June 14, 201115 yr Hi everyone, I was an unraid user for a couple of years then migrated to WHS. After a recent calamity of events I am re evaluating my server. I do not want to reinstall whs1 for several reasons including the loss of usable disk space due to duplication. whs2 is missing key features so I dont want to install that. I have become accustom to certian features that I was unable to do with unraid in the past and was wondering if maybe something has changed. 1) remote access. I know this was really frowned upon in the past but access to my files while on the road is almost completly necessary. Is FTP or some other remote access now supported without undo risk? 2) print server, I am a linux idiot but don't dont want to spin up another box to function as a print server, I read something about being able to install a generic print server via unmenu, will that work for a brother 2140 laser printer? I really like the single instance backup via whs and will probably have to keep a whs box around to accomplish this since I have 3 desktops and 3 laptops all running win 7 that need to be backed up. I do not plan on leaving this box on 24 7 though maybe once or twice a week for backups, I hate to spin a second server as I am trying to be green about this. Electric in summer in florida is a killer. thanks for any suggestions. John
June 14, 201115 yr I cant comment on the print server but I would high;ly recommend a VPN for remote access. This is the proper way to do it. If your internet router doesn't have the option look at one that does. If you go this route you will for all intents and purposes be sitting on your own LAN wherever you are. Meaning everything you do is secure and whatever you can do at home you can do away. It also makes internet cafes etc secure
June 14, 201115 yr For remote access to files you can use Hamachi - but you will only be able to do this if the computer you are using also has it. http://lime-technology.com/forum/index.php?topic=7248.0 Another option is to install a Windows virtual machine on the unRAID server using VirtualBox and install under that logmein or any other remote access software (this is what I have done). http://lime-technology.com/forum/index.php?topic=10978.0 This virtaul Windows can also be used as a print server.
June 14, 201115 yr The p910nd driver should be able to drive your brother - I have a Samsung CLP-315 (which, I believe, is a GDI printer) working well. Essentially, the real printer driver does all its stuff on the client computer - p910nd simply passes the bitstream through to the printer. Read the details here. I would support the suggestion to use a vpn when away from home - I use Draytek Vigor routers for their transparent implementation of vpn, both for lan-lan and single client.
June 14, 201115 yr ESXi has solved all my server requirements (best of all the worlds). I still owe everyone a write up of my build....
June 14, 201115 yr Author Ok seems my linksys e2000 does not do vpn, will have to look into that for my next router upgrade. Am going to read on the remote options provided here and see what I can figure out. Sounds good on the printing, will have to play and see if I can figure out the installation Would love to hear more about the Esxi solution you have. Are we talking the free VMware vSphere Hypervisor? Thanks everyone I am planning on setting the server up in the next couple of days. John
June 14, 201115 yr Author Oh and the option for formating drives I believe I read here is to use 4k aligned correct?
June 14, 201115 yr The unMenu package manager installs the print server in 2 or 3 clicks. unMenu: http://lime-technology.com/forum/index.php?topic=5568.0
June 14, 201115 yr Oh and the option for formating drives I believe I read here is to use 4k aligned correct? Yes. You need to change from the default in version 4.7. Version 5.0 has 4k-aligned as default. The current pre-clear script will honor the setting unless directed otherwise. Pre-clear: http://lime-technology.com/forum/index.php?topic=2817.0
June 14, 201115 yr Ok seems my linksys e2000 does not do vpn, will have to look into that for my next router upgrade. Am going to read on the remote options provided here and see what I can figure out. Sounds good on the printing, will have to play and see if I can figure out the installation Would love to hear more about the Esxi solution you have. Are we talking the free VMware vSphere Hypervisor? Thanks everyone I am planning on setting the server up in the next couple of days. John Take a look at DD-WRT or an alternate firware for your router. I have a Cisco WRT320N (if I remember correctly) that I installed DDWRT on and then enabled VPN access to. It works a treat from outside my network and when I need to connected to my machines to access files.
June 14, 201115 yr Author dgaschk, Thanks clicks are good, linux command line not so good LOL Will change format type until 5 is no longer beta, prostuff1 Will look at ddwrt for that router, I have it on another router and it works fine, have it on a second and its hosed....did not find out there was a compatibility problem until after it was flashed, and no way to revert on this netgear.
June 15, 201115 yr Author Well hurdle one has been jumped. unmenu has been installed and I can now print to the tower! God Bless UNMENU....simply an amazing tool for linux idiots Oh there is no drive in the array yet but I can print, I am so easy to please
June 15, 201115 yr Good stuff ! OK so definitely dd-wrt if you can achieve it for VPN. If you are buying a new router to install it on try and get a Broadcom one as it supports more features. If you cant dont worry to much about it they are likely features you wont need anyway. You wont look back if you get this type of VPN setup its a proper solution far beyond any other kludge
June 15, 201115 yr Author Good stuff ! OK so definitely dd-wrt if you can achieve it for VPN. If you are buying a new router to install it on try and get a Broadcom one as it supports more features. If you cant dont worry to much about it they are likely features you wont need anyway. You wont look back if you get this type of VPN setup its a proper solution far beyond any other kludge Ok so my understanding is if the router can do VPN I don't need anything else on any of the computers on the network correct?
June 15, 201115 yr Would love to hear more about the Esxi solution you have. Are we talking the free VMware vSphere Hypervisor? Yes indeed that's what we're talking about! http://lime-technology.com/forum/index.php?topic=13272.0 - here's a build similar to mine (but far more advanced hardware-wise) http://lime-technology.com/forum/index.php?topic=7914.0 - here's the thread that started this madness. I highly recommend using the passthrough methods described in the thread rather than RAW mapping. Also use plop to boot into unRaid. The BR10i controllers can be bought for $50 from eBay with bracket from here (http://cgi.ebay.com/IBM-ServeRAID-BR10i-SAS-SATA-Controller-w-Optnl-Bracket-/270748220946) which 100% works with the latest unRaid confirmed by myself and others. And as has already been discussed, VPN access is a dream with a proper router and software.
June 16, 201115 yr Author Well it seems my ESXi aspirations have been cut short for now. It does not seem to like the onboard sata or my add on sata board on my Asus M3N78-VM. I guess I will just get unraid running and virtualize it later. You can do this without losing the data on the array cant you? Or will changing the unraid drives to the new sata card create a problem? John
June 16, 201115 yr Nope it should be safe for you to move over into a virtualized setup once you know everything is ready (test test test before commiting). I moved my physical production machine into a VM about 5 weeks ago, no issues whatsoever yet.
June 17, 201115 yr Author Nope it should be safe for you to move over into a virtualized setup once you know everything is ready (test test test before commiting). I moved my physical production machine into a VM about 5 weeks ago, no issues whatsoever yet. what mb / processor are you using, or do you know of a good ESXi / unraid build thread here. If i build a new box it has to be on the cheap or it will be years and years before I realize the savings of consolidating boxes. I have tried another Asus mb with a 780 chip set and that crashes the install so my idea of switching boxes will not even work, they both have amd 7750 kuma cores in them so it did not make a dif to me which was desktop Thanks John
June 17, 201115 yr Author actually the cheapest solution might be to throw a sata card at the first box that failed with the storage error...if that does not work the card will always come in handy anyway. Too much sun at the beach yesterday think my brain is fried, i should have thought of that first.....LOL
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