Back in June 2007 we published a Windows Home Server connectivity map which was compiled by Microsoft for the WinHEC 2007 conference. Two months on we have another show and another Windows Home Server connectivity map. It gives a basic representation of how your Home Server can connect with your existing “computer” appliances.
From the IFA Berlin, Germany.
The Knowledge base has been updated with article number 940883. Windows Media Center Extenders may be unable to access media files that are stored on a computer that is running Windows Home Server. You can read more on the Knowledge base.
Medion’s MultiMedia Home Server – The MEDION MD 90110 HOME SERVER. Here is the latest blurb we have for you.
Access anything from anywhere
Instead of spreading digital fotos and music on several computers, store them in one central place so the whole family can access them. Even from on the road
you can access those data via internet.
Data Security
Windows Home Server comes with an automatic backup function that creates a daily update of up to ten home computers. With those backups you can easily restore the computers in case of a datacrash. Windows Home Server can also mirrow your folders to another harddrive.
Media Streaming
Windows Home Server can stream digital media content via connected PC or streaming clients like DMA or Xbox 360. So you can enjoy your content everywhere in your home.
Easy Setup
Interactive Step by Step Setup. No complicated Server scripts.
MEDION Home Server Features
Courtesy of Microsoft Press Office and the IFA show in Berlin, Germany we have some more pictures of the Fujitsu Siemens SCALEO Home Server. And what a beauty she is!
Before dedicated Anti Virus products from Avast, F-Secure and others appear for Windows Home Server we have to rely on other AV products. We looked at Anti Virus software for our Home Servers in the past here and here.
To recap we tested a few “home” products and as expected they would NOT install on Windows Home Server, complaining that it was not a server machine. They were:
Kaspersky Anti-Virus 6
AVG Anti-Virus Free
AVG Anti-Virus Professional Edition 7.5 and
Microsoft OneCare
We also tested two free products. Comodo AntiVirus which was very hard to setup and ClamWin; which is probably the best free option available, but it did not have a TSR and so was not good enough.
We then checked other commercial anti virus products that would install on the Home Server, but we had to disregard the following nine products because they were too expensive being near or over the $200 mark.
Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Edition 10
Kaspersky Anti-Virus for Windows Server
Kaspersky Anti-Virus for File Server
Avast 4 Server Edition
Avast 4 Small Business Server
Sophos Anti-Virus SBE 2.0
Avira AntiVir Server
McAfee Enterprise AV 8.0i-8.5i and
NOD32 Enterprise Edition
Next we tested NOD32 for Windows and F-PROT Antivirus for Windows. We liked both but over time NOD32 was causing server load and permission issues and took ages (days) to scan files (and here). F-PROT really lagged down Windows Home Server and caused the Console on clients to take over a minute to open and it would not scan unless logged into the Admin account.
AVG Anti-Virus Network Edition came to the rescue. I have been using it for the last month or so, it is extremely good value and it works extremely well. It is available @ $62.95 (£39) for 2 computers for 1 year or $83.95 (£52) for 2 computers for 2 years. Contributor TheJudge had this to say:
"It is the ONLY AV to actually work without lagging or blocking WHS…"
AVG Anti-Virus Network Edition will run in the background as a service but you will need to configure it to auto update automatically without a user being logged in. Here is what you need to do:
It is necessary to create the update and test plan for all users if you want to schedule AVG update and test plan to run when there is no user logged on the computer (unfortunately at this time, all scheduled tasks are run only when a user is logged in) :
1) Please disable preset update and test plan this way:
* Open AVG 7 -> menu “Program” -> select “Switch to Advanced Interface”
* Open “Scheduled tasks” with double-click on it (or you can use function key)
* Open “Update plan in Basic mode”/”Test plan in Basic mode” with double-click on it
* Uncheck the “Periodically check for Internet updates”/”Periodically start scheduled antivirus test” item
* Confirm with the “OK” button
2) Create your own update/test plan:
* Press the “New schedule” button in “Scheduled tasks” window
* Choose “Update”/”Test” from the “Schedule” list
* Choose the update type/preferred test from the “Schedule options” list
* Please check the “Schedule for all users” item
* Set the other scheduled task options according to your needs and confirm with “OK” button
With this configuration the update/test will be performed even if there is no user logged on the computer. Please note that the update will be successful only if it is set to update from the Internet or local folder. It is not possible to run update from a network directory if no user is logged in.
NOTE: If the AVG client application is connected to the AVG Remote Administration it is necessary to create the update plan via AVGADMIN. Please check FAQ #212 for more details.
The 30 day trial version can be downloaded from here.
Many thanks to Paul Roberts and AVG Technical Support in the preparation of this article.
HP and Microsoft have decided to delay shipment of the first product which was to come to market which uses Windows Home Server. An HP spokesperson today said that the company and its partner Microsoft had decided to rework the MSS’s software to make it more “user-friendly” to general consumers.
The HP spokesperson also said that shipments, which were due to begin on September 7th, were now being further delayed. Product will now be “in the channel in time for the holidays”.
Hopefully some of us will be unwrapping a HP MediaSmart Server on Christmas day with an easier to use HP photo program.
Thanks to We Got Served and SmallNetBuilder for the story.
Well here we have it, the first press shot of what the Fujitsu Siemens SCALEO Home server will really look like, and we say this looks beautiful.
The preliminary spec looks like this:
This prototype has been made available for the IFA show in Berlin, Germany where the pricing and availability details will be revealed.
Andrew Grant developer of add-in Whiist has uploaded a how-to video on using the latest version Whiist 0.76.
Norway now has pricing for Windows Home server. It is priced on Komplett.no at 1.795 Kroner and at pcutstyr.no at 1.665 Kroner.
Thanks to Roger Liavaag for the info.
Beta participants can no longer download the Release Candidate (RC) version of the software at the Microsoft Connect web site. Beta testers will be able to continue to use the beta product keys they downloaded from the Connect site, but no more product keys for the RC software will be issued.
The posting on the WHS Blog stated that the 120-day Evaluation Edition will be able to be ordered from the Windows Home Server product pages for a cost recovery basis to cover shipping and handling in the next 4-6 weeks as we originally stated earlier.
They also added that in the future, the Windows Home Server team will continue to use the Connect site for interacting with the Windows Home Server community by releasing additional items that we want people to get an early look at. All of the suggestions submitted by the community will continue to exist, and they are busy digging through all of the great ideas as they start planning version 2 of Windows Home Server.
Please check back at the Windows Home Server Connect site from time to time to see if there is additional stuff to download and test.
