Home server
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A home server is a
Because of the relatively low number of computers on a typical home network, a home server commonly does not require significant computing power. Home servers can be implemented
Services provided by home servers
Administration and configuration
Home servers often run
, or many others.Some home server operating systems (such as Windows Home Server) include a consumer-focused graphical user interface (GUI) for setup and configuration that is available on home computers on the home network (and remotely over the Internet via remote access). Others simply enable users to use native operating system tools for configuration.
Centralized storage
Home servers often act as network-attached storage (NAS) providing the major benefit that all users' files can be centrally and securely stored, with flexible permissions applied to them. Such files can be easily accessed from any other system on the network, provided the correct credentials are supplied. This also applies to shared printers.
Such files can also be shared over the Internet to be accessible from anywhere in the world using remote access.
Servers running Unix or Linux with the free Samba suite (or certain Windows Server products - Windows Home Server excluded) can provide domain control, custom logon scripts, and roaming profiles to users of certain versions of Windows.[1] This allows a user to log on from any machine in the domain and have access to their "Documents" folder and personalized Windows and application preferences - multiple accounts on each computer in the home are not needed.
Media serving
Home servers are often used to serve multi-media content, including photos, music, and video to other devices in the household (and even to the Internet; see
Windows Home Server supports media streaming to Xbox 360 and other DLNA-based media receivers via the built-in Windows Media Connect technology. Some Windows Home Server device manufacturers, such as HP, extend this functionality with a full DLNA implementation such as PacketVideo TwonkyMedia server.
There are many open-source and fully functional programs for media serving available for Linux.
On an
Servers are typically always on so the addition of a TV or radio tuner allows recording to be scheduled at any time.
These services such as Windows Home Server have become significantly less popular in favour of services such as Plex and Jellyfin. These services allow users to store their media on a NAS and stream and sometimes download it to devices within the network and optionally to devices outside the network. These services automatically sort users media and find metadata and sometimes subtitles. They also track and remember users progress within a movie or series so they can continue from where they left off.[2][3]
These services are can be criticised for catering to pirates by allowing them to easily manage and view their illegally obtained media.[4]
Remote access
A home server can be used to provide remote access into the home from devices on the Internet, using
On a Linux server, two popular tools are (among many) VNC and Webmin. VNC allows clients to remotely view a server GUI desktop as if the user was physically sitting in front of the server. A GUI need not be running on the server console for this to occur; there can be multiple 'virtual' desktop environments open at the same time. Webmin allows users to control many aspects of server configuration and maintenance all from a simple web interface. Both can be configured to be accessed from anywhere on the Internet.
Servers can also be accessed remotely using the command line-based Telnet and SSH protocols.
Web serving
Some users choose to run a web server in order to share files easily and publicly (or privately, on the home network). Others set up web pages and serve them straight from their home, although this may be in violation of some ISPs terms of service. Sometimes these web servers are run on a nonstandard port in order to avoid the ISP's port blocking. Example web servers used on home servers include Apache and IIS.
Web proxy
Some networks have an
Some proxies can be configured to block websites on the local network if it is set up as a
Many home servers also run e-mail servers that handle e-mail for the owner's domain name. The advantages are having much bigger mailboxes and maximum message size than most commercial e-mail services. Access to the server, since it is on the local network is much faster than using an external service. This also increases security as e-mails do not reside on an off-site server.
BitTorrent
Home servers are ideal for utilizing the
Gopher
An unusual service is the
Home automation
Home automation frequently relies on continuously operational devices for effective control and management. While traditional home servers have been instrumental in this area, the emergence and increasing use of Raspberry Pi and other Single Board Computers (SBCs) have become prominent. These devices, notably the Raspberry Pi, offer a flexible platform for running home automation software such as Gladys and Home Assistant. This shift towards SBC-based solutions has made home automation more accessible and cost-efficient, allowing a broader range of users to seamlessly control and integrate various smart home devices, thereby enhancing the overall functionality and convenience of their home automation systems.
Security monitoring
Relatively low cost CCTV DVR solutions are available that allow recording of video cameras to a home server for security purposes. The video can then be viewed on PCs or other devices in the house.
A series of cheap
Family applications
Home servers can act as a host to family-oriented applications such as a family calendar, to-do lists, and message boards.
IRC and instant messaging
Because a server is always on, an IRC client or IM client running on it will be highly available to the Internet. This way, the chat client will be able to record activity that occurs even while the user is not at the computer, e.g. asleep or at work or school. Textual clients such as
Online gaming
Some multiplayer games such as
Federated social networks
Home servers can be used to host distributed
Third-party platform
Home servers often are platforms that enable third-party products to be built and added over time. For example, Windows Home Server provides a Software Development Kit.[5] Similarly, Tonido provides an application platform that can be extended by writing new applications using their SDK.
Operating systems
Home servers run many different
Hardware
Mobile phones are typically just as powerful as ARM-based single board computers. Once mobile phones can run the Linux operating system, self-hosting might move to mobile devices with each person's data and services being served from their own mobile phone.
See also
Server definitions
Operating systems
- BSD UNIX
- Various Linux distributions
- macOS Server
- Solaris
- Windows Home Server
- Windows Server Essentials
- Plan 9 from Bell Labs - The successor to Unix
Products
Technologies
Media serving software
Server software
- Comparison of web servers
- List of mail server software
- List of FTP server software
- Samba (software)
- RealVNC
- Tonido
Home networking
- DOCSIS
- G.hn
- HomePNA
- Power line communication, HomePlug Powerline Alliance
- VDSL2
- Wireless LAN, IEEE 802.11
References
- ^ "Roaming Windows User Profiles - SambaWiki". wiki.samba.org. Retrieved 2023-12-23.
- ^ "What is Plex?". Plex Support. Retrieved 2024-04-09.
- ^ "About Jellyfin | Jellyfin". jellyfin.org. Retrieved 2024-04-09.
- ^ Stephen, Bijan (2019-07-23). "Plex makes piracy just another streaming service". The Verge. Retrieved 2024-04-09.
- ^ "Software Development Kit for Windows Home Server". 19 March 2009.
- ^ "Proceso de montaje del servidor de mi casa". www.danielclemente.com. Retrieved 2021-12-10.