
Module 2	DDR2, PC2-6400 (400 MHz), 2048 MBytes, Samsung

Software

Windows Version	Microsoft Windows Vista (6.0) Ultimate Edition Service Pack 1 (Build 6001)
DirectX Version	10.0

The dimensions on the laptop are (in mm) : 351 x 243 x 25.4 and it weighs in around 2.15 Kg.

The laptop comes preinstalled with Windows Vista Ultimate – and below is the Windows Experience Index for it.

Thoughts and Conclusion

So at first glance this laptop looks quite sexy – its sleek, fairly light, has that cool light show on boot up, a nice backlit keyboard and has a very clear LED screen (which works well in a number of different lights) and quite a good spec. Oh, and the battery life is really good as well – around 6 hours or so in average use.

But you know what? I was quite disappointed by it. Nothing really jumped out at me when using it that made me want to use this laptop over and above anything else.

Don’t get me wrong though, it’s not horrible or anything, it’s just not amazing. Perhaps running Windows 7 would make it better? Unfortunately I didn’t have it long enough to try.

Currently there are no prices in the UK for this laptop, so if Asus really want to do well on this model they will have to come in at a really good price point.

Given a really good price, and trying it with Windows 7, it might be worth taking a good hard look at it.

Not reviewing the LX195 Windows Home Server on a Friday night

Timothy Daleo

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Aug 4, 2009

1

I just received my $199 LX195. The HP special last week was too good to pass up. There is not much to talk about. There is no reason to take it apart. I am not even going to review it. So why did I buy it?

I already have a home built WHS and this little LX195 was not purchased for me. I am giving it to my sister and her husband. Why? Well let me explain why you should do the same. If you are reading this article then you probably already own a Windows Home Server. Being the proud owner of a WHS you know all the benefits of having centralized storage, daily backups and remote access. My sister however, really does not care about these features. She just wants to use her existing PCs and keep some old files on a letter drive. Why buy her a WHS then? Is this not a waste or overkill?

Mental note: I have always been bewildered by some people that are serious computer professionals yet have a difficult time maintaining their own personal equipment. My mechanic has a crappy car. Is it the same thing?

Background

I bought the LX195 because my sisters Buffalo took a crap. I bet you have never heard that excuse before. Anyway…the Buffalo NAS drive I bought her two years ago stopped working three weeks ago. It goes into some safe mode, from what she tells me, but I am 547 miles away and cannot remote access to her network to try and fix it. Since I am the sole employee of Daleo Family Tech Support it is my job to get it fixed. I paid about $150 at CC a few years back and to replace it with a modern version would cost about the same today. The price is close enough to the LX195 for me to pay for the upgrade. I ordered the LX195. Sweet.

Equipment Needed:

LX195 MediaSmart Server for $219.49

Six Imported Beers (to be provided by sister)

One Dead Buffalo

Why buy the LX195 for someone who could careless about WHS?

My sister does not know, or care, about WHS. Yet. I do not expect her to care, yet. So why do this? $219.49 is a lot to pay for a gift to a sibling but it makes financial sense if you take the time to do the math. She needs the LX195. She just does not know it yet.

She is so far away I cannot service her PCs quickly so “when” a drive dies or she has system errors someone else will have to fix it. Best Buy is just down the street from her but they want $299.99 for their standard repair service.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8545988&type=product&id=1188560394765

In addition, she currently forgets to regularly backup her systems (one Dell laptop and three Dell desktops) and is just rolling the dice for future issues. When you consider the time it takes to restore a drive or fix some serious errors the HP LX195 is the only way to go. She does not need TB size drives, Windows Media Center or even Add-Ins. The WHS is a Windows supported insurance program. Seriously.

Conclusion

Not much to conclude here. The LX195 showed up as ordered and was at a great price. Viva HP. Viva WHS. Seriously.

See you next Friday night,

Timothy Daleo

Message for WinHomeServer.com – Stop Ripping Off Our Posts

Windows Home Server

Andrew Edney

-

Aug 4, 2009

6

This is a message for the owner of WinHomeServer.com – STOP RIPPING OFF OUR POSTS!

I have no problem with people linking to our posts, what I do have a problem with is people taking the entire post, screenshots and everything, reposting them claiming that it is their own work.

Everyone who writes for the site, and other sites, spends a lot of their free time doing it to help the community and it is really frustrating when someone comes along and basically STEALS their work.

And it’s not just our posts, its posts from other sites as well!

So Mr Tony Loosle, seeing as you dont provide a way to contact you easily, I am posting this for you, and everyone else to see. Maybe it will appear as a post on your website later!

PLEASE REMOVE ALL OF OUR POSTS IMMEDIATELY OR I WILL TAKE THIS MATTER FURTHER.

Perhaps you failed to notice the COPYRIGHT notice on the site?

Tranquil PC Reduces the Price of the SQA-5H Windows Home Servers

Windows Home Server

Andrew Edney

-

Aug 3, 2009

0

Tranquil PC today announced that the are dropping the price of their SQA-5H series of Windows Home Servers.

The new prices are now as follows:

SQA-1000 1GB/500GB (4x HDD slots free) was £439 now £419

SQA-2000 2GB/1TB (4x HDD slots free) was £499 now £469

SQA-3000 2GB/2TB (4x HDD slots free) was £678 now £599

These prices are effective immediately.

For those of you interested, I reviewed the SQA-5H only yesterday!

Review of the Tranquil PC SQA-5H Windows Home Server

Andrew Edney

-

Aug 2, 2009

19

There are a number of manufacturers out there that sell Windows Home Servers – HP, Acer, etc, but only one of these is British – and that is Tranquil PC. Tranquil have been around for a while and sell all sort’s of cool kit, including PC’s, Windows Home Servers, and more. Did you know for example that Tranquil actually sold one of the first Windows Home Servers?

Well that was then, and this is now. Tranquil’s latest offering is the SQA-5H Home Server. Well actually there are three variants – the 1000 (with 1GB ram and a 500GB HDD), the 2000 (with 2GB ram and 1TB HDD) and finally the 3000 (with 2GB ram and 2TB HDD).

The first thing you will notice about this unit, compared to pretty much all the other Windows Home Server’s on the market is that it is white. That’s right folks, its not black or grey its white! Ok, if you really want it in black you can, but actually there is something kind of retro about the white look.

As well as the colour options, when you place your order you can also order additional hard drives (at quite reasonable prices, unlike some of the other WHS manufacturers).

Inside the Box

When you first receive the box, even that has a picture of the SQA-5H on it, which I think goes to show how much Tranquil want to make a good impression.

Once you get inside the box, you have the SQA-5H itself, an 80W power supply, an Ethernet cable and a Media Pack. This Media Pack contains the initial setup DVD, Connector software and Server Recovery DVD, along with a silver credit card looking object, which is in fact a USB key used for Server Recovery – but more on that in a moment. The initial setup DVD also contains instructions and manuals for setting up the SQA-5H. Now when I say manual, what I mean is actually a 38 page presentation that presents you with simple easy steps to follow, and they are just that.

Every single item in the box has been checked and tested by Tranquil prior to dispatch, so if there is anything wrong or damaged, it is likely to have happened during transit. And if that is the case, they are very quick to put things right (from what I have read in their forums and discussions with Tranquil themselves).

SQA-5H Specifications

Again, a change from the norm when it comes to Windows Home Server is the fact that the SQA-5H has 5 internal drive bays, instead of the usual 4, so that’s just one more internal drive you can use if you have it.

The observant amongst you have probably noticed a small panel on the back of the unit below the USB ports. Well this is the service plate, and if you remove it you have access to some additional connectors, including a VGA connector for troubleshooting problems, if you need them!

The drive bays are very simple to use, and are a bit like the drive bays on the HP MediaSmart servers.

Just one little click releases the handle, pull that down, slide the bay out, clip the drive in and slide it back into place – very simple, and no fuss whatsoever.

There are also a number of LEDs on the front panel which signify a number of different things – but don’t worry as Tranquil include a label on the underside of the SQA-5H to explain each one. You can even tell how much storage has been used by checking the LEDs, and you can even dim them if you so wish.

Finally there is a blue button on the front panel called Backup. This is used to run a server backup to an already configured backup drive. This server backup is initially configured from the Windows Home Server Console, but instead of continually going back to the console to run the same backup again at a later stage, you can just press the button – which is nice.

For those of you interested in the exact specifications, below are the specs for the 1000.

Unit dimensions	213 (W) x 221 (D) x 195 (H) – incl feet
Unit construction	Enamelled steel (typically >70% recycled materials)
CPU cooling	Internal CPU and chipset aluminium heat sink (fan less)
CPU	64 bit ready Intel Atom 330 (2×1.6GHz) Dual Core
Memory	1x DDR2 533/667MHz (up to 2GB)
HDD	1 – 5x 3.5″ Western Digital (Green Power) – or user fitted 3.5″ SATA2 HDDs
Colour options	Satin Black
Front panel	Power, Mode and Backup switches, multi-coloured status LEDs and 2x USB2.0
Rear panel	12V DC power in / 4x USB2.0 / 10/100/1000 LAN / eSATA (with Port Multiplier). Desk Lock
Weight	Base unit (nett) 6Kg (1x HDD fitted)
Packing box	310 (W) x 320 (D) x 290 (H) (external)
Power supply	Universal (50/60Hz – 110/240V) External AC/DC with country specific power cord
HDD support	1 – 5x 3.5” HDD supported (SATA2)
Working temp	Maximum 44’C ambient
Acoustics	~23dBA (1x HDD)
HDD Cooling	Hot swap 8cm Fan, with optimised speed / acoustic control
Mounting options	Desk
Power consumption	29W (base unit, with 1x HDD)
Software	Windows Home Server PP1 pre-installed Media Pack, with Connector, Restore CDs and Installation DVD System / Data recovery system included iTunes Server Logitech Server

Installation and Configuring

Taking it all out of the box and plugging it together is simple and within a few minutes you can be up and running. Just pop the server initialisation DVD in and follow the instructions.

For those of you who like to see the screenshots, here they are:

Then its the usual Server configuration:

Now unlike most other Windows Home Server’s you have to type in your product key here rather than it already being entered for you. Important thing to note here is the Product Key is actually on a sticker that is on the underside of the SQA-5H so either write it down before you start the installation, turn the unit upside down now, or don’t enter the key now and do it later from the Windows Home Server Console (you have 30 days to do this, so don’t worry!).

Currently the SQA-5H comes with Windows Home Server Power Pack 1 so you will have to perform some updates to bring it up to date with Power Pack 2 and all the usual updates, although because it is already PP2 the updates shouldn’t take that long.

And that is it, you are ready to roll – or rather do your first backup and install those add-ins that you feel you want and need.

Server Reinstallation

So do you remember earlier I mentioned the silver credit card looking USB thing? Well, this, along with the Server Recovery DVD, is what you use if you have to perform a server recovery – so whatever you do, keep it safe!

It is very simple to use, you just push out the little USB clip, plug it into the SQA-5H, switch the SQA-5H on, pop the recovery DVD into one of your networked computers and start the process.

You have two options – a recovery keeping your data (assuming you had more than one hard drive)and a full factory settings restore, which completely wipes your drive (this is the one you would use in the event of a primary drive failure).

The process is pretty slick – it searches for your server, and when it finds it the drive is wiped and repartition for you. When this process starts you can pull the USB key out and just sit back.

The process itself can take anywhere from about 10 minutes to half an hour on a clean drive. Once this is done you just pop in the server initialisation DVD again and start from scratch.

Just don’t make the same mistake I did and rush to do that final step – you need to be patient and wait until the SQA-5H reboots and is ready. My problem was I didn’t notice it at first as it’s rather quiet! Watch out for the lights on the front of the unit to know when it is ready.

UPDATE : Inside the SQA-5H

Here are some images of inside the SQA-5H:

Thoughts and Conclusions

I really like the SQA-5H, it has some very unique qualities about it, from the retro white look, to the backup button on the front panel. It is quiet (partly because of the Green drives that Tranquil ship with it) and it has 5 internal drive bays (which are so simple to use), plus the usual USB ports and an eSATA multiplier port, which once again beats out the current HP MediaSmart EX48x series as it can be used to connect several drives to it instead of just the one drive that HP now support. Plus throw in the USB recovery key and you are on to a winner.

Also, Tranquil offer a 36 month return to base warranty provided you have registered it within 28 days of purchase.

The 64 bit processor that is used also ensures that it will be upgradable in the future when the next version of Windows Home Server is shipped, not to mention that is makes it really fast now.

This is certainly the best Windows Home Server you can currently buy in the UK – and Tranquil will even ship this outside of the UK if you need that.

Tranquil have done a really good job with the SQA-5H, and I am eager to see what they come up with next.

Pricing wise, the 1000 starts at £439 (excluding VAT), the 2000 starts at £499 (excluding VAT) and the 3000 starts at £679 (excluding VAT).

UPDATE: As of the 3rd August , Tranquil have reduced the prices to £419 for the 1000, £469 for the 200 and £599 for the 3000 (all excluding VAT).

To see more information about the different SQA-5H units, and to place an order, click here.

Europe to get PROPER Windows 7

Andrew Edney

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Aug 1, 2009

2

Microsoft announced yesterday that Europe would get the “proper” version of Windows 7 and not the horribly reduced E version as previously stated!

For those of you who haven’t been following this, the E version of Windows 7, just for Europe, would not have contained Internet Explorer, because apparently the 7 or so users of a browser called Opera wouldn’t be happy. Opera complained to the European Commission about Microsoft. I didn’t see them complaining to them about Apple with their Safari browser though, but that’s another story!

This also means that existing users of Windows Vista in Europe will be able to upgrade to Windows 7, where as with the E version there was no upgrade path and Vista owners would need to do a clean installation.

Anyone who has pre-ordered the Windows 7 E version will get the PROPER version instead 🙂