Small Home Business Network - What desktop should I get to have as a server.

Hello all, Please help!!!! I have been trying for 3 months to set up a LaCie Big4 Quadra 4 x 2tb drives. I was mislead at time of purchase that this was a NAS - not to be and no refund.

I have at 27" Imac, Late 2009 2.8ghz Intel Core i7 16gb mem on Mac os x lion 10.7.3, a 21.5" imac 3.06ghz intel core 2 duo, 4gb, Mac OS X Lion 10.7.3, MacBook Pro7,1 13" 2.4ghz intel core 2 duo, 4gb and a MacBook White older model (not here to check details).

I was trying to set up the LaCie device into a $60 second hand Dell Optiplex GX280 but this device does not read drives over 2tb as it reads the lacie as one full drive even when partitioned and set at different raid types.

I tried setting up my old Power Mac G4 but it seems it has a cpu issue and doesn't work anymore - it wont load from the cd drive or usb - tried forcing it through the linux single user but have basic knowledge - can't quite remember the details but something like 8 & 9 ....? .... sorry it's slipped my mind.

So the question is I want to use the LaCie Mass Storage device to be connect to a server machine so that I can access as fast as possible on the network. The lacie has esata, Firewire 800, 400, usb 2.0 - I see that LaCie has bought out a hub with esata to Thunderbolt but I do not have thunderbolt any capable computers.

I'm looking for a cheap machine - what do you suggest???? Please help I am at my wits ends with this......

What is cheap? And what are you trying to serve with this large drive?

If you want it for Time Machine backups there are specific requirements that have to be met (What you hook up to has to support HFS+ and AFP)

The cheapest easiest solution is a refurbished Mac Mini with Server on it.
Refurbished Mac mini - Apple Store (U.S.)
If you don't actually need the server software there are cheaper Mac Minis. Right now there is a core i5 with 2gb of RAM for $519 USD in the US store.
That has FW 800 which is decent.

If you want to build a PC I think you could hit around the $500 - maybe even less - and you could put esata on it. That being said - it would have to run some kind of Linux like Freenas which supports Time Machine backups.

It all just depends on what you want to serve.

Thank you for your reply.

What about this???
eBay Australia: Buy new & used fashion, electronics & home d
They also offer memory upgrades.
And I can purchase Lion x server for $69....
What are your thoughts please.

That's a PowerPC based G5

It will not run OSX Lion or Lion server

It could run Leopard server but then you are saving money buying a old Mac only to loose money trying to buy Leopard Server, which would be much more than the $69 Aus dollars that Lion server sells for

Thanks. What would be the oldest model of mac mini that would be capable? I have seen in forums that the 09 model has firewire hardware issues with external drives.

I appreciate your reply.

The Lacie will be acting as a work server which needs to be backed up with timemachine. I am a graphic designer and have large working files psd etc. and want fast network response. Between all machines.

Just a question if I was able to get a snow leopard server does it matter that 2 of the machines run os x lion? sorry this may be a dumb question. I've just never had to learn about this until now.

If you want to use snow leopoard or Lion you need to have an Intel Core 2 Duo or better.
Apple - OS X Lion - Technical specifications
So if you could find a core 2 duo then it should work. I don't know about hardware issues with the older Mac Minis.

The old G4/G5 processors had something with networking - and I don't remember what it was. Maybe it couldn't do the large frames for Gigabit Ethernet? Someone can correct me on that. Anyway - just so you'd have a longer lasting computer - find a core 2 duo at least.

You don't need server software - if all you want to do is make a file server. You can serve files off of any machine. You don't need Lion Server just to serve files.

IvanLasston said:

If you want to use snow leopoard or Lion you need to have an Intel Core 2 Duo or better.
Apple - OS X Lion - Technical specifications
So if you could find a core 2 duo then it should work. I don't know about hardware issues with the older Mac Minis.

The old G4/G5 processors had something with networking - and I don't remember what it was. Maybe it couldn't do the large frames for Gigabit Ethernet? Someone can correct me on that. Anyway - just so you'd have a longer lasting computer - find a core 2 duo at least.

You don't need server software - if all you want to do is make a file server. You can serve files off of any machine. You don't need Lion Server just to serve files.

Click to expand...

Serve Files - Is this just buying a desktop plug in and share over the network?
thanks

Apple -> System Preferences -> Sharing -> Check Share files - enable both SMB and AFP and point to which directories you want to share. Or you can use Airdrop to transfer files as well. This is available without Lion Server.

Thank you for all your assisstance. I have put a support request in with LaCie. I am sick of the stress lines in my forehead. You are most kind... You Rock!!!