If you need to constantly exchange data in your office or home between several computers, you should consider using a file server. It is a computer that is connected to a public network and allows you to freely transfer files within it.
It is necessary
- - Computers;
- - Ethernet card;
- - large hard drive;
- - 256-512 MB of RAM.
Instructions
Step 1
First of all, determine the number of users who can simultaneously access the server. If their number reaches 10, then a file server can be built on fairly modest hardware. For large quantities, the connection to the server must be established in parallel. Get a powerful and efficient computer with enough RAM.
Step 2
Choose a hard drive for proper file sharing. If most of the files that the server will use are ordinary electronic documents, then a 60-80 gigabyte hard drive will suffice, since these file types are relatively small. However, if you plan to exchange video, music or large databases, then you need to choose a disk for several hundred gigabytes.
Step 3
Install additional memory, if required. Smaller file servers can run with 256 megabytes of RAM, while faster performance requires 512 megabytes or more. The more users, the more RAM you need.
Step 4
Choose the correct operating system. This may depend on the level of comfort and preference required. Linux or other similar operating systems work very well as they can run on less-than-powerful hardware. In this case, you may not need to install the GUI.
Step 5
Build and configure the server computer with all the necessary components ready. When using Linux and similar systems, the server will require fewer computers and with lower performance. Feel free to dwell on the supported hardware. The main thing is that the main computer has an Ethernet card for connecting to an office or home network.
Step 6
Configure the server operation by going to the control panel. Enable sharing of printers and files using administrative tools. Make sure that the communication between the computers is working properly and that there is no hardware overload.
