Need some help with a file server!

[mrmeister]

Hi,
I'm wanting to get a mac mini or the mac mini server (whichever is needed) and connect all of my random external drives i have lying about to it. Basically, i'm wanting to set up a mini file server that i can access from anywhere in the world. I have enough space with the external drives to store my music library, other general storage and maintain a backup of my OS drive and portable external that i carry around with me, but i don't know how i'd set it up so that i could access my hard drives and use them normally from anywhere.
Also, with Mail Server, i'd like it if i could store all of my emails on the server computer and be able to access them on my Macbook. I don't know what i need though. For my needs, do i even need the server program or can i just use Lion (or even Snow Leopard if i choose) by itself? And if i did need the server, would i need it on just the server computer or both the server and my Macbook?

Sorry if i haven't explained this very well, if you didn't fully understand just ask me and i'll try to rephrase it.
Thanks in advance
mrmeister

 

[Deckyon]

You could do a large NAS drive and turn on FTP for remote access to data. WD Live drives are great for that.

For email, why are you wanting to run it in house?

 

[mrmeister]

I could i guess, what are the chances of a RAID 0 config failing? The benefit of building of my own is that i have most or all of the space i'd need already, just with a little bit of re-jigging on my externals. I'd ideally need 6TB, but if RAID 0 is going to fail, then i'd have to get 2 so that i could run both of them in RAID 1, no?

And, i don't understand what you mean about the emails. I guess its not so important though, because if i'm going to be connecting to my files over the air, i'm going to have an internet connection available to me at that time, so i can check emails anyway.

 

[bboggess]

I would definitely discourage you from running your own email server if you do not know what you're doing. I ran my own for a number of years and it can be a royal pain at times when it goes down for no apparent reason. Some ISPs forbid running your own email server so that would be a consideration. I myself went to gmail, use IMAP on my mac and haven't looked back.

Bill

 

[mrmeister]

I would definitely discourage you from running your own email server if you do not know what you're doing. I ran my own for a number of years and it can be a royal pain at times when it goes down for no apparent reason. Some ISPs forbid running your own email server so that would be a consideration. I myself went to gmail, use IMAP on my mac and haven't looked back.

Bill

Right, i'm swaying towards no email server now, it does seem a little pointless as every time i want to check emails, i'm connected to the internet anyway, and i don't really have a need for offline emailing, as i can only send the email when i'm online. If i desperately need to view something with no wifi i can use my phone over a 3G network... So in short, no email from now on, just concentrating on a file server