What is Windows Home Server?

Adding an mControl Module to Windows Home Server on a Friday night

Timothy Daleo

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Jun 14, 2009

I am back from a couple of great week-long vacations and while I was gone Windows Home Server, with the mControl Add-In, has been watching over our home. Windows Home Server controlled two lights I connected so easily I decided to add additional modules for another light and my surround sound speakers. While I was gone Smarthome delivered these control modules and I am going to hook them up tonight. My first two articles about mControl described the process of installing the mControl Add-In, connecting the system via an easy USB cable and then creating some macros to tell the lights when to go on and off.

You can read the articles I wrote showing the easy installation of mControl at:

https://moviesgamesandtech.com/2009/05/16/adding-mcontrol-to-windows-home-server-on-a-friday-night/

and the macro article at:

https://moviesgamesandtech.com/2009/05/30/mcontrol-macros-with-windows-home-server-on-a-friday-night/

mControl Review

As a refresher, mControl is an Add-In that you install on your WHS that controls modules and other communications devices within your home. mControl is the software and not the control modules.

There are three components to a basic system:

The mControl software Add-In on your WHS
A USB device (PowerLinc modem #2412U) that sends your WHS mControl signal to your house electrical wiring
A module plugged in to the house electrical that controls a light or device (add as many or as few as you want, I got two to start)

These three parts are all that you need to begin. Before I started this project I thought it would be really complex but I was wrong!

The diagram below shows how you can connect to mControl via your PC, Internet Explorer, Mobile client, Extender or XBOX 360.

Equipment Needed

mControl on your WHS

Device Module (I bought mine from Smarthome)

iTunes streaming your favorite station

One Beer (optional as always)

I bought a couple of extra parts (as shown above) to get a 10% discount and will write about the addition of those items in future articles.

Lets set this pig on fire!

Installation

The module I am going to install is an Insteon On/Off Adapter #2856S3B and I will use it for the surround sound speakers and light. The surround sound speaker system for my Samsung stereo is wireless but I keep the power turned off the other 22 hours a day I am not using it. Currently, every time I want to listen with surround sound I need to get up, walk around the couch and dining room table and flip the little switch on the back of the speaker unit. It is a pain in the ass and quite frequently I either forget to turn it on or leave it off cause I am too lazy to get off the couch. With mControl and WHS this new module can control the surround sound from Windows Media Center. This option is perfect for me since most of the movies I watch are through my Dell Hybrid running Vista connected to my plasma in the living room. Tonight when I queue up the Star Trek Alternate Realities DVDs I just put in my Windows Media Center DVD library, I can also turn on the surround speakers and light.

The first part of the installation is to walk out to the living room and plug in the module. Make sure you write down the address of the module BEFORE you plug it in or you will be making a second trip! The address is on the back of the module.

Now that I have the address all I have to do is plug it into the wall and plug the devices into the module. For this installation I am plugging in an extension cord that is connected to the surround sound and a small lamp I want to come on when I start to watch a movie. I plan on shutting off the main light, that is already controlled by WHS, and using the second lamp as a “night light” during the movie. Don’t want to kick the side of the table again. *#$&(@&@#

Now that I have plugged the module in, I am going to open Windows Media Center (WMC) and add the device. You can also add the device through Internet Explorer (as explained in my first mControl article) or directly through the WHS Console. Don’t you just love it already?

mControl for the WMC is listed under Online Media in the program library.

If you have enabled ISS then it will ask you for a user name and password

As you can see the main light in my living room is already on because I am running the macro from the last article. In addition, during the first article I created a zone for each room of the house (including the backyard and garage), and will just add this new module (device) to the Dining Area.

Click on Settings from the Zone View screen.

Click on Manage Zones from the Settings screen.

Click on the Zone in which you want to add the device.

Click on Add Device in the Edit Zone screen.

We are now ready to add the module we plugged in a few minutes ago. This has taken about 30 minutes for me, since I am doing screen shots and typing, so I am ready for another beer. BRB.

In the Add Device screen give your module a name, choose the type of adapter, module, image and then type in the address from the back of the module.

Before you click on Save walk back out to the location where you plugged in the module and push the Set button on the side of the module. The instructions say you only have about four minutes so if I had clicked on it when I first plugged it in it would have not recognized it. Hold the button down on the module until it starts to flash and then come back and click on Save.

Once you have clicked on Save you will be back at the Edit Zone screen. Click on Home to take you back to the Zone View screen.

If the module was recognized (you wrote down the correct address) then you will see the device in the zone. The module recognizes that the light and speakers were already on so the yellow bars are lit. I will turn it off and verify that it is working.

The module turned off and I walked out to the living room to verify the light and speakers were off. Everything is working. I also turned on the Studio Hybrid PC so I can control the lights from the living room. The wife is out playing Mahjong and I have Star Trek with six beers left! That’s how I roll my friends.

Everything looks good so lets try it out! I am ready to test the system. I made a short video of the experience.

Conclusion

I hope that the articles I have written about mControl have shown you how Windows Home Server and mControl can enhance your home. I really have enjoyed learning about mControl, Insteon, Windows Home Server and how these simple modules can do so much around my home. Please check back with us to see how we use WHS and mControl for even more great things!

See you next Friday night.

Timothy Daleo

Installing Windows Home Server on a Motherboard with Intel ICH10R

Andrew Edney

-

Jun 10, 2009

1

After I encountered some trouble while installing Windows Home Server on a board with Intel’s ICH10R in AHCI and/or RAID mode, I made a short how to on pushing the required drivers to the installation without burning an OP-DVD. This is it.

This example is based on the recent version of Intel Matrix Storage Manager Driver.
On the USB stick that normally holds the ‘Drivers’ folder during installation, create another folder (e.g. ‘instSATA’) in the root.

Copy all drivers required for your Mass Storage device into that folder. You can find them listed in the file ‘txtsetup.oem’ of your driver source.

Copying always includes any *.inf, *.cat and txtsetup.oem.

Now create a textfile and copy the following code into it:

REM Copy the required driver files to the setup folders
md c:\$WIN_NT$.~BT\$OEM$
md c:\$WIN_NT$.~LS\$OEM$\TEXTMODE
copy %~dp0*.* c:\$WIN_NT$.~BT\$OEM$
copy %~dp0*.* c:\$WIN_NT$.~LS\$OEM$\TEXTMODE
REM Add the information about the driver to the setupfile
REM Section header
echo [MassStorageDrivers]>> c:\$WIN_NT$.~BT\winnt.sif
REM Edit the corresponding line for your device from txtsetup.oem
echo “Intel(R) ICH10R SATA AHCI Controller” = “OEM”>> c:\$WIN_NT$.~BT\winnt.sif
REM This is a must have line, use only the one for your language
REM (GERMAN DE)
echo “IDE CD-ROM (ATAPI 1.2)/PCI IDE-Controller” = “RETAIL”>> c:\$WIN_NT$.~BT\winnt.sif
REM (ENGLISH US)
REM echo “IDE CD-ROM (ATAPI 1.2)/PCI IDE Controller” = “RETAIL”>> c:\$WIN_NT$.~BT\winnt.sif
REM Section header
echo [OEMBootFiles]>> c:\$WIN_NT$.~BT\winnt.sif
REM Add all files required for your device
echo iaAHCI.inf>> c:\$WIN_NT$.~BT\winnt.sif
echo iaAHCI.cat>> c:\$WIN_NT$.~BT\winnt.sif
echo iastor.sys>> c:\$WIN_NT$.~BT\winnt.sif
REM This line must always be there
echo txtsetup.oem>> c:\$WIN_NT$.~BT\winnt.sif

Save this file as a cmd file (e.g. ‘instAHCI.cmd’) to the same folder where you’ve put the drivers .

Now start the setup from DVD and run through it. After the computer restarts in Textmode Setup, you will probably encounter a bluescreen.

Start Setup from DVD again and go to ‘Load additional storage drivers’. Click on ‘Load drivers…’ to get a filebrowser.
Type * (asterisk) for the ‘File name:’ and press Enter to see all files. Navigate to your driver folder on USB stick and highlight your cmd file (‘instAHCI.cmd’ as above).

Right-Click and select ‘Open’ to execute it and get all driver files copied to the correct setup folders.
Close the filebrowser and click ‘Cancel’ to end setup and reboot your machine.
It will continue in Textmode Setup, but now without bluescreen, as it has the correct drivers for your controller.

Written by Thorsten Studt

Why I got a Windows Home Server

Windows Home Server

Michael Peele

-

Jun 10, 2009

2

For a few years now, I’ve wanted to purchase a file server for my home. I wanted to have my desktop, laptop, and my wife’s laptop be able to simply share files. Having had more than one disk crash, and seeing people lose their life’s work due to a disk crash, I knew that I wanted some kind of redundancy, so I would not lose valuable data, like pictures.

At first, I set up a simple share on my desktop computer, and periodically copied files from it to somewhere else – CD’s, DVD’s, dual layer DVD’s, a spare hard disks in an external enclosure, my laptop. But this wasn’t organized properly. In addition, if the desktop computer was powered off, or in use playing a game, network access was a problem.

So I decided that I needed a dedicated, network attached storage. That’s what a NAS is – network attached storage. Not necessarily a dedicated computer, not necessarily a high-end storage device that big corporations have. Just something simple. Just something with at least two disks, that would mirror each other.

I spent the better part of a year looking at the various NAS devices, reading reviews, looking at pricing, checking prices, and learning that some of them allow access from the internet, some only allow one user at a time.

I also looked at signing up for storing my files on the ‘net, but that’s too slow for real use. I did think that putting a backup copy out on the ‘net would be a good idea, albeit fairly expensive and cumbersome.

And, backing up all the computers in the house would be a good idea.

Oh, yea, and in the mean time, we had a baby. Baby pictures and videos are very important. I REALLY needed a shareable, reliable and fast network attached storage (NAS).

And then, Microsoft released Windows Home Server (WHS), and Hewlett-Packard (HP) released the MediaSmart Home Server running WHS.

I know a bit about running servers, but I don‘t want to have to get an MCSE just to store some photos. The WHS is made for the novice user, but has enough features and add-ons to make advanced novices, like myself, and even most professionals happy.

I priced out the various NAS options with a couple of 1 terabyte (TB) disk drives, and I priced the WHS. The feature set of the WHS is so much more impressive than any NAS anywhere in the price range, for my needs, I just had to have one. My wife agreed.

So, what does the WHS do that is so AWESOME?

I am setting up accounts for grandparents, aunts, uncles, in-laws, out-laws (just kidding), friends and extended family. They can all visit my WHS to see photos and videos of baby, as well as upload their own photos and videos.

I am copying all of the CD’s and DVD’s with old photos to it, for the wife.

I am copying tax, warranty, manuals, important documents and such to it.

I finally have a real backup of all of the computers in the house.

I bought an EeePC for the living room, and it is also backed up. I did a manual backup out of the box, and did a manual backup after installing some drivers, windows updates, security software, and programs.

It’s fast, and it takes very little power, and can sleep at night.

It monitors the computers in the house for Windows Firewall and security alerts, like if someone turns off the firewall.

There are add-ins to manage virus software on all of the PC’s in the house (Avast).

And, there are add-ins to automatically copy data to off-site storage on the ‘net, just in case something terrible, like a fire, destroys your house. Wouldn’t it be nice to think that if you have a fire, you at least still have your wedding and baby pictures?

So, that’s why you should get a WHS – file sharing, backup, and sharing baby pictures with the family.

Why should I get my mother (mother-in-law, grandmother, uncle, brother, friend, etc.) a WHS?

How many times has your mother had a computer question that you could fix if there was a backup of the system, or files? WHS has built-in backup, and it is easy to use.

How many times has your mother asked you to store photos and home movies? WHS can do this easily. The HP MediaSmart comes with software to publish photos on it, or on some popular web sites.

How many times has your mother misplaced an important document at home? WHS can store all these files, and they can be searched. There are add-ins to help manage this for you.

How many times has your mother had a problem that you could fix if you were sitting at the computer? WHS has a web interface that can allow you to remotely connect to other computers (this requires XP Professional, Vista Business/Enterprise/Ultimate, and doesn’t work on XP Home or Vista Home – however, there are FREE software such as UltimateVNC that can be used).

There are add-ins like WHSTweet that you can set up on the WHS to use Twitter to send you alerts of issues. So, if your mother’s WHS has a disk failure, you will know, before she does, and you can put in a new one, quickly.

I recommend that my friends, family and the in-laws get a WHS.

I recommend that you get one too.

KeepVault V3.0 for Windows Home Server Giveaway – The Results

Windows Home Server

Andrew Edney

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Jun 9, 2009

1

A few weeks ago we reviewed the KeepVault 3.0 Windows Home Server add-in.

KeepVault from Proxure is an online backup solution add-in for your important files that your store on your Windows Home Server. The latest version, version 3 has just been released.

Last week we offered our readers the chance to win two 40GB storage accounts.

Well, I am happy to announce that the winners are:

John Fortais

John Zajdler

Well done, you should be hearing from Proxure shortly with details of your accounts.

More giveaways coming up, so keep visiting Using Windows Home Server.

Review of the Lite-On 8x External Slim DVD Writer

Reviews
Tech

Andrew Edney

-

Jun 8, 2009

2

So you may ask yourself why you need an external DVD writer? Well, there could be plenty of reasons. You may have a netbook or other laptop that doesn’t have a DVD drive, or you may have a Windows Home Server that doesn’t have a drive. Whatever the reason, having a small external DVD writer available to use can be a great help.

Yes, there are ways around needing an external drive – such as using USB sticks to install software or copy files, but at the end of the day, having a good old fashioned DVD writer is simple, easy and relatively cheap!

A lot of the external DVD writers out there are quite big, in fact, in some cases are the size of a brick, and then they have their own separate power supplies. If you have a netbook for example, the last thing you want is an external drive that is as big, and even heavier than your actual computer!

This is where the Lite-On 8x External Slim DVD Writer comes into play. It really is tiny, weighs next to nothing and is powered directly from the computer, so no extra power supply to lug around.

SPECIFICATION

Interface: High Speed USB 2.0

Data Transfer Rate :

Write

DVD+R : 8X maximum

DVD-R : 8X maximum

DVD+R DL : 6X maximum

DVD-R DL : 6X maximum

DVD-RAM : 5X maximum

CD-R : 24X maximum

Rewrite

DVD+RW : 8X maximum

DVD-RW : 6X maximum

CD-R : 24X maximum

Read
8X maximum

Access time
130ms

Weight : <350g

Buffer Size : 2MB

Colours: White, Black, Red, Blue

BOX CONTENTS

The box contains only four things – the DVD writer, a USB cable and software disk and quick guide.

The quick guide is literally a couple of short lines in connecting the drive and installing the software, but that is really all that you need.

The bundled software is Nero 8 Essentials, so you have everything you need to write DVDs. Considering this is a new device it would have been better to have shipped it with Nero 9, just because that is the latest version. And of course, you don’t have to use Nero 8, you could use whatever you wanted, including the built in writing capabilities of Windows.

A LOOK AT THE DRIVE

The drive itself is very small, and in fact is only a little bigger than a DVD.

The front has a single button to open the drive and the back has a single mini USB connection and a small LED light to show you if the drive is on and usable (blue means ok, flashing red means that there is not enough power to use the drive properly).

Connecting the drive to your computer is simple, just plug one end of the USB cable into your computer and the mini USB end into the drive. If the LED flashes red then you can plug in the additional USB connector into your computer to give additional power.

CONCLUSION

This is a nice drive, and is very simple to use. Because it is connected via USB it is never going to be as fast as an internal drive, but the chances are that you are considering buying something like this because you cant have an internal drive. It is very quiet, which means if you are going to use to watch movies, for example, it helps!

My only real comment on this drive is the USB cable. It is very short which meant that when I tested it on a desktop PC I literally had it hanging off the front, which is not a good move!

This drive currently retails for around £50, and I can honestly say that if you need an external drive, for any reason, this one is well worth considering.

5W/50 Series – Business Opportunities with Windows Home Server – Recording Available

Andrew Edney

-

Jun 8, 2009

1

For those of you who missed the 5W/50 Series – Business Opportunities with Windows Home Server live webcast last week, don’t worry, there is a recording of the event that you can watch at your leisure.

Having now watched the event, it was very good and worth an hour of your time.

I was due to help present but unfortunately I had a wedding I had to attend, and for some reason neither the bride, groom or my other half was particular happy with me doing a live webcast from the church. I know, some people!

Anyway, you can access the recording from the Microsoft Partner Learner Center by clicking here.

You need to be a Microsoft Registered Partner to access the content, but it is free to become one and only takes a few minutes, and will give you access to a lot of other interesting materials.

EC-Council Hacker Halted Conference – Very Special Registration Rate for UWHS Readers

Andrew Edney

-

Jun 8, 2009

0

Here at Using Windows Home Server we have got an amazing offer for you!

You are invited to attend the 14th Hacker Halted Conference, which will be held in Miami, Florida, from Sep 23 – 25, 2009. Hosted by EC-Council, the event will have many world class security experts present intriguing topics and sharing important updates related to cyber security. This conference will also serve as a learning and networking platform for information security professionals globally. To see the world class program agenda, please click HERE.

To make it a truly valuable conference for the participants, EC-Council will be hosting 3 specially customized Security Training Workshops on September 25. All conference registrants* will be eligible to attend any one of these workshops, each worth $599, absolutely free of charge!

Choose from one of the following workshops:

1. Ethical Hacking: Identifying Threats & Deploying Countermeasures

2. Incident Response: Principles of Incident Handling

3. Virtualization Security: Threats Exposed

Hurry! Seats are available on a First Come First Served basis.

I am certain you will be concerned about the state of information security, as well as understand threats that your organization may be exposed to, and ways to overcome or prevent such threats. Hacker Halted USA presents you that opportunity, and I am certain your participation will give you a truly valuable and memorable experience.

This special pass, at a discounted rate of just $699 (Usual price of $1299), will give you full access to the conference, as well as any of the training workshops on Sep 25.

Do not miss out on this opportunity to join a world class conference, network with other information security professionals, attend a full fledged training workshop, as well as be part of the largest reunion of Certified Ethical Hackers globally.

We look forward to see you in Miami.

http://www.hackerhalted.com

Registration Instructions

To register for this special conference pass, please do the following:

1. Click HERE

2. Fill up all the necessary details

3. Under “Type of Conference Pass”, select “VIP Pass – Requires Promo Code”

4. Under “Promo Code”, input “HHUSA-UWHS”

5. Choose “Preferred Payment Mode”

6. Under “Choice of Training Workshop”, select the applicable option.

Accommodation

This Conference is being held at the Hilton Miami Downtown, and they have offered to attendees of the conference a very special rate of just $105 per night. Rooms are filling up fast, so do make your bookings early to avoid disappointment.

To reserve your accommodation at the Hilton Miami Downtown, please click HERE or copy and paste the below URL onto your browser:

http://www.hilton.com/en/hi/groups/personalized/MIADTHF-HHU919-20090916/index.jhtml

mControl for Windows Home Server Giveaway – Week 2 Results

Windows Home Server

Andrew Edney

-

Jun 8, 2009

0

Last week we said we would give away another mControl licence – well, this week’s winner is…

Michael Wacey

Well done, your licence is on it’s way to you now.

mControl is software for your Digital Home. mControl allows you to control all aspects of your home from your Media Center PC, locally or remotely via Internet Explorer browser or from your Windows Mobile device.

For more information on mControl and Embedded Automation, click here.

Stay tuned for another giveaway shortly, including more mControl licences.

Help Wanted – Apply Within

Andrew Edney

-

Jun 7, 2009

11

Here at Using Windows Home Server, we have previously put out the call for new writers for the site, and a number of you have answered that call. We have some fantastic writers in the team, including Tim Daleo, Phil Bevan and Joe Nell.

We have also had a fantastic response from you, the readers, to our various giveaways when we have asked you to suggest articles you would like to see.

The problem is that there are just not enough hours in the day to do everything that is needed, so we are once again putting out the call.

Do you want to review some software or some add-ins? We can supply you with the software to review. You don’t have to have written anything in the past, as long as you are willing to look at the software or the add-in and write up something that others may find interesting or useful.

You may ask yourself what you will get in return? I would love to say riches, good fortune, praise, etc, etc, but in reality you will get a great feeling about being part of the community, adding value to an already growing arena. Plus you will get free stuff! That stuff may include software, books, other swag like t-shirts, bags, etc – it all just depends at the time, but be certain if there is some free stuff going, you will be at the top of the list. Plus you will often be able to get free access to events just by proving you write for a site! Trust me, it works!

Most of us MVP’s were fortunate enough to start by giving back to the community – so who knows where it might lead for you?

So, what have you got to lose? Why not give it a go, who knows, you may like it?

You don’t have to have written before, and in fact, we can always help you write up the review if you like, it is more important that you are willing to give it a go. The reviews can be for Windows Home Server, Windows Media Center, whatever you like really. And the same goes for articles – is there something you want to write and see published?

So, if you are interested, drop me a line at andrew @ usingwhs.com (remembering to remove the spaces) and we can take it from there.

My Windows Home Server Article Featured in the Microsoft TechNet Newsletter

Windows Home Server

Andrew Edney

-

Jun 7, 2009

0

One of my Windows Home Server articles has recently been published in the fortnightly Microsoft TechNet newsletter – the one that was sent out on the 28th May 2009 to around 160,000 subscribers, as the Feature Article.

The article was based on the post I did on Backing up your Windows Home Server shared folders with an external drive.

I was really pleased that they published another Windows Home Server article (this is the second one I have had published in the TechNet newsletter). This just goes to show that Microsoft do see that Windows Home Server is an important product and that not every single thing published by them is Windows 7!

I have a few more articles they are going to publish over the coming months, so stay tuned.

If you are not subscribed to the TechNet newsletter, you can do so by clicking here.

Windows 7 Release Date and my new book

Andrew Edney

-

Jun 2, 2009

1

Microsoft today announced that the release date for Windows 7 will be 22nd October 2009 and that the RTM edition (that means Release to Manufacturing) will be during the last two weeks of July.

This is good news and means that Windows 7 will be available for the all important holiday sales.

There is also going to be a Windows 7 Upgrade Options Program for people buying PCs before Windows 7 ships.

The bad news for me though with that release date is that I now have to pull my finger out and get my Windows 7 book finished and ready for publishing around the same time. So if anyone has any Windows 7 tweaks, tips or tricks that would like to share, please email me at andrew @ usingwhs.com (removing the spaces). Any really good ones that I use will get a mention and a free copy of the book.

Gaming Voice Chat Server using Windows Home Server

Joseph Nell

-

Jun 2, 2009

10

If you’ve ever played a game with a group of friends, you’ll know that being able to communicate often results in superior performance, especially in games where cooperation is required. Windows Home Server provides a solid base for running your own Voice Chat server.

For many of us, TeamSpeak was our first voice chat application. Among the MMO crowd, Ventrilo seems to have become the de facto standard for group play, though some clans/guilds continue to use TeamSpeak. Another solution from the Open Source realm is Mumble and it’s server counter-part Murmur.

Since installation of each of these is fairly well documented, I’ve chosen to simply highlight the resources you’ll need to get started. None of these provides our wonderful ease of installation most add-in’s have, nor do they provide configuration options through the WHS Console.

TeamSpeak

The TeamSpeak server can be obtained from the TS Downloads page here. In addition, since we don’t want to require the user to be logged on all the time, you should grab the dedicated service file.

As of June 2, 2009, the Downloads page doesn’t list a download for the service executable. It is still accessible on their site, however they strictly forbid direct linking to their downloads. To get around this, simply click the link for the latest server download. When presented with the agreement, rather than clicking on “I Agree”, copy the link address and paste it into your URL bar. Add _service to the file name so it looks like: /server_windows_service.exe

Hopefully the TeamSpeak developers fix this little problem soon.

Simple directions are provided for installing the TeamSpeak service here, aside from the incorrect download instructions.

Please note that TeamSpeak’s license allows for non-commercial use. Review their FAQ before assuming use outside your friends and family is permitted.

Ventrilo

Ventrilo installation is similar to TeamSpeak, however the installer includes the necessary files to run it as a service. After installation on your WHS, you simply run the Install menu option found in your start menu under VentSrv->Service. Note that the service does not automatically start after install. You can start it manually through the Services administrative tool found in your start menu.

Ventrilo’s public version allows for a maximum of 8 connections before requiring you to purchase a license or more likely service from a hosting provider.

Mumble/Murmur

Installing and configuring Murmur is a bit more complicated, but well covered here. Setting it up as a service is documented by the installation page here. There is a small error in the installation document step 5 referring to “Murmur Demo” where the previous instruction is to create an entry entitled “Murmur”. Simple ignore the Demo portion and use the Murmur entry found there.

Both pages can be overwhelming if you’re new to editing configuration files and registry entries. The results are pretty good, however, since you have an open source license, rather than it being proprietary and/or restrictive. Mumble also provides an on-screen overlay within certain games.

Each of these packages has advantages and disadvantages. TeamSpeak has a fairly restrictive license, however it has a built-in web interface that allows you to configure your server to meet your needs. Ventrilo has a limit on the number of users before you encounter licensing restrictions and requires you to edit an INI file by hand, however it does install as a service a tad bit easier than TeamSpeak. Mumble/Murmur are open source, however the installation and configuration tasks are a level of complication above the previous two options.

One of the biggest drawbacks to each of these is a lack of integration with the Windows Home Server Console. A problem hopefully some adventurous developer would be willing to step forward and fix.

TrainSignal Windows Home Server Training Giveway – The Winners

Windows Home Server

Andrew Edney

-

Jun 2, 2009

5

Last week we reviewed the Windows Home Server training DVDs from TrainSignal and we also ran a competition to win a couple of copies of the training DVDs.

Well it’s time to announce the winners:

Anders Sundqvist from Sweden

Grant Sebastian from Australia

Bud Gallagher from the US

Congratulations to you all.

I will be posted out the training DVDs to you in the next few days, so look out for them winging your way shortly.

And for those that didn’t win, as usual keep visiting Using Windows Home Server and look out for more giveaways shortly.

Windows Home Servidor

Andrew Edney

-

Jun 2, 2009

0

Donavon West, my friend and fellow Windows Home Server MVP sent me this today which I though I would share with you all.

Today we are pleased to announce that we have begun shipping the Home Servidor, a Windows Home Server built into the body of a real working cigar humidor. The top of the unit holds up to 15 of your favourite cigars, while the bottom chamber (thermally isolated from the upper chamber) contains a powerful yet “green powered” home server.

“Home Servers are becoming a must have appliance in today’s multi-PC households, but why settle for an ugly grey box?” asks Home Servidor designer Donavon West. “I designed the Home Servidor for the person who wants more. The Home Servidor looks great on the desk of your home office. No one even suspects that there is a server hidden away inside”.

Each Home Servidor is handcrafted. They start at $799, available in 1TB and 2TB models. The computer hardware uses Intel’s Atom processor and “green” hard drives. Both are energy efficient, a feature that is a must for an “always on” appliance such as a home server. A welcome side effect of these low power technologies is that very little heat is emitted, which is desirable for use in a humidor.

“Care should be taken to store cigars in a cool dry place” says West. “Most experts recommend a temperature of about 70 degrees Fahrenheit and a relative humidity of around 70%. With that, we have taken great measures to thermally isolate the cigar storage area of the Home Servidor from the warmer computer equipment below. The Home Servidor incorporates an air gap between the compartments as well as a special insulating foam strip that forms an air tight seal.”

At the heart of the Home Servidor is Microsoft’s Windows Home Server operating system. It is managed from an easy to use console which is extendable through Add-Ins. The Home Servidor comes pre-loaded with one such add-in which will keep you informed of any system health warnings via Twitter (an exclusive feature of the Home Servidor).

About the company
The Home Servidor is manufactured by a privately held venture based in Baltimore, MD. It is lead by noted Windows Home Server expert and Microsoft MVP, Donavon West who runs the popular Windows Home Server website www.HomeServerHacks.com. He is also the author of the Windows Home Server Twitter Add-In @WHSTweet. See www.HomeServidor.com for more information.

Nice one Donavon! Watch out for a review soon 🙂