NAS box or low powered Windows 7 pc?

[Alvysyngr]

Hello everyone - I am at a crossroads and am not sure what to do. Previously I posted about building a low powered (and cost) NAS (using nas4free) box to stream media and share files to various areas of my house via wifi to my 2 WDTV's (via SMB shares) and Mac and PC laptops.

Currently I am running a Windows 7, Core 2 Duo system (2.13ghz) with 4gb ram which seems overkill to just send files and is loud and not very energy efficient. With my current setup I have no issues with any video files up to 720p (1080p gets put on a 1tb portable WD drive in the rare instance I watch one)

MI-008 Tower Black P4 Chassis with 250W Itx Psu+sata Power Supply
http://www.amazon.com/MI-008-Tower-Black-Chassis-Supply/dp/B001H0BA24/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=2IRGA9G7T4GZ9&coliid=I3R8X3TOUUGQKX

Foxconn Intel G31 DDR3 1066 Intel - LGA 1155 Motherboards D250S
http://www.amazon.com/Foxconn-Intel-G31-DDR3-1066/dp/B007VOLMJG/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1360252399&sr=1-1&keywords=D250S

2 Kingston 2GB 204-Pin DDR3 SO-DIMM DDR3 1066 RAM

2 2tb WD "EAR" drives

Bottom line - can this hardware at least equal what I am currently running? Is Nas4free or Windows 7 better for what I need it for? Would this setup be able to transcode or is that just a pipedream for the config?

I am not seeking a RAID system, just a dirt cheap and energy efficient way to offer up some files here and there

thanks in advance

 

[ronintexas]

Are all of the devices you mentioned connecting on an internal LAN (no remote connections), or you you access the devices outside the home?

What are the security concerns in the network? Is it a "free for all" within the home, or do you need strict security?

nas4free does a good job, and has better security as compared to just a "Windows Share", and in my opinion, will be a better fit given you are using MAC and PC's.

While the new build will cut down on energy use, it may take a while for ROI (return on investment). It is the "green" thing to do....

Where is the noise being generated? Fans, HDD, etc.... If you transfer components that are currently generating noise, you will still have the noise.

Replacing the fans (most common source of noise) may be the simple alternative.

Generally all systems can transcode - it would just be the speed at which it is performed....if speed isn't essential, then it should be an issue. I believe you would have to install Windows 7 or a Linux build to transcode. 4GB RAM should be fine for this.

 

[Alvysyngr]

Are all of the devices you mentioned connecting on an internal LAN (no remote connections), or you you access the devices outside the home?

What are the security concerns in the network? Is it a "free for all" within the home, or do you need strict security?

nas4free does a good job, and has better security as compared to just a "Windows Share", and in my opinion, will be a better fit given you are using MAC and PC's.

While the new build will cut down on energy use, it may take a while for ROI (return on investment). It is the "green" thing to do....

Where is the noise being generated? Fans, HDD, etc.... If you transfer components that are currently generating noise, you will still have the noise.

Replacing the fans (most common source of noise) may be the simple alternative.

Generally all systems can transcode - it would just be the speed at which it is performed....if speed isn't essential, then it should be an issue. I believe you would have to install Windows 7 or a Linux build to transcode. 4GB RAM should be fine for this.

Thanks for the quick response. All the devices are connected via internal LAN but sometimes I will run an FTP to transfer files from outside machines to and from this machine, I am pretty sure NAS4FREE supports FTP. Security isn't a huge issue since most of my real work is on PC's and backed up off the network so I guess it would be 4tb of free-for-all who can get onto my wifi which isn't a big deal since nothing private goes there. I guess I can always try NAS4FREE and if it doesn't hold up install win7.

The case for my current machine is a piece of junk (super budget) - so it probably is the fans and 3 harddrives in there making the noise - by replacing the case do you think it may take car of the noise level? then again it is opening up a can of worms since I may as well upgrade the cpu, MB and ram lol

 

[ronintexas]

The "case" is just a metal structure to hold the computer components - the only reasons to replace a case is you need more room or there is physical damage to the case.

With any case you buy, fans will go out all the time. Typically you can replace these fans for $5 - $15 each...I always keep a few spares around the house, as they typically last for 6 months to 3 years before they start getting "too loud".

The FTP function of NAS4FREE is nice and a bit easier to config than setting up Windows 7 to do it. FileZilla server will do it as well (add on for Windows - free), but you need to get either a dedicated IP or use something like NOIP ( http://www.noip.com/personal/ ). They have free accounts.

If the hard drives are noisy, there isn't much you can do but replace them. If their age is 6+ years, getting a new drive would be on my shopping list. I just lost a drive that was about 6 years old....thank goodness for syncback (100% of the data was saved).

 

[Alvysyngr]

The "case" is just a metal structure to hold the computer components - the only reasons to replace a case is you need more room or there is physical damage to the case.

With any case you buy, fans will go out all the time. Typically you can replace these fans for $5 - $15 each...I always keep a few spares around the house, as they typically last for 6 months to 3 years before they start getting "too loud".

The FTP function of NAS4FREE is nice and a bit easier to config than setting up Windows 7 to do it. FileZilla server will do it as well (add on for Windows - free), but you need to get either a dedicated IP or use something like NOIP ( http://www.noip.com/personal/ ). They have free accounts.

If the hard drives are noisy, there isn't much you can do but replace them. If their age is 6+ years, getting a new drive would be on my shopping list. I just lost a drive that was about 6 years old....thank goodness for syncback (100% of the data was saved).

I placed the order for the little box - total of about $125. It should be fun to put together. At first I will be doing the way of Nas4Free

On the topic of noise - Can you suggest a decent brand fan? I am also thinking my Power Supply is adding a ton to this problem.

 

[ronintexas]

I use Cooler Master silent fans ($10 at newegg):

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103091

I have purchased more expensive fans, that don't work or last any longer....these are a fair price and good quality. Unless you need high masses of air movement (those fans aren't silent LOL)...these are great.

 

[johnnyq1233]

I have had a setup a few years ago running a stripped down version of XP pro and no graphics card...was very quiet and never had any issues with multiple streams and jumping in of the net from work to watch a quick video...
I used the remote desktop access for getting on and doing security, antivirus updates and other such tasks...
The nice thing about it was the ease at which it operated...never had a down time due to system failures...
So I would suggest the win approach and set the appropriate router/firwall settings.
have had no experience with nas4free but sounds interesting..JQ

 

[Alvysyngr]

Best answer selected by Alvysyngr.