So, Dave from the HomeServerShow.com just asked for a contribution to his site.  He wanted to know, as a user of home server, what I would do first when I first got a home server.  It’s an interesting question that some people might find helpful.

My disclaimer would be that as a ‘Franken-builder’, I would most likely build my own server rather than buy one.  That being said, there are a whole host of new machines out there that look pretty tempting. 

Ok, here it is…

“First, I would plug my new server into a UPS for battery backup and surge protection.  Next I make sure to plug my server directly into my router for top speeds.  I boot up as is and make sure everything is working as expected before going any further.  Once I go through the setup on my PC, I start adding my extra internal hard drives.  The only settings I change is to make sure duplication is turned on for my media folders and I copy all of my Music, Pictures, and Movies onto the server.  I'm a bit of a purist, so I'm not going to add any add-ins.  Finally, I add the connector to each PC and give the server 24 hours to back them all up.  That. Is. It.  These things basically take care of themselves.”