If you need to exchange constantly data at your office or the house between several computers, it is worth thinking of use of a file server. It is the computer connected to public network and allowing to transfer freely files in it.
It is required to you
- - Computers;
- - Ethernet-card;
- - hard drive of large volume;
- - 256-512 MB of random access memory.
Instruction
1. Define first of all the number of users who at the same time will be able to connect to the server. If their number reaches 10, then the file server can be constructed also on rather modest hardware. At large numbers it is necessary to establish connection with the server already parallel. Buy the powerful and productive computer having enough random access memory.
2. Pick up the hard drive for appropriate file sharing. If the most part of files which will be used by the server is made by normal electronic documents, then will be rather hard drive of 60-80 gigabytes as these types of files are rather small. However if in your plans exchange of video, music or volume databases, then it is necessary to select a disk on several hundreds of gigabytes.
3. Install if it is required, an add-in memory. On smaller file servers it is possible to work with 256 megabytes of RAM, and faster performance requires 512 megabytes and more. The more users, the more it is necessary for random access memory.
4. Select the suitable operating system. It can depend on the required level of comfort and preferences. Linux or other similar operating systems approach very well as are capable to work also on not too productive hardware. In this case installation of the graphic interface can not be required.
5. Collect and configure the computer for the server, having prepared all necessary components. When using Linux and similar to it systems, the server will demand the smaller number of computers and with a smaller performance. You can safely stop also on the supported equipment. The main thing that the main computer had the Ethernet-card for connection to office or home network.
6. Configure operation of the server, having come into the control panel. Include the general access to printers and files by means of administrative tools. Make sure that communication between computers functions properly and there are no equipment overloads.