November 10, 201015 yr Hi all! Ive been looking into UNraid to solve my media issues for a while now and I have some questions. First, let me tell you the sad state my media is in now. I have 4 x 2tb WD external HDs loaded with MKV DVD and B-RAY rips. I also have a WD network HD (1TB) loaded as well. I use a WDTV Live to stream all my videos to my TV. My questions? 1. Im looking to build a server, preferably one with alot of expandability. I know conputers to a limit (built my own), but I want to make sure I get optimal hardware. Whats the hottness right now for a full or mid tower server without breaking the bank? 2. How does UNRAID work as a media server? Is it as simple as getting everthing running, going to my WDTV and looking under media servers? I tested UNRAID on a old laptop and was unable to map the drive and had to go in with filezilla (granted, I didnt take to long to troubleshoot). Couldnt seem to get it set up as a media server... 3. Is it possible to stream from a UNRAID server to a xbox360? Kinect = amazing interface. 4. I want to get this set up so its wife friendly. She needs to be able to turn on the tv, go to the media server and click on "Drama" (for example). From what I understand, this is what the shares feature produces. So... is it truly wife friendly? lol Thanks for putting up with my newb question! Andrew
November 10, 201015 yr Hi all! Ive been looking into UNraid to solve my media issues for a while now and I have some questions. First, let me tell you the sad state my media is in now. I have 4 x 2tb WD external HDs loaded with MKV DVD and B-RAY rips. I also have a WD network HD (1TB) loaded as well. I use a WDTV Live to stream all my videos to my TV. My questions? Hi, and welcome. We're all enthusiasts here, and we're mostly still learning. I have a WDTV Live as well. It sounds like you've got around 9TB of data that you need to get transferred over, is that right? 1. Im looking to build a server, preferably one with alot of expandability. I know conputers to a limit (built my own), but I want to make sure I get optimal hardware. Whats the hottness right now for a full or mid tower server without breaking the bank? It really depends on your end goals for the server. How many drives do you want to support? Is hot swap capability important to you? What's your budget? I would recommend looking over Rajahal's recommended builds thread to get started. unRAID actually isn't terribly resource intensive. CPU, RAM, etc. become a matter of personal choice. People are running systems on old gear, or on newer Atoms, all the way up to Core i series stuff, and everything in between. As a minimum, you'll probably need at least two 2TB drives. One for parity, and one to start your data migration. Don't calculate parity until after you move everything over. It will greatly speed the process. I'm guessing you don't have any redundancy now, since everything is on external drives. As long as the drives aren't configured in some kind of RAID or JBOD array inside their cases, you should be able to remove them and add them to your unRAID server without any issues. Check and make sure none of them are marked as part of the EARS series, or say anything about "advanced format". If they are, then run a search for either term, and you'll get info on how to rectify that. 2. How does UNRAID work as a media server? Is it as simple as getting everthing running, going to my WDTV and looking under media servers? I tested UNRAID on a old laptop and was unable to map the drive and had to go in with filezilla (granted, I didnt take to long to troubleshoot). Couldnt seem to get it set up as a media server... I haven't bothered setting up in "Media Shares", which I believe requires a uPnP connection. I've found those to be kind of sketchy to set up. Instead, by setting up regular user shares, everything is found in the "network shares". I've set up shares for Television and Movies, and the WDTV Live finds it all without issue. As a bonus, menu navigation speed has actually improved since I moved everything over to unRAID. 3. I want to get this set up so its wife friendly. She needs to be able to turn on the tv, go to the media server and click on "Drama" (for example). From what I understand, this is what the shares feature produces. So... is it truly wife friendly? lol Thanks for putting up with my newb question! Andrew You can set up as many or as few shares as you like. It's pretty straightforward. Any folder you set up at the root of a disk share will automatically become a user share. You can set parameters on that share under the "Shares" link on your web interface.
November 10, 201015 yr Author Excellent, thank you for the assistance! I will make and post my proposed specs in the next couple of days for review. I changed my original post to ask a question about streaming to an xbox 360...
November 10, 201015 yr In case you couldn't find them, here's some getting started links: Recommended Builds My prototype builds You can stream to the 360 using PS3MS (designed for PS3, but works for the 360 also). You can also do it through windows media center, but then you'll have to have another computer powered on to interface between the 360 and and the unRAID server. While it is possible, I don't recommend either. In my opinion, using either the 360 or the PS3 as a media player leaves a lot to be desired. The interface isn't great, you don't get many features, and you'll have issues with certain files. Chances are you'll be much happier with your WDTV. PS3MS also requires a bit more processing power (since it has to transcode mkvs on the fly), so you won't be able to build as low powered a server as you would otherwise. However, if you splurge on something like the i3 you could get the best of both worlds... Honestly, though, I wouldn't bother. Use your WDTV, and if you ever out grow it or want more, build an XBMC or Plex HTPC.
November 10, 201015 yr Hi all! Ive been looking into UNraid to solve my media issues for a while now and I have some questions. First, let me tell you the sad state my media is in now. I have 4 x 2tb WD external HDs loaded with MKV DVD and B-RAY rips. I also have a WD network HD (1TB) loaded as well. I use a WDTV Live to stream all my videos to my TV. My questions? Welcome! I was in a very similar situation, except I had also gone the route of a Syno 210J which I quickly outgrew. I use the WDTV Live as well and have had no issues with playback or detection via network shares. There is some limitation to the WDTV playback across the network, but that is not the fault of unRAID. I also use full BD and DVD rips in the mkv container. I'm moving shortly to a Boxee Box. 1. Im looking to build a server, preferably one with alot of expandability. I know conputers to a limit (built my own), but I want to make sure I get optimal hardware. Whats the hottness right now for a full or mid tower server without breaking the bank? In addition to Raj's builds, you could check out the Pimp Your Rig thread for other starting points. Note the Cooler Master 590 is in limited supply. I believe my build is a typical budget/beginner build. 4. I want to get this set up so its wife friendly. She needs to be able to turn on the tv, go to the media server and click on "Drama" (for example). From what I understand, this is what the shares feature produces. So... is it truly wife friendly? lol Only as friendly as the WDTV Live interface! I understand your situation perfectly. I still get text messages..now how can I get to watch my show??? User shares will directly appear under network shares. Additionally, you can also hide the disk shares. You will want to research "split levels" before beginning the user share setup.
November 10, 201015 yr 1. Im looking to build a server, preferably one with alot of expandability. I know conputers to a limit (built my own), but I want to make sure I get optimal hardware. Whats the hottness right now for a full or mid tower server without breaking the bank? I have to echo Raj on this. I used the guides above when building my server and they were very helpful. By skipping the convenience of hot-swap bays I was able to put together a 12-drive capable server for around $400 (I still haven't got the SATA expansion card and breakout cables, so I'm only into it about $300 right now plus drives). For drives, 2TB is the upper limit right now, and the most popular drives seem to be the WD20EARS and WD20EADS. Be cautious of drives labeled "Advanced format," they require some additional steps to work to full capacity in unRAID. For Western Digital, it's as simple as adding a jumper for pins 7-8 (EARS drives and some newer EADS drives). Other manufacturers have different workarounds. Here are some suggested drives. For motherboards, check the motherboard forum and the motherboard section of the Hardware Compatibility wiki page. 4. I want to get this set up so its wife friendly. She needs to be able to turn on the tv, go to the media server and click on "Drama" (for example). From what I understand, this is what the shares feature produces. So... is it truly wife friendly? lol From a media standpoint, unRAID will be as wife friendly as your frontend (WDTV/XBox360). Technology is not my wife's best friend, but I'm running XBMC on an original XBox (old school in the house!) and she was able to pick it up and start using it right away. If she's already comfortable with the WDTV unRAID should be transparent to her. From a file server standpoint, if she can drag and drop files/folders from one window to another, she can handle using unRAID.
November 14, 201015 yr Author Thanks again for all the assistance. Working on a build right now, have a quick question. I was looking in to the COOLER MASTER Centurion 590 for a case but realized nobody caries it anymore! Any other suggestions for a decent case thats not to expensive?
November 14, 201015 yr The Antec Three Hundred is probably the closest analog in both price and features. It only comes with a three drive cage, so for maximum storage you'd need to buy three CM cages. You could of course opt for three hot swap 5 in 3 cages, but that does drive the price up a lot. This Xigmatek also looks quite similar: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811815007 As does this Aerocool: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811196039 And this, from a company I've never heard of: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811517007
November 14, 201015 yr And this, from a company I've never heard of: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811517007 I actually just picked this AZZA case up, and it's not too shabby. I combined it with the Cooler Master 4-in-3 internal HD bays, so I had to do some minor modifications (removal of plastic guides blocking the bays) and removal of the side fan to fit the large HSF I'm using. Also, I think my top fan is defective, but I already have an RMA for it. Not sure I'd get it again, but I don't regret the purchase at all. I picked it up on Amazon, however, and saved on the shipping.
November 15, 201015 yr And this, from a company I've never heard of: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811517007 I actually just picked this AZZA case up, and it's not too shabby. I combined it with the Cooler Master 4-in-3 internal HD bays, so I had to do some minor modifications (removal of plastic guides blocking the bays) and removal of the side fan to fit the large HSF I'm using. Also, I think my top fan is defective, but I already have an RMA for it. Not sure I'd get it again, but I don't regret the purchase at all. I picked it up on Amazon, however, and saved on the shipping. That is the same case I have in my build. I used the Azza supplied HD bays, therefore I had to make no modifications. You can purchase additional bays from Azza for $8 including fan, plus $10 shipping. The top fan was defective on my unit as well - which I replaced with this Xigmatek fan (got $5 from newegg although I should have returned it to Azza..ulitmately rather than paying $6 shipping to get the same stock fan, I paid $7 for the Xigmatek) I don't regret the purchase (got it for $39.99) even with the bad fan. Looks sharp.
November 16, 201015 yr Author Heres my list so far (taken mostly from Raj's list): Mobo: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138181 CPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103698 RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820139369&cm_re=240-pin_ddr3_SDram_1066-_-20-139-369-_-Product PSU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139017 Case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811815007 SATA Expansion: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816101358 CABLES: (2) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816116097&cm_re=8087_forward-_-16-116-097-_-Product (2) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817994026&cm_re=icydock-_-17-994-026-_-Product (2) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136514 Any suggestions? The Icydocks are a little expensive...
November 16, 201015 yr Any reputable AMD based board should work. Stay away from the ASUS M4A785-M though. That thing was a bitch and a half to configure. Most ASUS boards seem to default to setting any new drive as the boot drive. That's just a royal pain in the ass for unRAID. I'm not sure why ASUS seems so popular here in this community. I used to use them for years, but BIOS issues just like this one drove me away. Before I bought this, I'd been using Gigabyte for my last four builds. Every single one has been excellent. Since newer Gigabyte boards don't have HPA activated by default, there should be no issues inherent to using them. The Gigabyte board that's equivalent to the Biostar you posted (using the same AMD 785G Northbridge): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128394 The one caveat is that most Gigabyte boards have one of their SATA ports dedicated to an eSATA port. That leaves five internal slots. You can either reroute the eSATA port via an eSATA to SATA cable, or you can live with one less port. I sometimes use the eSATA port as a test/pre-clear station with an eSATA dock. I have five ports plus eight via the Supermicro SAS card, for a total of 13. That's one more than I need for my planned 12 drive array. If I decide to go for 15, I'll buy three 5 in 3 bays plus a 2 port PCI-E x1 card. So really, unless you're planning a 20 drive monster, one less port is a non-issue. That Xigmatek is a nice looking case, by the way. It's the one I'd choose if I were building today. Let us know how it is to work in. Who knows, it may become the new budget default case.
November 16, 201015 yr Stay away from the ASUS M4A785-M though. That thing was a bitch and a half to configure. Most ASUS boards seem to default to setting any new drive as the boot drive. Did you run into any problems other than when you added a new drive? I used it in my build and everything seems to be running smoothly. Setup was pretty straightforward and I don't recall having to reconfigure BIOS to force it to boot from flash after adding a new drive. I did notice the device order seemed to switch (drive that was sda before adding was sdb after) Just wondering what sort of gremlins I have in store for me. edit: I found your troubles here. I'll follow that thread for any new developments.
November 26, 201015 yr Author Everything is ordered, only one problem. Cant order these cables to FPO/APO from anywhere: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816116097&cm_re=8087_forward-_-16-116-097-_-Product Suggested alts from newegg?
November 27, 201015 yr (2) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817994026&cm_re=icydock-_-17-994-026-_-Product Those are 3-in-2s, not 4-in-3s or 5-in-3s. Is that what you meant to order? The 4/5-in-3s are much better bang-for-your-buck, and they'll allow you to pack more drives into your case in the long run. 3-in-2s are more appropriate for small builds, such as 6 drive servers in small microATX cases.
December 11, 201015 yr Author Got everything built up! Everything is working well, except Im getting slow write speeds (400-500 KB/s) from my PC to the server. How do I go about troubleshooting this? Thanks again for all the help!
December 11, 201015 yr That's very slow. Go into the BIOS on your server and make sure that all your drives are set as AHCI (assuming they are all SATA drives). Also disable anything related to IDE.
December 12, 201015 yr That's very slow. Go into the BIOS on your server and make sure that all your drives are set as AHCI (assuming they are all SATA drives). Also disable anything related to IDE. Check your ethernet connection speed. It is possible you are only connecting at 10Mb/s if the cabling is not correct. To see the connection speed type: ethtool eth0 after logging in as "root" on the system console or via telnet.
December 12, 201015 yr Author From ethtool: root@Tower:~# ethtool eth0 Settings for eth0: Supported ports: [ TP MII ] Supported link modes: 10baseT/Half 10baseT/Full 100baseT/Half 100baseT/Full 1000baseT/Half 1000baseT/Full Supports auto-negotiation: Yes Advertised link modes: 10baseT/Half 10baseT/Full 100baseT/Half 100baseT/Full 1000baseT/Half 1000baseT/Full Advertised auto-negotiation: Yes Speed: 100Mb/s Duplex: Full Port: MII PHYAD: 0 Transceiver: internal Auto-negotiation: on Supports Wake-on: pumbg Wake-on: g Current message level: 0x00000033 (51) Link detected: yes
December 12, 201015 yr From ethtool: root@Tower:~# ethtool eth0 Settings for eth0: Supported ports: [ TP MII ] Supported link modes: 10baseT/Half 10baseT/Full 100baseT/Half 100baseT/Full 1000baseT/Half 1000baseT/Full Supports auto-negotiation: Yes Advertised link modes: 10baseT/Half 10baseT/Full 100baseT/Half 100baseT/Full 1000baseT/Half 1000baseT/Full Advertised auto-negotiation: Yes Speed: 100Mb/s Duplex: Full Port: MII PHYAD: 0 Transceiver: internal Auto-negotiation: on Supports Wake-on: pumbg Wake-on: g Current message level: 0x00000033 (51) Link detected: yes You are connecting at 100 Mb/s. That's part of the problem. (Although it should be able to get 8 to 10 MB/s) Joe L.
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